Abstract: Personal diagnostic devices including diagnostic patches (bio-patches) and interactive medical bracelets (bio-bracelets) are provided with a skin/patch interface, at least one analysis layer, a signal processing layer, and a user output interface. Embodiments of the interactive diagnostic devices may include micro-fluidic circuits with reaction chambers, analysis chambers, mixing cambers, and various pre-disposed chemistries or reagents for performing a wide verity of tests by trans-dermal transport of blood or perspiration. Sample collection chambers for the fluidic circuit may include minimally invasive tubules that penetrate the skin surface to acquire blood samples from capillaries near the epidermis. Alternate implementations of the personal diagnostic device may be equipped with logic processing, input/output devices, acoustic microphones, cryogenic circuits, embedded processors, electrical control circuitry, and battery current sources or photovoltaic sources of electrical power.

Abstract: Optical bio-disc assays and synthesis of bio-active nanoparticles and nanocapsules for use therewith. Related methods for synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles for use in disc assays include forming reverse micelles having an outer non-polar shell and an inner polar cavity and solubilizing in the reverse micelles a polymerizing mixture including monomers, co-monomers, weakly polar monomers, and/or polymerizable surfactants. This may also include an initiator of polymerization. The methods also include polymerizing the mixture. The invention is also directed to the use of the nanoparticles and nanocapsules in optical bio-disc assays for the detection of analytes including nucleic acid sequences. Related optical assay discs and disc systems are also provided.