Microfluidic devices and methods for investigating crystallization and/or for controlling a reaction or a phase transition are disclosed. In one embodiment, the microfluidic device includes a reservoir layer; a membrane disposed on the reservoir layer; a wetting control layer disposed on the membrane; and a storage layer disposed on the wetting control layer, wherein the wetting control layer and the storage layer define a microfluidic channel comprising an upstream portion, a downstream portion, a first fluid path in communication with the upstream and the downstream portions, and a storage well positioned within the first fluid path, wherein the wetting control layer includes a fluid passageway in communication with the storage well and the membrane, and wherein the wetting control layer wets a first fluid introduced into the microfluidic channel, the first fluid comprising a hydrophilic, lipophilic, fluorophilic or gas phase as the continuous phase in the microfluidic channel.

The present disclosure teaches an apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid.

The present invention relates to fluidic devices for preparing, processing, storing, preserving, and/or analyzing samples. In particular, the devices and related systems and methods allow for preservation or storage of samples (e.g., biospecimen samples) by using one or more of a bridge, a membrane, and/or a desiccant.

Disclosed is a passive wireless device for microfluidic detection of multi-level droplets. A primary inductor channel and a secondary inductor channel each comprise two layers of inductance coils, and the inductance coils of the primary inductor channel and the secondary inductor channel are alternately arranged in each layer. A double-resonance circuit is formed after a liquid conductive material is injected. A first part of a detection channel is disposed between a primary capacitor channel, and a second part of a detection channel is disposed between a secondary capacitor channel. A reading device is used to read a resonant frequency of the double-resonance circuit, and perform detection according to the resonant frequency to obtain information of a corresponding first droplet group and/or second droplet group.

Systems and methods are provided for determining a velocity or an inflation rate of a droplet in a microfluidic channel. The droplet is exposed to two or more temporally separated flashes of light, each flash including light of one wavelength band, and imaged using a detector configured to distinguish light in the wavelength bands. Two or more images of the droplet are acquired, each corresponding to one of the flashes, and all within a single video frame or photographic exposure. The images can be processed separately and the position or size of the droplet in each image is calculated. A velocity or inflation rate is then determined by dividing the change in position or size by the amount of time allowed to pass between the flashes.

Provided are methods and systems useful for screening large libraries of effector molecules. Such methods and systems are particularly useful in microfluidic systems and devices. The methods and systems provided herein utilize encoded effectors to screen large libraries of effectors.

A continuous throughput microfluidic system includes an input system configured to provide a sequential stream of sample plugs; a droplet generator arranged in fluid connection with the input system to receive the sequential stream of sample plugs and configured to provide an output stream of droplets; a droplet treatment system arranged in fluid connection with the droplet generator to receive the output stream of droplets in a sequential order and configured to provide a stream of treated droplets in the sequential order; a detection system arranged to obtain detection signals from the treated droplets in the sequential order; a control system configured to communicate with the input system, the droplet generator, and the droplet treatment system; and a data processing and storage system configured to communicate with the control system and the detection system.

The invention relates to a microfluidic system comprising a magnetic source (150) and two chambers (110) that are connected by a channel. According to a preferred embodiment, the chambers and the channel are filled with different fluids such that a non-zero surface tension is created at the associated fluidic interfaces. Moreover, the magnetic source (150) is arranged to provide at least two separate magnetic gradient regions (GR) and to allow for the attraction of magnetic particles (MP) present in one of the chambers into these different regions, wherein furthermore the magnetic attraction forces (F) generated by at least one of the gradient regions (GR) is strong enough to allow for pushing or pulling magnetic particles through said fluidic interfaces. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic source may be realized by a permanent magnet (150) of hexahedral shape. The invention further relates to a method for achieving dispersion and a method for achieving accumulation of an ensemble of magnetic particles in said microfluidic system.

Disclosed is a sample processing method for processing a target component in a sample by use of a sample processing chip having a storage portion and a droplet forming flow path, the sample processing method including: storing, in the storage portion, a mixture of the target component and a predetermined amount of a diluent for causing the target component to be encapsulated by one molecule or by one particle into a droplet; heating the mixture in the storage portion to cause thermal convection in the storage portion thereby to mix the target component and the diluent together; and in the droplet forming flow path, forming droplets in a dispersion medium, each droplet containing the diluted target component and a reagent that reacts with the target component.

A biological sample analysis system including a sample preparation system forming droplets of segmented sample separated by a carrier fluid immiscible with the sample. The droplets include reaction mixtures for amplification of at least one target nucleic acid. A thermal cycling device having a sample block having a plurality of controlled thermal zones, and a containment structure in thermal communication with the plurality of controlled thermal zones. The containment structure receives and contains the droplets of segmented sample separated by the immiscible carrier fluid from the sample preparation system. A controller for controlling a temperature in each thermal zone of the sample block. A detection system detects electromagnetic radiation emitted from each of the droplets individually from the queue of droplets as they flow past the detection system. A positioning system to facilitate moving a queue of the droplets in the thermal cycling device relative to the detection system.