2301 results about "Sample preparation" patented technology

Rapid characterization and screening of polymer samples to determine average molecular weight, molecular weight distribution and other properties is disclosed. Rapid flow characterization systems and methods, including liquid chromatography and flow-injection analysis systems and methods are preferably employed. High throughput, automated sampling systems and methods, high-temperature characterization systems and methods, and rapid, indirect calibration compositions and methods are also disclosed. In preferred high-temperature embodiments, the polymer sample is maintained at a temperature of not less than about 75° C. during sample preparation, loading into a liquid chromatography or flow-injection analysis system, injection into a mobile phase of a liquid chromatography or flow-injection analysis system, and / or elution from chromatographic column. The described methods, systems, and device have primary applications in combinatorial polymer research and in industrial process control.

The invention provides a system that can process a raw biological sample, perform a biochemical reaction and provide an analysis readout. For example, the system can extract DNA from a swab, amplify STR loci from the DNA, and analyze the amplified loci and STR markers in the sample. The system integrates these functions by using microfluidic components to connect what can be macrofluidic functions. In one embodiment the system includes a sample purification module, a reaction module, a post-reaction clean-up module, a capillary electrophoresis module and a computer. In certain embodiments, the system includes a disposable cartridge for performing analyte capture. The cartridge can comprise a fluidic manifold having macrofluidic chambers mated with microfluidic chips that route the liquids between chambers. The system fits within an enclosure of no more than 10 ft3. and can be a closed, portable, and / or a battery operated system. The system can be used to go from raw sample to analysis in less than 4 hours.

A method for determining geochemistry of at least one geological sample with laser-induced breakdown spectral measurements performed on the geological sample in a time variant manner with spectral acquisitions made after each of a plurality of measurement shots, spectral pre-processing performed as necessary, and subsequent analysis is applied to the collected data to determine at least one geochemistry parameter of the sample. The method can provide a rapid method to estimate thermal maturity of a sample, which does not require sample preparation, and which can be non-destructive with respect to portions of the sample. A system for performing the method also is provided.

Systems and methods are provided for collecting, preparing, and / or analyzing a biological sample. A sample collection site may be utilized with one or more sample processing device. The sample processing device may be configured to accept a sample from a subject. The sample processing device may perform one or more sample preparation step and / or chemical reaction involving the sample. Data related to the sample may be sent from the device to a laboratory. The laboratory may be a certified laboratory that may generate a report that is transmitted to a health care professional. The health care professional may rely on the report for diagnosing, treating, and / or preventing a disease in the subject.

This disclosure provides an integrated and automated sample-to-answer system that, starting from a sample comprising biological material, generates a genetic profile in less than two hours. In certain embodiments, the biological material is DNA and the genetic profile involves determining alleles at one or a plurality of loci (e.g., genetic loci) of a subject, for example, an STR (short tandem repeat) profile, for example as used in the CODIS system. The system can perform several operations, including (a) extraction and isolation of nucleic acid; (b) amplification of nucleotide sequences at selected loci (e.g., genetic loci); and (c) detection and analysis of amplification product. These operations can be carried out in a system that comprises several integrated modules, including an analyte preparation module; a detection and analysis module and a control module.

The present invention relates to fluidic devices for preparing, processing, storing, preserving, and / or analyzing samples. In particular, the devices and related systems and methods allow for preparing and / or analyzing samples (e.g., biospecimen samples) by using one or more of capture regions and / or automated analysis.

Systems and methods are provided for collecting, preparing, and / or analyzing a biological sample. A sample collection site may be utilized with one or more sample processing device. The sample processing device may be configured to accept a sample from a subject. The sample processing device may perform one or more sample preparation step and / or chemical reaction involving the sample. Data related to the sample may be sent from the device to a laboratory. The laboratory may be a certified laboratory that may generate a report that is transmitted to a health care professional. The health care professional may rely on the report for diagnosing, treating, and / or preventing a disease in the subject.

A method of the present invention comprises fractionating a sample solution containing analyte DNA molecules into small droplets, wherein the number M of the droplets is greater than the total number N of the DNA molecules, subjecting an emulsion containing the droplets to, for example, PCR amplification, and detecting the presence or absence (amount) of an amplicon obtained in each droplet by fluorescent detection using an intercalator or the like.

The invention relates to a droplet actuator device and methods for integrated sample preparation and analysis of a biological sample. A droplet actuator device is provided for conducting droplet operations. The droplet actuator device may include a bottom substrate and a top substrate separated from each other to form a gap therebetween; an arrangement of droplet operations electrodes arranged on one or both of the bottom and / or top substrates for conducting droplet operations thereon; a reagent storage layer comprising one or more compartments bound to the top substrate; and one or more openings arranged to provide a fluidic path from the one or more compartments into the gap, upon breach of a breachable seal separating the one or more compartments and openings.

The present invention provides methods to concentrate cells onto microparticles, to concentrate the microparticles, and to detect the cells. The present invention also includes unitary sample preparation and detection devices to be used in accordance with the methods.

