Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses of controlling fluid flow are disclosed. An apparatus includes a first microplate having a first open portion and defining one or more first wells therein, a second microplate having a second open portion and defining one or more second wells therein, and a pneumatic lid constructed of styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS). The pneumatic lid extends over the first open portion and the second open portion and includes one or more microfluidic channels that fluidly couple the one or more first wells to the one or more second wells. The pneumatic lid provides an airtight seal over the first microplate and the second microplate.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses of controlling fluid flow are disclosed. An apparatus includes a first microplate having a first open portion and defining one or more first wells therein, a second microplate having a second open portion and defining one or more second wells therein, and a pneumatic lid constructed of styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS). The pneumatic lid extends over the first open portion and the second open portion and includes one or more microfluidic channels that fluidly couple the one or more first wells to the one or more second wells. The pneumatic lid provides an airtight seal over the first microplate and the second microplate.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses of controlling fluid flow are disclosed. An apparatus includes a first microplate having a first open portion and defining one or more first wells therein, a second microplate having a second open portion and defining one or more second wells therein, and a pneumatic lid constructed of styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS). The pneumatic lid extends over the first open portion and the second open portion and includes one or more microfluidic channels that fluidly couple the one or more first wells to the one or more second wells. The pneumatic lid provides an airtight seal over the first microplate and the second microplate.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses of controlling fluid flow are disclosed. An apparatus includes a first microplate having a first open portion and defining one or more first wells therein, a second microplate having a second open portion and defining one or more second wells therein, and a pneumatic lid constructed of styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS). The pneumatic lid extends over the first open portion and the second open portion and includes one or more microfluidic channels that fluidly couple the one or more first wells to the one or more second wells. The pneumatic lid provides an airtight seal over the first microplate and the second microplate.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to improve the Boyden chamber used in cellular biological measurements, allowing quantitative optical microscopy of biological cells in situ without using fluorescent probes or optical staining. In the preferred embodiment, a thin porous membrane separating top and bottom reservoirs includes an array of precisely positioned micropores pores manufactured using a laser-based photo-machining (ablation) process. The membrane may be composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate, polyimide, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or other appropriate material. The pores formed in the membrane may have diameters in the range of 1 to 15 microns and spaced apart at a distance ranging from 10 to 200 microns. A plurality of upper and lower reservoirs may be provided to form a multi-well plate.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to improve the Boyden chamber used in cellular biological measurements, allowing quantitative optical microscopy of biological cells in situ without using fluorescent probes or optical staining. In the preferred embodiment, a thin porous membrane separating top and bottom reservoirs includes an array of precisely positioned micropores pores manufactured using a laser-based photo-machining (ablation) process. The membrane may be composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate, polyimide, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or other appropriate material. The pores formed in the membrane may have diameters in the range of 1 to 15 microns and spaced apart at a distance ranging from 10 to 200 microns. A plurality of upper and lower reservoirs may be provided to form a multi-well plate.

Abstract: Systems, including apparatus and methods, for performing electrophysiological measurements on membranous samples, including living cells, isolated cell fragments (such as organelles), and/or artificial membranes (such as vesicles). The apparatus may include a high-throughput electrophysiological measurement system, and components thereof. This measurement system may include, among others, (1) a fluidics head for transferring samples and/or other compounds to a perforated measurement substrate, (2) a pressure-regulated plenum system for positioning samples on the substrate and subsequently forming a high-resistance electrical seal, (3) an activation system (such as a computer-controlled pulsed UV illumination module) for activating caged compounds, (4) an electronics head for applying and/or measuring voltage and/or current, and/or (5) a computer-controlled analysis system for collecting and/or analyzing data.

Abstract: An ultraviolet light source is added to a high-throughput electrophysiogical measurement system to allow for rapid chemical stimulation via caged compound release to a plurality of measurement samples. The integrated electrophysiogical measurement system includes a computer-controlled data collection system, an integrated electronics head for making parallel electrical measurements, and an integrated fluidics head used in part to transfer test compounds into the measurement process. This light source, and associated light coupling to a plurality of test samples, is used in conjunction with the system to make effectuate high-throughput electrical measurements with respect to fast-acting, chemically-activated electrophysiological events. The UV-source modification allows for rapid stimulation and measurement of multiple fast ligand-gated ion channel events in parallel.

