Abstract: Described herein are various embodiments of a valve that may be opened and closed using a thixotropic or “stress yield” material, or other material that temporarily changes phase upon application of energy to the material. More particularly, some embodiments may include a valve that is opened and closed using a granular gel that is a temporary phase change material.

Abstract: Methods are provided for determining the amount of an IGF-I and/or IGF-II protein in a sample using high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry. The methods generally comprise enriching an IGF-I and/or IGF-II protein in a sample, ionizing an IGF-I and/or IGF-II protein from the sample to generate IGF-I and/or IGF-II protein ions, and determining the amount of IGF-I and/or IGF-II protein ions with high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards improved systems and methods for large-scale production of nanoparticles used for delivery of therapeutic material. The apparatus can be used to manufacture a wide array of nanoparticles containing therapeutic material including, but not limited to, lipid nanoparticles and polymer nanoparticles. In certain embodiments, continuous flow operation and parallelization of microfluidic mixers contribute to increased nanoparticle production volume.

Abstract: A microfluidic diagnostic device with a three-dimensional (3D) flow architecture comprises a polymeric body having first and second opposing surfaces and comprising first flow channels in the first opposing surface, second flow channels in the second opposing surface, and connecting flow passages extending through a thickness of the polymeric body to connect the first flow channels to the second flow channels, thereby defining a continuous 3D flow pathway in the polymeric body. The microfluidic diagnostic device also includes a first cover adhered to the first opposing surface to seal the first flow channels, a second cover adhered to the second opposing surface to seal the second flow channels, and one or more access ports in fluid communication with the continuous 3D flow pathway for introducing liquid reagent(s) and/or a sample into the polymeric body.

Abstract: Example methods are provided to improve placement of an adaptor (210,220) to a mobile computing device (100) to measure a test strip (221) coupled to the adaptor (220) with a camera (104) and a screen (108) on a face of the mobile computing device (100). The method may include displaying a light area on a first portion of the screen (108). The first portion may be adjacent to the camera (104). The light area and the camera (104) may be aligned with a key area of the test strip (221) so that the camera (104) is configured to capture an image of the key area. The method may further include providing first guiding information for a user to place the adaptor (210,220) to the mobile computing device (100) according to a position of the light area on the screen (108).

Abstract: Provided are methods, devices, and kits for the isolation and detection of one or more analytes of interest from a biological sample using microslit filter membranes. In various examples, the methods use capture particles and binding agents for specific recognition of one or more analytes of interest.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to microfluidic devices. In some aspects, various entities, such as droplets or particles, may be contained within a microfluidic device, e.g., within collection chambers or other locations within the device. In some cases, the entities may be released from such locations, e.g., in a sequential pattern, or an arbitrary pattern. In some cases, the entities may be imaged, reacted, analyzed, etc. while contained within the collection chambers. Other aspects are generally directed to methods of making or using such devices, kits involving such devices, or the like.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a controlled fluidic device to develop spatially complex environments to enhance the rate of evolution in cell populations. The method further provides an enhanced understanding in the emergence, for example, drug resistance during cancer chemotherapy.

Abstract: Imprinted substrates are often used to produce miniaturized devices for use in electrical, optic and biochemical applications. Imprinting techniques, such as nanoimprinting lithography, may leave residues in the surface of substrates that affect bonding and decrease the quality of the produced devices. An imprinted substrate with residue-free region, or regions with a reduced amount of residue for improved bonding quality is introduced. Methods to produce imprinted substrates without residues from the imprinting process are also introduced. Methods include physical exclusion methods, selective etching methods and energy application methods. These methods may produce residue-free regions in the surface of the substrate that can be used to produce higher strength bonding.

Abstract: An analysis cartridge includes a first cover, a second cover, a plurality of containers, a plurality of fluid tunnels and a rotary valve. The second cover has two opposite surfaces, a plurality of first through holes and a second through hole individually penetrate through the two opposite surfaces, and the first cover is attached to the second cover. The plurality of containers are disposed between the first cover and the second cover, with each of the containers being aligned to and filled in the first through holes. The plurality of the fluid tunnels are disposed on the first cover, and each of which is individually connected with a first pipette. The rotary valve is rotatably disposed between the first cover and the second cover to correspond to the second through hole, and a flow channel disposed on the rotary valve is connected with the containers individually.

