Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the detection of an analyte in a droplet of fluid comprising the steps of providing a solid phase with a hydrophobic surface comprising at least one capture zone on which at least one binding agent with affinity for the analyte is immobilized, applying said droplet to the surface of said solid phase, applying a force that makes the droplet travel along the surface of said solid phase along a predetermined path thereby allowing the droplet to repeatedly contact said binding agent on the capture zone, applying conditions wherein said analyte is allowed to bind to said binding agent and detecting a complex of analyte and binding reagent at the position of the capture zone. The effect of a moving droplet is that the reactants in the droplet are well mixed which eliminates the risk of diffusion limitation. Such advantageous mixing is not obtained with conventional assays in which the surface is continuously exposed to the liquid.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to communications systems and methods for communicating among a plurality of devices or modules. In one aspect a communications module for a communications system includes a first I/O to couple to a prior communications module in the communications system, a second I/O to couple to a next communications module in the communications system, a controller having an input and an output, a first circuit constructed and arranged to couple an incoming signal at the first I/O to the input of the controller, and to isolate an incoming signal at the first I/O from the output of the controller, and a second circuit constructed and arranged to couple an incoming signal at the second I/O to the input of the controller, and to isolate an incoming signal at the second I/O from the output of the controller.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to communications systems and methods for communicating among a plurality of devices or modules. In one aspect a communications module for a communications system includes a first I/O to couple to a prior communications module in the communications system, a second I/O to couple to a next communications module in the communications system, a controller having an input and an output, a first circuit constructed and arranged to couple an incoming signal at the first I/O to the input of the controller, and to isolate an incoming signal at the first I/O from the output of the controller, and a second circuit constructed and arranged to couple an incoming signal at the second I/O to the input of the controller, and to isolate an incoming signal at the second I/O from the output of the controller.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the detection of an analyte in a droplet of fluid comprising the steps of providing a solid phase with a hydrophobic surface comprising at least one capture zone on which at least one binding agent with affinity for the analyte is immobilised, applying said droplet to the surface of said solid phase, applying a force that makes the droplet travel along the surface of said solid phase along a predetermined path thereby allowing the droplet to repeatedly contact said binding agent on the capture zone, applying conditions wherein said analyte is allowed to bind to said binding agent and detecting a complex of analyte and binding reagent at the position of the capture zone. The effect of a moving droplet is that the reactants in the droplet are well mixed which eliminates the risk of diffusion limitation. Such advantageous mixing is not obtained with conventional assays in which the surface is continuously exposed to the liquid.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an improved method for the quantification of nucleic acid, which can be performed with a minimal amount of nucleic acid amplification reactions. The method according to the invention for the quantification of analyte nucleic acid in a sample comprises the steps of: adding to the sample different respective amounts of different nucleic acid constructs, each construct being distinguishable from the analyte nucleic acid and capable of being co-amplified with the analyte nucleic acid; subjecting the sample to a nucleic acid amplification procedure, using amplification reagents capable of reacting with both the analyte nucleic acid and the nucleic acid constructs; detecting the relative amounts of amplificates derived from analyte nucleic acid and each nucleic acid construct; calculating the amount of analyte nucleic acid from said relative amounts.