Methods and systems for processing polynucleotides (e.g., DNA) are disclosed. A processing region includes one or more surfaces (e.g., particle surfaces) modified with ligands that retain polynucleotides under a first set of conditions (e.g., temperature and pH) and release the polynucleotides under a second set of conditions (e.g., higher temperature and/or more basic pH). The processing region can be used to, for example, concentrate polynucleotides of a sample and/or separate inhibitors of amplification reactions from the polynucleotides. Microfluidic devices with a processing region are disclosed.

A device including a microfluidic channel structure formed on a substrate and including a first channel and a fluid actuator within the microfluidic channel structure. A sense region within the first channel is to receive a fluid flow of target biologic particles for counting in a single file pattern, with the sense region having a volume on a same order of magnitude as a volume of a single one of the target biologic particles.

Disclosed is a detection apparatus that transfers magnetic particles through a plurality of chambers in a cartridge which includes the plurality of chambers and a channel connecting between the plurality of chambers, and that causes the magnetic particles to carry a complex of a test substance and a labelling substance, to detect the test substance on the basis of the labelling substance in the complex. The detection apparatus includes: a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the cartridge about a rotation shaft; a magnet configured to collect the magnetic particles in the chambers; a movement mechanism configured to move the magnet in a direction different from a circumferential direction of a circle in which the rotation shaft is centered; a detector configured to detect the test substance; and a controller programmed to control the rotation mechanism and the movement mechanism so as to transfer the magnetic particles from one of the chambers to another one of the chambers.

A device for processing a sample comprises a blister defined by first and second walls. The first wall is flexible allowing the blister to be divided into one or more sealed regions by an external pressure applied to a portion of the first wall. The external pressure is applied in the form of a 2-dimensional shape to form a sealed region having that shape.

A tube for mixing, diluting and preserving a sample includes a hollow first container for receiving and storing a solution, the first container having first and second ends, wherein at least the first end has a through-hole, and a transport-pin located in the through-hole of the first end having a shape closely matching to the through-hole, the transport-pin including a recess with a predetermined size. The recess is suitable to be filled by a sample, wherein the transport-pin is movable between an initial position in which the recess is positioned at least partially on the outer side of the first container, and an end position in which the recess is positioned at least partially on the inner side of the first container.

A system and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a set of biological samples, comprising: a molecular diagnostic module configured to receive nucleic acids bound to magnetic beads, isolate nucleic acids, and analyze nucleic acids, comprising a cartridge receiving module, a heating/cooling subsystem and a magnet configured to facilitate isolation of nucleic acids, a valve actuation subsystem including an actuation substrate, and a set of pins interacting with the actuation substrate, and a spring plate configured to bias at least one pin in a configurations, the valve actuation subsystem configured to control fluid flow through a microfluidic cartridge for processing nucleic acids, and an optical subsystem for analysis of nucleic acids; and a fluid handling system configured to deliver samples and reagents to components of the system to facilitate molecular diagnostic protocols.

Devices, containers, and methods are provided for performing biological analysis in a closed environment. Illustrative biological analyses include nucleic acid amplification and detection and immuno-PCR.

Microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions are provided. In one aspect, such structures and methods can allow production of droplets of a precise volume, which can be stored/maintained at precise regions of the device. In another aspect, microfluidic structures and methods described herein are designed for containing and positioning components in an arrangement such that the components can be manipulated and then tracked even after manipulation. For example, cells may be constrained in an arrangement in microfluidic structures described herein to facilitate tracking during their growth and/or after they multiply.

The invention provides systems and methods for rapid automated identification of microbes and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) directly from a patient specimen, without specimen preparation. Specimens are loaded into an analytical cartridge for processing. Analytical cartridges are preloaded with species-specific labels that are used to identify and enumerate microbes in the specimen. Instruments, such as analyzers can be used to interact with analytical cartridges to carry out methods of the invention all within the cartridge.

Methods and apparatus for long read, label-free, optical nanopore long chain molecule sequencing. In general, the present disclosure describes a novel sequencing technology based on the integration of nanochannels to deliver single long-chain molecules with widely spaced (>wavelength), ˜1-nm aperture “tortuous” nanopores that slow translocation sufficiently to provide massively parallel, single base resolution using optical techniques. A novel, directed self-assembly nanofabrication scheme using simple colloidal nanoparticles is used to form the nanopore arrays atop nanochannels that unfold the long chain molecules. At the surface of the nanoparticle array, strongly localized electromagnetic fields in engineered plasmonic/polaritonic structures allow for single base resolution using optical techniques.