An apparatus for sequencing a polynucleotide analyte is provided and comprises; •a first zone in which a stream of single nucleotides is generated by progressive digestion of a molecule of the analyte attached to a particle located therein and exposed to a flowing aqueous medium; •a second zone in which a corresponding stream of aqueous droplets is generated from the aqueous medium and the nucleotide stream and wherein at least some of the droplets contain a single nucleotide and •a third zone in which each droplet is stored and/or interrogated to reveal a property characteristic of the single nucleotide it may contain; characterised in that the first zone comprises a microfluidic channel through which the aqueous medium flows and the location comprises a hollow seating in a wall thereof to which suction can be applied and into which the particle can be close-fitted.

This invention relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for verifying dispensing of a fluid from a pipette.

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.

A pipetting apparatus for aspirating and dispensing liquids having a pipetting unit with an interchangeable vessel that receives a liquid to be transferred, a holder for the pipetting unit, a positioning device for the pipetting unit, a micrometering unit, and an electronic control device. The micrometering unit is embodied separately from the pipetting unit and has a separate electronic control unit. The pipetting unit has a coupling device and the micrometering unit has a counterpart coupling device that matches the coupling device for the purpose of coupling. Coupling device and/or counterpart coupling device is/are switchable. The holder or the micrometering unit has a contact device with at least one electrical contact element and the micrometering unit or the holder has a counterpart contact device, matching the contact device, with at least one counterpart electrical contact element for making electrical contact with the contact element.

Implementations of a capillary tube syringe are provided. In some implementations, a capillary tube syringe comprises an elongated hollow outer tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a needle extending from the first end of the outer tube outside the outer tube and extending inside the outer tube. In some implementations, an elongated hollow capillary tube having a proximal end and a distal end extend along the inside of the outer tube. In some implementations, a normally compressed spring is operatively connected to the needle. In some implementations, the spring is configured to expand when activated to retract the needle inside the elongated hollow tube. In some implementations, the capillary tube diameter is less than or equal to 0.865 inches.

Disclosed are methods and devices for detection of ion migration and binding, utilizing a nanopipette adapted for use in an electrochemical sensing circuit. The nanopipette may be functionalized on its interior bore with metal chelators for binding and sensing metal ions or other specific binding molecules such as boronic acid for binding and sensing glucose. Such a functionalized nanopipette is comprised in an electrical sensor that detects when the nanopipette selectively and reversibly binds ions or small molecules. Also disclosed is a nanoreactor, comprising a nanopipette, for controlling precipitation in aqueous solutions by voltage-directed ion migration, wherein ions may be directed out of the interior bore by a repulsing charge in the bore.

A method for operating a laboratory system comprising instruments for processing samples and a control unit connected by a communication network is presented. The method comprises receiving and identifying a biological sample and retrieving an order list from a database. The list comprises a plurality of targets defining one or more processing steps to be carried out on the biological sample by one or more of the laboratory instruments. The method also comprises selecting a workflow strategy and retrieving workflow acceptance criterion corresponding to the workflow strategy. The control unit determines a sample workflow for processing the sample based on the workflow strategy and determines whether the sample workflow satisfies the workflow acceptance criterion. If the sample workflow does not satisfy the workflow acceptance criterion, workflow strategy and the workflow acceptance criterion is refined and the sample workflow is determined again until it satisfies the workflow acceptance criterion.

A system and method of fluid delivery for providing a surface fluid pattern, the system comprising: a fluid delivery head for fluid flow therethrough, the fluid delivery head comprising: a fluid delivery surface having surface openings defined therein and arranged across the fluid delivery surface as a two-dimensional display; wherein at least some of the surface openings are grouped as a surface opening unit having at least one aspiration opening through which fluid can be provided to the fluid delivery surface and at least one injection opening through which fluid can be moved away from the fluid delivery surface, the surface opening unit comprising at least three surface openings positioned as a two-dimensional display and outwardly of at least one other surface opening.

A system for dispensing a liquid in a closed chamber includes at least one rapid transfer port in at least one wall of the closed chamber. In addition, a liquid is dispensed in a closed chamber that includes at least one rapid transfer port in at least one wall of the closed chamber.

Specimen delivery device for the delivery of a liquid sample to be analysed comprising: a proximal end, and a distal end. The distal end being longitudinally displaced from the proximal end of the device. The device comprises a base at the proximal end for releasable connection to a magnetic sample holder of a liquid sample analysis device. The device further comprises a longitudinally extending projection having a radial inner portion, the projection extending from the base towards the distal end, the projection being arranged for receiving and holding a sheath. The device comprises at least one fluidic conduit, the fluidic conduit extending at least partially longitudinally within the radial inner portion, the fluidic conduit for the delivery of a liquid sample for analysis.