Abstract: Apparatus and method for removing liquid from exterior surfaces of sample wells in a well plate. Wells that have water or other liquid on an exterior surface, e.g., after acoustic energy treatment in a water bath, may have the liquid removed by contacting the exterior surfaces of the sample wells with an absorbent material. A pad made of absorbent material may have a plurality of openings arranged to receive an array of sample wells inserted into the openings so that liquid can be removed from each of the sample wells.

Abstract: There is provided a histology system that comprises a microtome configured to expose a face of a tissue block comprising a tissue sample embedded in an embedding material and remove one or more tissue sections from the sample, a hydration system configured to hydrate the tissue block by depositing a hydrating liquid on the face of the tissue block, and a transfer system configured to transfer the one or more tissue sections from the microtome to one or more slides. In some embodiments, the hydration system is configured to produce droplet condensation of the hydrating liquid and deposit the condensation on the face of the tissue block.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for capturing the spatial molecular profiling of a biological mass formed from biological material, comprising the steps of: a) providing a transected biological mass, for example a tumour, the transection exposing at least a portion of the mass; b) providing a solid support of an area at least equalling the area of said portion of the mass; c) transferring biological material from the portion of the mass to the support to provide on the support a two dimensional imprint of the biological material present at the portion of the mass; and d) performing a biological assay of the transferred biological material from different predetermined locations of the imprint in order to determine the spatial molecular profile of the portion of the mass.

Abstract: A dispensing device includes a housing having at least one pressure chamber, having a supply opening for the supply of liquid into the pressure chamber and having a multiplicity of conduits between the pressure chamber and an external side of the housing, there being situated in each of the conduits a tube, the first end of which protrudes into the pressure chamber and the second end of which protrudes out of the housing on the external side.

Abstract: A reaction processing vessel includes: a substrate; a channel for a sample to move that is formed on the substrate; a first air communication port and a second air communication port provided at respective ends of the channel; and a thermal cycle region for applying a thermal cycle to the sample that is formed between the first air communication port and the second air communication port in the channel. The channel includes a first branch channel and a second branch channel between the thermal cycle region and the first air communication port.

Abstract: A system can include a valve assembly including a first valve and a second valve in fluid communication with the first valve. The valve assembly can be configured to deliver one or more of a sample, a chemical (e.g., an acid, a base, an organic chemical, etc.), and a standard via flow of a working fluid facilitated by one or more syringe pumps. Further, the one or more of the sample, the chemical, and the standard can maintain a physical separation from the one or more syringe pumps during delivery of the one or more of the sample, the chemical, and the standard.

Abstract: There is provided a sample processing cartridge comprising a. a sample entry location; b. a closed sample processing chamber; c. a sample analysis location comprising a sample analysis well; d. a first channel fluidly connecting the sample entry location and the sample processing chamber; e. a second channel connecting the sample analysis location and the sample processing chamber, the second channel comprising a closed or closable second channel valve; wherein the sample processing chamber comprises a second channel port providing fluid connection between the second channel and the sample processing chamber, the second channel port being positioned in a sample accumulating region of the sample processing chamber. There is also provided a sample processing system comprising the cartridge, and methods of use of the cartridge and processing system in a sample processing assay.

Abstract: Described are a test device, a multi-specimen test fixture star and a multi-specimen test fixture. The test device includes a bath chamber that is automatically replenished with bath liquid throughout an extended test period. The multi-specimen test fixture star is non-circularly symmetric and can be used, for example, in a rectangular bath chamber to hold a greater number of test specimens than a circularly symmetric test fixture star. The multi-specimen test fixture includes, in part, a multi-specimen test fixture star and a shaft having one or more keyways and enables the test fixture star to be repositioned along the shaft without loss of rotational alignment to the shaft.

Abstract: A microplate (10) includes a carrier (12) having a plate (20) and an annular perimeter wall (30) to define a recess (34). An array of holes (26) extends through the plate (20). A tape piece (16), die cut from a flexible tape (60) includes an array of wells (54) each extending through and having an opening (56) extending into the well (54). The array of wells (54) has a number and locations corresponding to the array of holes (26). The openings (56) have sizes corresponding to the holes (26). An upper surface (50) of the tape piece (16) is abutted with and bonded to the bottom face (24) of the plate (20) with the openings (56) corresponding to the array of holes (26). The slideable receipt of an annular outer periphery (58) of the tape piece (16) insures that the array of wells (54) are aligned to correspond to the array of holes (26) as die cutting of tape piece (16) insures that the array of wells (54) are at consistent positions relative to the annular outer periphery (58).

Abstract: The invention(s) cover systems and methods for target detection in a multiplexed and rapid manner. Embodiments of the system can include: a base substrate; and an array of sample processing regions defined at a broad surface of the base substrate, wherein each of the array of sample processing regions includes: a set of microwell subarrays arranged in a gradient by volumetric capacity between an upstream end and a downstream end of each respective sample processing region, and a boundary separating each respective sample processing region from adjacent sample processing regions. The system can support methods, with example implementation by an automated platform, for returning preliminary results from a subset of microwells of the samples processing regions, as well as results pertaining to specific and non-specific amplification, for multiple targets of a sample.

