Presented herein is a new concept of uniformly spin coating a flat surface with a stationary phase and creating a gas chromatography column by pressing a grooved lid, with micro-stamped ridges, down onto the coated substrate. The lids are molded out of commercially available rigid materials including epoxies so that when pressed onto a flat surface it will create an air tight seal. The epoxy material is rendered inert by a thin layer of gold.

A 3D gas chromatography (GC) column development is possible by assembly of two parts each being substrates formed by gas tight materials. One part may be a silicon substrate with a snake shaped flow channel structure and the other part may be a glass plate. Both are coated with a column packing comprising polubutadiene, which is also able to glue or bond both parts together, thereby sealing the flow channel, thus forming a GC column. The column packaging can be composed in all kinds of polarity from very hydrophobic till very hydrophilic. In this way the column packing can be tuned on resolution for particular molecules which are interesting to detect, e.g. Octane. The invention is advantageous for micro GC columns.

A method of determining the result of an assay in a microfluidic device includes the steps of: dispensing a sample droplet onto a first portion of an electrode array of the microfluidic device; dispensing a reagent droplet onto a second portion of the electrode array of the microfluidic device; controlling actuation voltages applied to the electrode array to mix the sample droplet and the reagent droplet into a product droplet; sensing a dynamic property of the product droplet; and determining an assay of the sample droplet based on the sensed dynamic property. The dynamic property is a physical property of the product droplet that influences a transport property of the product droplet on the electrode array. Example dynamic properties of the product droplet include the moveable state, split-able state, and viscosity based on droplet properties. The method may be used to perform an amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay.

Exemplary embodiments are directed to devices for separating a sample by chromatography, components of the devices, and methods for using the devices, and directed to devices and components for use with immobilized enzymatic reactors. A device includes a wall having a wetted surface exposed to a mobile phase including the sample during chromatographic separation. The wetted surface of the wall includes an alloy material including the following constituents: nickel, and cobalt and/or chromium where the alloy is limited in an amount of titanium to 1 wt %. A component includes a body having a wetted surface exposed to a mobile phase including the sample during chromatographic separation. The wetted surface of the body includes an alloy material including the following constituents: nickel, and cobalt and/or chromium where the alloy is limited in an amount of titanium to 1 wt %.

A portable gas analysis device having a separating column and a detector. The separating column is composed as a multi-capillary unit from parallel individual capillaries and, depending on the length, is bent into a compact shape, preferably even wound into multiple turns. A thermally conductive casing and a thermal stabilizing device are provided for the multi-capillary unit. The thermal stabilizing device comprises a temperature sensor, a heating element and control electronics. The casing protects the sensitive multi-capillary unit from mechanical actions; it acts as a protective space. The temperature-controlled casing also forms a space in which uniform and controlled conditions prevail and which in particular is isolated from the temperature and humidity of the environment, allowing reliable measurements outside a laboratory environment, in the field. This double effect of the casing for the capillaries in conjunction with the compact dimensions forms the true essence of the invention.

Micro gas chromatographic devices are provided having a microfluidic separation column and a plurality of capillaries where the capillaries have been independently configured in terms of the capillary length, capillary width, the packing density and packing geometry of the capillary using one or more micro pillars, the tortuosity of the capillary path, and the presence and identity of the stationary phase for use in micro gas chromatographic separation of complex mixtures of compounds. Through the plurality of capillaries, the devices are capable of discriminating between complex samples even in instances where complete separation of the components is not possible. Methods of fabrication and methods of use of the devices are also provided. The devices can be readily fabricated using known techniques. The devices can be used for the analysis of complex mixtures of compounds containing tens or hundreds of compounds in which just a few differ in presence or concentration.

A fluidic device for processing a fluid or species therein is described. The device comprises a 3D channel including an inlet for receiving a sample fluid and an outlet for outputting the sample fluid. The channel is adapted for guiding flow of the sample fluid in an axial direction from the inlet to the outlet. The channel includes at least two side walls. The device also has a controllable flow inducer having electrodes for inducing, when the sample fluid is flowing through the channel, a motion of the sample fluid in the channel in a plane substantially orthogonal to the axial direction. Along at least one of the side walls at least part of the electrodes are formed by alternatingly at least an electrically conducting portion, an electrically insulating portion and a further electrically conducting portion.

A first attachment portion to which a packed column is attachable and a second attachment portion to which a chip column is attachable are housed in a column oven. Designation of a temperature of the column oven is received by a designated temperature receiver. In a case in which the chip column is not attached to the second attachment portion, an upper limit temperature of the column oven is set to a first temperature by a setter. An upper limit temperature of the column oven is set to a second temperature lower than the first temperature in a case in which the chip column is attached to the second attachment portion. A temperature of the column oven is adjusted to a received temperature by a temperature adjuster in a case in which the received temperature is equal to or lower than an upper limit temperature.

An improved gas chromatography system is presented. The system comprises: an enclosure having an inlet and an outlet, such that the ventilation flow is from the inlet to the outlet; a chamber disposed in the enclosure; a monolithic gas analyzer disposed in the chamber and a temperature control unit disposed in physical contact with the chamber. The monolithic gas analyzer operates to separate and detect molecules from a gas; whereas, the temperature control unit is configured to control temperature inside the chamber.

Described herein are devices and methods of use thereof, the devices comprising: a sample conduit providing a path for fluid flow extending from a sample inlet to a sample outlet; a thermal housing enclosing the sample conduit, the thermal housing comprising a plurality of measurement regions; and a motorized stage translatable along the thermal housing so as to align a detector with one or more of the plurality of measurement regions. The devices can continuously flow a fluid precursor sample from the sample inlet to the sample outlet, the fluid precursor sample comprising a first precursor and a second precursor, such that the first precursor reacts with the second precursor as the fluid precursor sample continuously flows from the sample inlet to the sample outlet to form the sample before reaching the sample outlet, wherein the sample comprises a plurality of particles or an organic molecule.