Abstract: A multilayer electrode on a substrate (10) comprising titanium (20) and titanium-rich titanium nitride (30) and titanium-poor titanium nitride (40), particularly suitable for the application to thermoplastic substrates, in particular for the purpose of the impedance measurement in aqueous biological media, and method for the production thereof.

Abstract: One variation of a pathogen detection system includes an air sampler and a cartridge. The air sampler includes: a housing defining an inlet and an outlet; a tunnel arranged within the housing and extending between the inlet and the outlet; a charge electrode arranged within the tunnel proximal the inlet; a cartridge receptacle arranged proximal the outlet and comprising a cartridge terminal; and a power supply configured to drive a voltage between the charge electrode and the cartridge terminal. The cartridge includes: a substrate; a collector plate arranged on the substrate and configured to collect charged bioaerosols moving through the tunnel; and a connector configured to transiently engage the cartridge receptacle to locate the substrate and the collector plate within the tunnel and electrically couple the collector plate to the cartridge terminal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conducting designated reactions utilizing a base instrument and a removable cartridge. The removable cartridge includes a fluidic network that receives and fluidically directs a biological sample to conduct the designated reactions. The removable cartridge also includes a flow-control valve that is operably coupled to the fluidic network and is movable relative to the fluidic network to control flow of the biological sample therethrough. The removable cartridge is configured to separably engage a base instrument. The base instrument includes a valve actuator that engages the flow-control valve of the removable cartridge. A detection assembly held by at least one of the removable cartridge or the base instrument may be used to detect the designated reactions.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for non-volatile storage include a well activation device operable to modify one or more wells from a plurality of wells of a flow cell to provide a set of readable wells. Readable wells are configured to allow exposure of a well to substances from nucleotide sequencing fluids, and prevent exposure to other substances and fluids, such as nucleotide synthesizing fluids. The well activation device may also modify wells to provide a set of writeable wells. This set of wells is configured to allow exposure to the nucleotide synthesizing fluids and substances; and prevent exposure to the nucleotide sequencing fluids and substances. There may also be provisions made for risk mitigation for data errors such as generating commands to write specified data to a nucleotide sequence associated with a particular location in a storage device, reading the nucleotide sequence and performing a comparison.

Abstract: A cuvette for arrangement in an optical measuring device includes a receiving chamber for a measuring medium having an inlet. The receiving chamber is delimited at least in some regions by two opposing plane-parallel side surfaces. Two opposing metallic electrodes are arranged in the receiving chamber on the opposing side surfaces.

Abstract: A system for transporting a sample in a clinical analysis system includes a sample container holding the sample, a ferromagnetic base connected to a bottom portion of the sample container, and a puck. The puck is used for transporting the sample container in the clinical analysis system. The puck comprises an embedded magnet for securing the sample container to the puck using the ferromagnetic base.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide for detection and controlled interaction with one or more objects. The system can include an imaging subsystem (20), a tool subsystem (26) containing one or more tools, a stage subsystem (16) and a control system (40). The control system (40) can integrate controls for each of the other subsystems, which controls can be implement desired functions over a variety of process parameters to perform the controlled interaction.

Abstract: A microfluidic device includes a silicon device and a metallic component. The silicon device and the metallic component are attached by preparing a surface of a silicon device to be solderable, preparing a corresponding surface of a metallic component to be solderable, and soldering the prepared surface of the silicon device to the corresponding prepared surface of the metallic component with a solder of a pre-defined composition and thickness to accommodate strain due to co-efficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the silicon device and the metallic component.

Abstract: A method for testing catalysts in a fluidized bed reactor comprises enclosing catalyst material in capsules having pores or holes smaller than the catalyst material, inserting the capsules filled with catalyst material to into a port of the fluidized bed reactor and recovering at least a portion of the catalyst capsules from the fluidized bed reactor after use through an additional port of the fluidized bed reactor, wherein the capsules move with a flow of uplifted fluid and gas in the fluidized bed reactor.

Abstract: The current invention generally relates to apparatus and method to analyze and separate biological entities, including cells, bacteria and molecules from human blood, body tissue, body fluid and other human related biological samples. The claimed apparatus and method analyze, or detect, biological entities based on optical signals received from said entities by using optical detectors. The claimed apparatus and method further separate biological entities with using micro-actuator activated sorting devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for preserving and extracting nucleic acids from saliva. The compositions include a chelating agent, a denaturing agent, buffers to maintain the pH of the composition within ranges desirable for DNA and/or RNA. The compositions may also include a reducing agent and/or antimicrobial agent. The invention extends to methods of using the compositions of the invention to preserve and isolate nucleic acids from saliva as well as to containers for the compositions of the invention.