Abstract: A system for sex sorting of mosquitoes generally comprises: (i) a plate or similar receptacle that includes multiple wells, with each of the multiple wells configured to receive a mosquito; and (ii) an imaging subsystem, including a camera for capturing images of the mosquito in each of the multiple wells and a computer for analyzing the captured images to determine whether each mosquito is male or female. Mosquitoes have distinct anatomical areas for identification, which are captured in the images and are used to determine if a mosquito is male or female. Furthermore, in some implementations, the system includes a suction device or other means for exterminating the unwanted mosquitoes after the determination of whether each mosquito is male or female.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a clinical instrument analyzer system for the automatic analysis of patient samples. In one embodiment, the analyzer may be used to analyze bodily fluid samples, such as blood, plasma, serum, urine or cerebrospinal fluid, for example. Embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus and method, for example, an immunoassay method, for separating out target molecules in a magnetic field and then analyzing those target molecules with a luminometer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for optically exciting a plurality of analytes (12) in an array of reaction vessels (14) and for sensing fluorescent light from the analytes (12), wherein excitation light from an excitation light source (38) is supplied to the analytes (12) and wherein fluorescent light from the analytes (12) is simultaneously supplied to a fluorescent detector (34), wherein a plurality of beams (30) of the excitation light is directed into the reaction vessels (14) below the cover (28) through an array of holes (26) in a cover (28) arranged above the array of reaction vessels (14) and a plurality of beams (32) of the fluorescent light from the reaction vessels (14) reaches the fluorescent detector (34).

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a combined mosquito staging and dissection system are disclosed. The system can include a mosquito staging subsystem; a robotic pick-and-place station; and a dissection, extrusion, collection, and disposal subsystem. The subsystems can include one or more stations to provide orientation, decapitation, extrusion of salivary glands, and disposal of carcasses of the mosquitoes. The resident live sporozoites from the salivary glands can be used to produce Plasmodium SPZ-based vaccines.

Abstract: A cartridge assembly comprises a housing having an illumination chamber and a well plate. The well plate is maintained within the housing and has liquid wells to receive desired amounts of liquids. The well plate includes a fluidics analysis station aligned with the illumination chamber, and an interface window and interface ports located at the fluidics analysis station. The well plate includes a valve station and pump station. A piercer unit is provided in the housing and positioned proximate to the wells. The piercer unit includes a piercer element and is to be moved to a piercing position where the piercer element pierces a cover for the corresponding well. A pump assembly on the well plate at the pump station manages fluid flow through the channels between the pump station and the fluidics analysis station. The housing includes a flow cell chamber to receive a removable flow cell cartridge.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a probe carrier, an optical system and a sensor; wherein the probe carrier comprises a substrate, a first layer and a second layer; wherein the substrate comprises a first surface, a second surface, one or more locations on the first surface configured to be deposit sites for one or more probes; wherein the second surface is at an opposite side of the substrate from the first surface; wherein the first layer is on the first surface of the substrate or is embedded in the substrate under the first surface; wherein the second layer is on the second surface of the substrate or is embedded in the substrate under the second surface; the first and second layers are configured to reduce crosstalk between probes at different locations.

Abstract: A system includes a synthesizer unit having a fluid input to receive fluids and a communication input to receive commands to synthesize data-encoded DNA sequences and cleave the DNA. A first flexible chemistry reaction chamber module may be fluidically coupled to the synthesizer unit to receive the data-encoded DNA sequences and amplify the sequences. A deposition unit may be fluidically coupled to the first flexible chemistry reaction chamber module to receive the amplified DNA sequences and encapsulate the amplified DNA sequences into one or more wells in a storage plate for storage and retrieval to and from a plate storage unit. Retrieved DNA may be processed and read by further units.

Abstract: Flow cell devices, cartridges, and systems are described that provide reduced manufacturing complexity, lowered consumable costs, and flexible system throughput for nucleic acid sequencing and other chemical or biological analysis applications. The flow cell device can include a capillary flow cell device or a microfluidic flow cell device.

Abstract: A carrier for consumables which are mainly used in laboratory (analytic) applications and provides a carrier for consumables, comprising a ground plate with at least two cut-outs for accommodating a consumable, a clamp plate with at least one clamp extending partially above the cut-outs and a locking lever movably connected with the clamp plate, wherein the locking lever has at least a cam located at an end connected with the clamp plate, wherein the cam presses in a locking position of the locking lever the clamp plate towards the ground plate and releases in a releasing position a gap between ground plate and clamp plate.

Abstract: A multi-well plate comprising: inlet wells configured to contain liquid; walled observation windows located between the inlet wells, each observation window being associated with a respective inlet well; detection wells, each being disposed below a respective observation window and being associated with the respective inlet well associated with the respective observation window; outlet wells located between the inlet wells and the observation windows, each outlet well being associated with a respective inlet well and a respective detection well; inlet channels, disposed in first groups, each first group providing fluid communication between an inlet well and a respective detection well; outlet channels, disposed in second groups, each second group providing fluid communication between a detection well and a respective outlet well. The inlet channels are configured to prevent passage of the liquid from the inlet wells to the respective detection wells if no external force is applied to the liquid.