A cartridge for use with chemical or biological analysis systems is provided. The cartridge may include a floating microfluidic plate that is held in the cartridge using one or more floating support brackets that incorporate gaskets that may seal against fluidic ports on the microfluidic plate. The floating support brackets may include indexing features that may align the microfluidic plate with the seals.

Acoustofluidic systems including acoustic wave generators for manipulating fluids, droplets, and micro/nano objects within a fluid suspension and related methods are disclosed herein. According to an aspect, an acoustofluidic system includes a substrate including a substrate surface. The system also includes an acoustic wave generator configured to generate acoustic streaming within an acoustic wave region of the substrate surface. Further, the acoustic wave generator is controllable to change the acoustic streaming for movement of a droplet or other micro/nano object on a fluid suspension about the acoustic wave region.

A system for use in spectral analysis procedures can include a slide and a holder for carrying the slide. The slide includes a substrate forming a plurality of wells that are recessed relative to a surface of the substrate. Each of the wells forms a sample region that is recessed by a sample depth from the surface and a trough region that is recessed by a trough depth from the surface, the trough depth being greater than the sample depth. The holder includes a body defining a cavity between a first side and a second side of the body, a port for receiving the slide into the cavity, one or more first fenestrations on the first side, and one or more second fenestrations on the second side.

An automated microscope slide staining system and staining apparatus and method that features a plurality of individually operable miniaturized pressurizable reaction compartments or a pressurizable common chamber for individually and independently processing a plurality of microscope slides. The apparatus preferably features independently movable slide support elements each having an individually operable heating element.

Disclosed are devices and methods for performing biological and chemical assays, such as immunoassays and nucleic acid assays, more particularly a homogeneous assay that does not use a wash step by using the aggregation and de-aggregation processes of microparticles or nanoparticles.

Disclosed is a loading machine for slides, provided with biological samples and with an electronically readable identification code, inside a tray divided, by means of separation structures, into multiple compartments, each compartment being adapted to contain one of the slides in an orderly manner. The loading machine includes: a supporting frame structure for resting on a work surface; a linear feeder of the tray with respect to the frame structure; an inserter of the slides into the tray in an orderly and sequential manner; a reader of the identification code provided on each of the slides; and a control unit. The inserter of the slides into the tray includes a unit to temporarily retain each slide and to release it, in coordination with the reader and linear feeder of the tray, into one of the compartments making use of gravity.

Provided herein is a fluid delivery method for permeabilizing a biological sample. The method includes delivering the fluid to a first substrate and/or a second substrate. At least one of the first substrate and the second substrate includes a spacer. The method further includes assembling, subsequent to the delivering, a chamber comprising the first substrate, the second substrate, the biological sample, and the spacer. The spacer may be disposed between the first substrate and second substrate. The spacer may be configured to maintain the fluid within the chamber and maintain a separation distance between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spacer may be positioned to at least partially surround an area on the first substrate on which the biological sample is disposed and/or at least partially surround the array disposed on the second substrate.

Device, systems, and methods are provided that can be used to monitor, examine, and/or analyze hair conditions and make suggestions to improve the hair conditions.

An apparatus and method for producing a coated analytic substrate using a compact and portable automated instrument located in the laboratory setting at the point of use which can consistently produce one or a plurality of coated analytic substrates “on demand” for using the analytic substrate immediately after coating, preferably without a step of rinsing the coated analytic substrate before use. The apparatus preferably uses applicator cartridges having a reservoir containing the coating compositions used to form the coatings. Preferably the cartridges are removable and interchangeable to facilitate the production of individual analytic substrates having different coatings or different coating patterns. These coated analytic substrates have superior specimen adhesion characteristics due to the improved quality of the coatings applied by the coating apparatus and due to the quickness with which the coated analytic substrates can be used in the lab after production.

A tissue processing system for processing a laboratory slide includes a slide holder for holding the slide, an outlet port positioned to direct a fluid stream onto the slide, and a device for moving the slide holder relative to the outlet port, or vice versa, to adjust a point on the slide at which the fluid stream is delivered onto the laboratory slide. The slide holder includes an absorbent pad configured to be positioned between one wall of the plurality of walls and a free edge of the slide for absorbing fluid travelling along the slide. A manifold of the system includes a first outlet port that directs a first fluid stream from a first fluid passageway onto the slide, and a second outlet port that directs a second fluid stream from a second fluid passageway onto a location of the slide that differs from the first fluid stream.