The present invention relates to a sensor assembly (1) for body fluids. The sensor assembly (1) comprises: a measurement chamber (2) extending in an axial direction from an inlet end (3) to an outlet end (4), the measurement chamber having a transverse cross-section with side walls (5, 6) defining a chamber width in a horizontal direction, and with top and bottom walls (8, 7) defining a chamber height in a vertical direction, each of the side walls (5, 6), top wall (8) and bottom wall (7) having a respective wall wettability for aqueous solutions; a first sensor (10a-h) adapted to measure a first parameter of body fluids, the first sensor (10 a-h) having a first sensor surface (11a-h) exposed to the inside of the measurement chamber at a first axial position, the first sensor surface (11a-h) having a first wettability for aqueous solutions; and a second sensor (20) adapted to measure a second parameter of body fluids, the second sensor (20) having a second sensor surface (21) exposed to the inside of the measurement chamber (2) at a second axial position upstream or downstream from the first axial position, the second sensor surface (21) having a second wettability for aqueous solutions higher than the first wettability. At the second axial position, the chamber width exceeds the width of the second sensor surface (21), and the measurement chamber has a widening (22) in a horizontal direction as compared to the first axial position.

An example system includes an array of retaining features in a microfluidic cavity, an array of thermally controlled releasing features, and a controller coupled to each releasing feature in the array of releasing feature. Each retaining feature in the array of retaining features is to position capsules at a predetermined location, the capsules having a thermally degradable shell enclosing a biological reagent therein. Each releasing feature in the array of releasing features corresponds to a retaining feature and is to selectively cause degradation of the shell of a capsule. Each releasing feature is to generate thermal energy to facilitate degradation of the shell. The controller is to selectively activate at least one releasing feature in the array of thermally controlled releasing features to release the biological reagent in the capsules positioned at the retaining feature corresponding to the activated releasing feature.

The invention is to provide a method of profiling a sample comprising a plurality of cells, the method comprising: flowing cells from the sample through a first array of pillars to obtain one or more distribution profiles of cells sorted by the first array; flowing cells from the sample through a second array of pillars that is different from the first array of pillars to obtain on one or more distribution profiles of cells sorted by the second array; and deriving a biophysical signature of the sample based on at least the one or more distribution profiles of the cells sorted by the first array and/or the one or more distribution profiles of the cells sorted by the second array. The method further comprises determining a health status of a subject based on the biophysical signature of the sample. The invention is also to provide a sample profiling system. In various embodiments, the distribution profile of cells in the output regions is indicative of one or more biophysical properties of the cells, which may include the size and deformability of the cells. The pillars in the first array and the second array may have a shape selected from the group consisting of a substantially L shape and a substantially inverse L shape, mirror reflections thereof or combinations thereof.

A cuvette for analysis of liquids, including a first cuvette portion and a second cuvette portion, which are joined together, with a cuvette cavity, an inlet passage and an outlet passage being formed between the first cuvette portion and the second cuvette portion, the inlet passage and the outlet passage both in communication with the cuvette cavity, wherein the outlet passage is provided therein with a labyrinth-like sealing structure, which prevents backfill of a gas that has been discharged from the outlet passage during filling of a liquid to be analyzed in the cuvette.

The present invention relates to a biomimetic nerve chip for evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of a drug, a method for evaluating the efficacy of a drug on nerve cells through astrocytes by using the biomimetic nerve chip, and a method for evaluating the toxicity of a drug on nerve cells through astrocytes by using the biomimetic nerve chip, the biomimetic nerve chip comprising: an astrocyte supply unit and a nerve cell supply unit for simulating nerve tissue; and a culture solution supply unit for supplying a culture solution to the astrocyte supply unit and the nerve cell supply unit. By using the biomimetic nerve chip for evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of a drug provided in the present invention, it is possible to overcome inaccuracies due to differences between the different species in animal experiments in the study of nerve tissues, and using a combination of astrocytes and nerve cells enables use of the nerve chip as a platform to more accurately evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a drug under conditions similar to in vivo conditions, and the nerve chip can be applied to studies of microenvironments in nerve tissues and other organ-on-a-chip studies. Therefore, the present invention may be utilized in the development of a human-on-a-chip that can effectively analyze the efficacy and toxicity of a drug.

Aspects relate to systems and methods for fluid sensing using passive flow. An exemplary system includes a microfluidic device, the microfluidic device including at least a reservoir configured to contain at least a fluid and at least a passive flow component in fluidic communication with the at least a reservoir and configured to flow the at least a fluid with predetermined flow properties, at least an sensor device configured to be in sensed communication with the at least a fluid and detect at least a sensed property; and at least an sensor interface configured to wet at least a surface of the at least a sensor device with the at least a fluid.

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 method for processing particles contained in a liquid biological sample is presented. The method uses a rotatable vessel for processing particles contained in a liquid biological sample. The rotatable vessel has a longitudinal axis about which the vessel is rotatable, an upper portion comprising a top opening for receiving the liquid comprising the particles, a lower portion for holding the liquid while the rotatable vessel is resting, the lower portion comprising a bottom, and an intermediate portion located between the upper portion and the lower portion, the intermediate portion comprising a lateral collection chamber for holding the liquid while the rotatable vessel is rotating. The method employs dedicated acceleration and deceleration profiles for sedimentation and re-suspension of the particles of interest.

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for assaying a sample. A microfluidic device to perform an assay of a sample (e.g., biological sample) is described having a sample application site, a porous component and a flow channel. The porous component provides for uniform dissolution of a reagent and mixing of the sample and reagent without filtering the sample.

The disclosure provides devices, systems and methods for the generation of encapsulated reagents and the partitioning of encapsulated reagents for use in subsequent analyses and/or processing, such as in the field of biological analyses and characterization.