Abstract: The present patent of invention relates to a reader device for biological samples used in the field of remote laboratory tests (TLR), for clinical diagnostic purposes, based on an optimized design constituted by a cowling (C) with inlet port (OE) and with switch (I); by a holding support (SS) containing a mirror (ES), two batteries (BT), two reading illumination arrays (BIL), operational status illumination arrays (BIS) and an elevator support (SE); by an elevator (EL); by an electronics board (PE) with energy loading circuit (PE-1), with supply circuit (PE-2), with processor (PE-3), with Bluetooth® device (PE-4) and with position sensor (PE-5); and by a base (BA) with software that reads various types of biological samples, the present invention providing the advantages of: ease of use, optimized operating flows, ease of training, modularity, compactness, reduced size, portability, lightness of weight, ergonomic design, used-friendliness, enhanced practically and low cost.

Abstract: A method of controlling a needle actuator to interact with a cell is provided, the method comprising: providing an actuator comprising a tower, a stage and a needle, wherein the needle is mounted on the stage; applying an electrostatic potential between the tower and the stage to retract the needle; moving the actuator towards the cell; reducing the potential so as to allow the stage and needle to move towards the cell; applying calibration data to detect when the needle has pierced the cell; and reducing the potential further once it has been detected that the needle has pierced the cell. The cell can be a biological cell. The needle can be a micro-needle and the stage can be a micro-stage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for packaging balls for reaction vessels for an analysis appliance, including: a body including at least one opening and used to house balls, a closing member, that can be moved relative to the body between a closed position in which the closing member closes the opening of the body, and an open position in which the opening of the body is open so as to allow the balls to be dispensed from the body.

Abstract: A nano-fluidic device includes: a first substrate that has a nanoscale groove on one surface; and a second substrate that is integrally provided with the first substrate by bonding one surface of the second substrate to the one surface of the first substrate and forms a nanochannel with the groove of the first substrate, in which either the first substrate or the second substrate includes at least a thin portion in a part of a position overlapping the nanochannel in plan view, and the thin portion is deformed by pressing to open and close the nanochannel.

Abstract: A method for determining instrument-dependent parameters of a surface plasmon resonance, SPR, biosensor system, and using those instrument-dependent parameters to measure the concentration of an analyte is provided herein. Also disclosed are methods of monitoring surface binding interactions of the analyte using the instrument-dependent parameters.

Abstract: The present invention describes an integrated apparatus that enables identification of migratory cells directly from a specimen. The apparatus only requires a small number of cells to perform an assay and includes novel topographic features which can reliably differentiate between migratory and non-migratory cell populations in a sample. Both the spontaneous and chemotactic migration of cancer cells may be measured to distinguish between subpopulations within a tumor sample. The migratory cells identified using the apparatus and methods of the present invention may be separated and further analyzed to distinguish factors promoting metastasis within the population. Cells in the apparatus can be treated with chemotherapeutic or other agents to determine drug strategies to most strongly inhibit migration. The use of optically transparent materials in some embodiments allows a wide range of imaging techniques to be used for in situ imaging of migratory and non-migratory cells in the apparatus.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sample surface of a biosensor includes pixel areas and holds a plurality of clusters during a sequence of sampling events such that the clusters are distributed unevenly over the pixel areas. In another embodiment, a biosensor has a sample surface that includes pixel areas and an array of wells overlying the pixel areas, the biosensor including two wells and two clusters per pixel area. The two wells per pixel area include a dominant well and a subordinate well. The dominant well has a larger cross section over the pixel area than the subordinate well. In yet another embodiment, an illumination system is coupled to a biosensor that illuminates the pixel areas with different angles of illumination during a sequence of sampling events, including, for a sampling event, illuminating each of the wells with off-axis illumination to produce asymmetrically illuminated well regions in each of the wells.

Abstract: A scanning stage with opposing edges to secure a slide during scanning and guide the slide during unloading. In an embodiment, the system includes a reference edge with a surface facing a first edge of the slide and an opposing edge with a surface facing a second edge of the slide. The opposing edge is controlled by a processor to engage the second edge of the slide and press the first edge of the slide against the reference edge surface. The opposing edge surface is parallel to a side of a slide rack slot into which the slide will be inserted during unloading. The system also includes an assembly having a pull bar configured to pull the glass slide from the scanning stage into the slide rack slot while the first edge of the slide is simultaneously being pressed against the reference edge surface by the opposing edge surface.

Abstract: The invention discloses a device for identifying fluids or measuring their concentration. The device is configured to capture fluid sensing signals and sent to processing capabilities to be annotated, pre-processed and fed to databases of datasets and models which have learning capabilities. The device has a stick or stylus form factor which is makes it fit to be used by health care professionals or by the general public. Advantageously, the stick can be used to capture data from gas and liquid, being possibly phases of the same analyte. The device can be a package containing all processing capabilities being configured to be autonomous. It can operate in conjunction with an intermediary device of a smart phone, a PC or a POCT type. The system comprising autonomous fluid sensory devices, intermediary devices and database servers can operate in a learning mode or in a use mode.