Abstract: A sealing structure includes a box body and a cover body. The box body includes a plurality of side walls respectively including a plurality of outer and inner portions, an annular groove formed on the inner portions, and an annular protrusion portion. Each outer portion has a level difference with the corresponding inner portion. Any two adjacent ones of the side walls form a corner portion. An outer surface of each corner portion forms a sharp corner. The annular groove is arc-shaped at a position corresponding to each corner portion. Each corner portion includes a hollowed-out area. The cover body includes a main body in a polygonal shape with sharp corners, an annular protrusion portion protruding from the main body, and an annular groove. The annular protrusion portions extend into the annular grooves, so that the cover body is sealedly joined to the box body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microfluidic chip for motion-based dynamic phenotypic antibiotic drug testing. The microfluidic chip designed with 1000 observation-chambers which physically-traps ˜200 individual bacterium using oil-liquid cutting under certain operational conditions. The oil infusion provides separation of monodispersed pico-chamber volumes within 20 sec. The utility of the microfluidic chip was successfully demonstrated by multi-parametric motion-analysis of ampicillin and gentamicin treated E. coli 25922GFP™ for 21 hours of incubation at 37° C. The large-scanned images are utilized for the enumeration of viable, unculturable, filamentous and dead bacteria isolated in the device. The 2D motion-analysis are found useful for the rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) within 4 hours. The present invention can also be useful for phenotypic AST of clinical isolates and shed light on the early diagnosis and treatment of antibiotic resistant bacterial diseases in the future.

Abstract: This invention provides a high-efficient single-cell collection method using a specially designed collection well and collection pipet tip for particle/cell collection from the collection well. The structures of the collection well and pipet tip eliminate fluidic dead volume in the collection, resulting in all (or most) of the particles/cells can be brought into the collection pipette tip with the flow. The advantages of this invention in cell manipulation include high cell collection efficiency, low cell damage and easy operation procedure.

Abstract: This invention provides a high-efficient single-cell collection method using a specially designed collection well and collection pipet tip for particle/cell collection from the collection well. The structures of the collection well and pipet tip eliminate fluidic dead volume in the collection, resulting in all (or most) of the particles/cells can be brought into the collection pipette tip with the flow. The advantages of this invention in cell manipulation include high cell collection efficiency, low cell damage and easy operation procedure.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic shuttling chip device comprising an array of single-cell trapping units is disclosed. Each unit comprises: (a) an incoming channel with a cell capture site; (b) a cell culture chamber located posterior to the cell capture site, having a receiving site spaced apart from the cell capture site at a distance of g; (c) a trapping channel located between the cell capture site and the receiving site; (d) a chamber channel located posterior to and in fluidic connection with the cell culture chamber; and (e) a by-pass channel, located lateral to the incoming channel, chamber and chamber channel and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end branching out from the incoming channel immediately prior to the cell capture site and the second end joining the chamber channel. A method of capturing single cells of more than one type is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and systems capturing particles suspended in a fluid flowed through a micro-channel, can include flowing the fluid including the particles to be captured through a micro-channel and past a groove defined in a surface of a wall of the micro-channel such that flowing the fluid past the groove forms microvortices in the fluid; contacting at least some of the particles against an adherent disposed on one or more of walls of the microchannel after the microvortices form in the fluid; and capturing at least some of the particles contacting the adherent.

Abstract: Methods and systems capturing particles suspended in a fluid flowed through a micro-channel, can include flowing the fluid including the particles to be captured through a micro-channel and past a groove defined in a surface of a wall of the micro-channel such that flowing the fluid past the groove forms microvortices in the fluid; contacting at least some of the particles against an adherent disposed on one or more of walls of the microchannel after the microvortices form in the fluid; and capturing at least some of the particles contacting the adherent.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic shuttling chip device comprising an array of single-cell trapping units is disclosed. Each unit comprises: (a) an incoming channel with a capture site; (b) a large chamber located posterior to the capture site, having a receiving structure spaced apart from the capture site at a distance of g; (c) a trapping channel located between the capture site and the receiving, site; (d) a chamber channel located posterior to and in fluidic connection with the large chamber; and (e) a by-pass channel, located lateral to the incoming channel, large chamber and chamber channel and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end branching out from the incoming channel immediately prior to the capture site and the second end joining the chamber channel. A method of capturing single cells of more than one type is also disclosed.

Abstract: A microfluidic dual-well device is disclosed. The device comprises: (a) a first substrate having a first end, a second end, and a culture microwell forming portion; (b) a plurality of culture microwells; (c) a second substrate having a first end, a second end, and a capture microwell forming portion, the two ends of the second substrate being respectively bounded to the two ends of the first substrate; (d) a plurality of capture microwells; (e) a microfluidic channel; (f) a microfluidic inlet port; and (g) a microfluidic outlet port; wherein the microfluidic channel is in fluidic connections with the culture microwells, the capture microwells, and the inlet and outlet ports. Methods of capturing and transferring a single cell or a single cell colony for culture, and method of transferring a target cell from a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structure of culture microwells to a culture plate for culture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A microfluidic dual-well device is disclosed. The device comprises: (a) a first substrate having a first end, a second end, and a culture microwell forming portion; (b) a plurality of culture microwells; (c) a second substrate having a first end, a second end, and a capture microwell forming portion, the two ends of the second substrate being respectively bounded to the two ends of the first substrate; (d) a plurality of capture microwells; (e) a microfluidic channel; (f) a microfluidic inlet port; and (g) a microfluidic outlet port; wherein the microfluidic channel is in fluidic connections with the culture microwells, the capture microwells, and the inlet and outlet ports. Methods of capturing and transferring a single cell or a single cell colony for culture, and method of transferring a target cell from a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structure of culture microwells to a culture plate for culture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method thereof for collecting and concentrating a biologic substance of interest is provided. The biologic of interest obtained from a biologic sample present at an initial low concentration (or low number counts) can be captured and released through a collection device of the system to an intermediate second concentration, and further recovered through a concentration device of the system to a third concentration, thereby facilitating subsequent detection, characterization, enumeration, immunostaining, inspection, imaging, culturing, molecular analysis, and/or other assays.

Abstract: Methods and systems capturing particles suspended in a fluid flowed through a micro-channel, can include flowing the fluid including the particles to be captured through a micro-channel and past a groove defined in a surface of a wall of the micro-channel such that flowing the fluid past the groove forms microvortices in the fluid; contacting at least some of the particles against an adherent disposed on one or more of walls of the microchannel after the microvortices form in the fluid; and capturing at least some of the particles contacting the adherent.

Abstract: Methods and systems capturing particles suspended in a fluid flowed through a micro-channel, can include flowing the fluid including the particles to be captured through a micro-channel and past a groove defined in a surface of a wall of the micro-channel such that flowing the fluid past the groove forms microvortices in the fluid; contacting at least some of the particles against an adherent disposed on one or more of walls of the microchannel after the microvortices form in the fluid; and capturing at least some of the particles contacting the adherent.

Abstract: A microfluidic hanging drop chip is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for culturing cells and forming cell aggregates in hanging drops.

Abstract: A system and method thereof for collecting and concentrating a biologic substance of interest is provided. The biologic of interest obtained from a biologic sample present at an initial low concentration (or low number counts) can be captured and released through a collection device of the system to an intermediate second concentration, and further recovered through a concentration device of the system to a third concentration, thereby facilitating subsequent detection, characterization, enumeration, immunostaining, inspection, imaging, culturing, molecular analysis, and/or other assays.

Abstract: A microfluidic hanging drop chip is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for culturing cells and forming cell aggregates in hanging drops.