Abstract: Systems, including apparatus and methods, for performing electrophysiological measurements on membranous samples, including living cells, isolated cell fragments (such as organelles), and/or artificial membranes (such as vesicles). The apparatus may include a high-throughput electrophysiological measurement system, and components thereof. This measurement system may include, among others, (1) a fluidics head for transferring samples and/or other compounds to a perforated measurement substrate, (2) a pressure-regulated plenum system for positioning samples on the substrate and subsequently forming a high-resistance electrical seal, (3) an activation system (such as a computer-controlled pulsed UV illumination module) for activating caged compounds, (4) an electronics head for applying and/or measuring voltage and/or current, and/or (5) a computer-controlled analysis system for collecting and/or analyzing data.

Abstract: Standard electrophysiology via the patch clamp technique is a well-developed and powerful tool in both academic and industrial research in the study of ion channels and transporters. Although widely accepted as the gold standard for these types of measurements, the patch clamp technique is considered labor intensive and relatively slow, limited to measuring only one biological sample at a time. This invention describes and demonstrates a device whereby electrophysiological measurements can be made on cells or cell membranes in a manner which allows for multiple measurements to be made in parallel, without direct human intervention, thereby enhancing the cost effectiveness, throughput and general applicability of the technique in fields such as pharmaceutical drug screening.

Abstract: A peristaltic-pump dispenser is mated to a prepackaged and sterilized plastic consumable, enabling the transfer of sterile fluids in a fast, aseptic manner. The transfer of fluid from a source reservoir to a destination reservoir can be accomplished in a single step, bypassing the aspirate-move-dispense steps required of conventional hand-held pipette techniques. The consumable preferably includes an injection-molded plastic piece that contains two tubes; an input spout and an output spout joined by a cross-brace. In order to provide a fluid path the spouts are joined by a flexible piece of pre-sterilized tubing which provides an acceptable interface to the peristaltic pump rollers, allowing for fluid flow. The spouts are constructed of a sterilizeable plastic such as polystyrene. The consumable is pre-sterilized and packaged using EtO, Gamma irradiation, or other suitable techniques.

Abstract: An improved tissue culture flask vessel includes an access port that is more amenable to an automated removal and delivery of fluid. A second lid is located on the top side of the flask toward the conventional side cap location such that a slight tilt of the flask locates the fluid in the front corner of the flask which can easily be accessed by a top-down pipette of much shorter length, on the order of two inches. This greatly reduces the angular tolerances for pipette access as well as significantly reduces the amount of tilt manipulation required to locate the fluid for pipette access. The lid access is preferably recessed on the flask, so that the flasks can also be stacked on top of one another as is common practice in storage. The existing lid is preferably preserved to maintain proper gas exchange. To take advantage of the fact that the cells do not require much height, alternative embodiments feature a multi-layer surface within a given flask.

Abstract: An ultraviolet light source is added to a high-throughput electrophysiogical measurement system to allow for rapid chemical stimulation via caged compound release to a plurality of measurement samples. The integrated electrophysiogical measurement system includes a computer-controlled data collection system, an integrated electronics head for making parallel electrical measurements, and an integrated fluidics head used in part to transfer test compounds into the measurement process. This light source, and associated light coupling to a plurality of test samples, is used in conjunction with the system to make effectuate high-throughput electrical measurements with respect to fast-acting, chemically-activated electrophysiological events. The UV-source modification allows for rapid stimulation and measurement of multiple fast ligand-gated ion channel events in parallel.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for determining pupillary response parameters, such as latency, time of acceleration of constriction, and speed of constriction. In a form of the disclosed method a signal is derived which is representative of measured pupil size as a function of time after a visible light stimulus. The signal is modified to remove therefrom artifacts due to eye movement. Pupillary response parameters can be obtained from the modified signal. In a preferred embodiment, the modifying of the signal includes fitting curves to different portions of the signal, correcting at least one of the fitted curves, and deriving the modified signal from the curves, as corrected.