Abstract: A microchip includes a cell accepting section, a lysis solution chamber and a lysis reaction chamber. The cell accepting section accepts cells obtained from a subject. The lysis solution chamber stores lysis solution for lysis of the cells. The lysis reaction of the cells is executed in the lysis reaction chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for procuring bodily fluid samples with reduced contamination includes a housing having a sequestration chamber, an inlet, and an outlet. A flow controller defines a portion of the sequestration chamber and can transition—in response to a suction force exerted by a fluid collection device fluidically coupled to the outlet—from a first state in which the sequestration chamber has a first volume to a second state in which the sequestration chamber has a second volume greater than the first volume, to draw an initial volume of bodily fluid into the sequestration chamber. An actuator is coupled to the housing and is in fluid communication with the inlet and the sequestration chamber in a first configuration, and is transitioned to a second configuration to sequester the sequestration chamber from the inlet, and allow a subsequent volume of bodily fluid to flow from the inlet to the outlet.

Abstract: A treatment indicator, a method for indicating a level of treatment in a treatment apparatus, and a method of preparing a treatment indicator are provided. The treatment indicator comprises a first body comprising a biological material, a fluid porous body in fluid communication with the first body in a fluid path, and a cleaning test soil disposed in at least a portion of interstitial spaces of the fluid porous body to inhibit traversal of a fluid through the fluid porous body to the first body via the fluid path.

Abstract: A spa tub includes a spa shell configured to contain a volume of water; a circulation system configured to create a flow of the water to and from the spa shell; and a testing system configured to acquire water samples from the volume of water and to perform water quality tests on the water samples. The testing system includes a housing; a circulation pump disposed within the housing configured to acquire the water samples from the volume of water; a replaceable reagent cartridge removably received within the housing; and a water test assembly disposed within the housing. The water test assembly is configured to receive the water samples acquired by the circulation pump and a reagent from the reagent cartridge. The water test assembly is configured to mix the water samples and the reagent and to perform the water quality tests on the mixed water samples and reagent.

Abstract: A system for buoyant separation includes a separation container. Additionally or alternatively, the system can include an automated instrument, one or more processing components, and/or any other components. A method for buoyant separation can include any or all of: manipulating the separation container; adding materials to the separation container; removing materials form the separation container; otherwise processing the separation container; and/or any other processes.

Abstract: An ion-jet electron-entangled pathogens analyzer imprinted on a test strip resembles the functionality of a scanning tunneling microscope as a hand-held device, to quickly detect pathogens in water and food products on their bioelectrical signature. The use of such a device does not require special training or preparation. The test strip consists of an integrated circuit which gets energized and communicates over a weak alternating electric field provided by a matchbox-sized base station, which also contains a trained machine learning module of bioelectrical pathogen signatures. The base station connects wirelessly to smart devices or networks for further processing or recording the measurement results in a blockchain. The base station can be worn as a smartwatch or attached to processing machines, transportation vehicles, warehouses, shelves and grocery stores.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microfluidic mixer and a microfluidic device including the same, and in the microfluidic mixer according to the present invention, a disk-shaped mixing unit with double U-shaped protruding portions formed therein can be continuously provided along a microchannel, thereby increasing collisions of samples to improve the binding efficiency thereof and shorten the binding time. Furthermore, the microfluidic device according to the present invention can detect a target material at high speed even at a high flow rate by including the microfluidic mixer, and thus can be usefully utilized for early diagnosis and prognosis diagnosis of a disease such as cancer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for measuring the ionic strengths of the natural water sources. Also disclosed herein are systems used to measure an ionic strength of the natural water sources. More specifically disclosed herein are methods and systems utilizing spectroscopic pH measurements and calculations of the ionic strength as a function of the measured pH.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of separating cellular particles from a tissue sample and then sorting the cellular particles into two or more cellular particle populations.

Abstract: Mesofluidic devices for culturing cell aggregates and methods of using the same are disclosed. An exemplary mesofluidic device comprises at least one fluid inlet, at least one fluid outlet, a plurality of fluid channels, and a plurality of culture chambers. Each culture chamber can comprise at least one chamber inlet and at least one chamber outlet. The at least one chamber inlet can be in fluid communication with the at least one fluid inlet via at least one of the plurality of fluid channels. The at least one chamber outlet can be in fluid communication with the at least one fluid outlet via at least one of the plurality of fluid channels. The mesofluidic device can be configured to contain a cell aggregate in each of the plurality of culture chambers.