Described herein are microfluidic devices and methods that can separate and concentrate particles in a sample.

The invention is directed to a microfluidic probe head (100) with a base layer (120) comprising: at least two processing liquid microchannel (123, 124) in fluid communication with a processing liquid aperture (121, 122) on a face of the base layer; and an immersion liquid microchannel (223, 224) in fluid communication with a immersion liquid aperture (221, 222) on a face of the base layer, wherein the microfluidic probe head is configured to allow, in operation, processing liquid provided through the processing liquid aperture to merge into immersion liquid provided through the immersion liquid aperture. An additional layer can be provided to close the microchannels. Such a multilayered head is compact and easier to fabricate than heads made with unitary construction. The head can further be interfaced with tubing using e.g. a standard fitting for tubing port.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for dynamic fractionation of a dispersed phase in a fluid. The device comprises a fractionation channel and from a first to a third injection ports. A first and a second confining fluids are injectable through the first and second injection ports, respectively. An elution fluid for transporting the dispersed phase is injectable into the channel through a third injection port which is arranged between the first and second injection ports. An end portion of the channel comprises from a first to a third terminal portion respectively arranged in correspondence to the first to the third injection ports and having a geometry such that the first and second confining fluids respectively have a first and second predefined flow rate and the elution fluid have a third predefined flow rate which is larger than the first and second predefined flow rates.

A method of treating a biological sample, preferably a sample of blood or bodily fluids likely to contain one or more species of interest, and including a step of decomplexification by acoustophoresis (as well as associated systems, devices, substrates and connection devices).

There is provided a microparticle sorting method including a procedure of collecting a microparticle in a fluid that flows through a main channel in a branch channel that is in communication with the main channel by generating a negative pressure in the branch channel. In the procedure, a flow of a fluid is formed that flows toward a side of the main channel from a side of the branch channel at a communication opening between the main channel and the branch channel.

The invention, provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

A microfluidic device can include an upstream passage, a sample passage, a bifurcating passage, and a combining passage. The upstream passage can be configured to provide a focusing stream. The sample passage can be configured to provide a sample stream. The bifurcating passage can include a specified bifurcating flow resistance. The combining passage can be configured to create a combined stream from the focusing stream and the sample stream, where the focusing stream can direct the sample stream away from the upstream passage and toward the bifurcating passage. A first portion of the combined stream can be discharged through the bifurcating passage. The main discharge can be configured to discharge a second portion of the combined stream. The main discharge can include a main discharge resistance that is selectable to vary the main discharge resistance relative to the bifurcating flow resistance.

A particle separating and measuring device of the present disclosure includes: a first flow path device including a post-separation flow outlet through which a first fluid containing specific particles to be separated flows out; and a second flow path device on which the first flow path device is placed and including a first flow inlet through which the first fluid flows in, the first flow path device in which the post-separation flow outlet is arranged in a lower surface is placed on the second flow path device in which the first flow inlet is arranged in an upper surface of a first region, the post-separation flow outlet and the first flow inlet are connected so as to face each other, and a size of an opening of the first flow inlet is larger than a size of an opening of the post-separation flow outlet.

Provided herein are devices and methods for generating positive and negative pressures. The devices and methods are suited for the generation of pressures; in particular, the pressures generated can be useful for controlling the flow of fluids, such as in fluidic device.

Various embodiments are described herein for controlling the self-assembly process of paramagnetic particles and the final particle cluster size using a liquid-liquid interface. The number of paramagnetic particles within a particle cluster and coating at the liquid-liquid interface may be controlled by systematically varying the strength of an applied magnetic field gradient and the interfacial tension of the liquid-liquid interface.