In one embodiment, a multiplex fluid processing cartridge includes a sample well, a deformable fluid chamber, a mixing well with a mixer disposed therein, a lysis chamber including a lysis mixer, an electrowetting grid for microdroplet manipulation, and electrosensor arrays configured to detect analytes of interest. An instrument for processing the cartridge is configured to receive the cartridge and to selectively apply thermal energy, magnetic force, and electrical connections to one or more discrete locations on the cartridge and is further configured to compress the deformable chamber(s) in a specified sequence.

This invention pertains to the design, fabrication, and uses of an electronic system which can actively carry out and control multi-step and multiplex reactions in macroscopic or microscopic formats. In particular, these reactions include molecular biological reactions, such as nucleic acid hybridizations, nucleic acid amplification, sample preparation, antibody / antigen reactions, clinical diagnostics, combinatorial chemistry and selection, drug screening, oligonucleotide and nucleic acid synthesis, peptide synthesis, biopolymer synthesis, and catalytic reactions. A key feature of the present invention is the ability to control the localized concentration of two or more reaction-dependant molecules and their reaction environment in order to greatly enhance the rate and specificity of the molecular biological reaction

The invention provides devices and methods using assemblies of shaped inserts coated with diverse binder materials optionally positioned inside conformal housings. The devices are capable of immobilizing target analytes of interest (e.g., specific or groups of biomolecules) and are optionally usable as single units, linear strips or array formats. The coatings on the inserts and, optionally also on the inside walls of the housings, create variable gaps with narrow fluid paths resulting in enhanced diffusion and absorption of target analytes from transiting fluid samples while exhibiting minimal resistance to flow or back pressure commonly seen in conventional plug-type packings. The devices are intended for sample preparations requiring: filtering, enriching, separating, purifying of target analytes by selective absorption / elution as part of desalting, buffer exchange and / or enrichment applications in analyses by mass spectrometry and / or electrophoresis; purifying biomolecules; culturing cells; analytical separation processes, and general chemical, biological and / or biochemical separations in manual or automated systems.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for microfluidic DNA sample preparation. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for the isolation of DNA from patient samples on a microfluidic device and use of the DNA for downstream processing, such as performing amplification reactions and thermal melt analysis on the microfluidic device.

A microfluidic device for analyzing a sample of interest is provided. The microfluidic device can comprise a microfluidic device body, wherein the microfluidic device body comprises a sample preparation area, a nucleic acid amplification area, a nucleic acid analysis area, and a network of fluid channels. Each of the sample preparation area, the nucleic acid amplification area and the nucleic acid analysis area are fluidly interconnected to at least one of the other two areas by at least one of the fluid channels. Using the microfluidic device, sample preparation can be combined with amplification of a biologically active molecule, and a suitable biological sample can be provided for analysis and / or detection of a molecule of interest. The small-scale apparatus and methods provided are easier, faster, less expensive, and equally efficacious compared to larger scale equipment for the preparation and analysis of a biological sample.

An improved method and apparatus for S / TEM sample preparation and analysis. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide improved methods for TEM sample creation, especially for small geometry (<100 nm thick) TEM lamellae. A novel sample structure and a novel use of a milling pattern allow the creation of S / TEM samples as thin as 50 nm without significant bowing or warping. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide methods to partially or fully automate TEM sample creation, to make the process of creating and analyzing TEM samples less labor intensive, and to increase throughput and reproducibility of TEM analysis.

System and method for providing a sample preparing arrangement (10) submergible in a liquid medium that includes a carrier structure (11) having at least one cavity (12) therein and that is in communication with an arrangement (13) for controllable generation of a magnetic field through influence of a control signal. The sample preparing arrangement includes a magnetic covering structure (14) for covering and / or uncovering the cavity in operative interaction with the magnetic field.

A method for determining mineralogical or geochemistry of at least one geological sample with vibrational spectroscopy combined with laser-induced breakdown spectral measurements performed on the geological sample in a time variant manner with spectral acquisitions made after each of a plurality of measurement shots, spectral pre-processing performed as necessary, and subsequent analysis is applied to the collected data to determine at least one mineralogical or geochemistry parameter of the sample. The method can provide a rapid method to estimate mineralogy or geochemical parameters of a sample, which does not require sample preparation, and which can be non-destructive with respect to portions of the sample. A system for performing the method also is provided.

A non-destructive method for chemical imaging with ˜1 nm to 10 μm spatial resolution (depending on the type of heat source) without sample preparation and in a non-contact manner. In one embodiment, a sample undergoes photo-thermal heating using an IR laser and the resulting increase in thermal emissions is measured with either an IR detector or a laser probe having a visible laser reflected from the sample. In another embodiment, the infrared laser is replaced with a focused electron or ion source while the thermal emission is collected in the same manner as with the infrared heating. The achievable spatial resolution of this embodiment is in the 1-50 nm range.

The invention discloses a multifunctional true triaxial rock drilling test system and a test method for characterizing the characteristics of rocks. According to the method, a test piece is drilled for several times to obtain different rock cores, then the rock cores are subjected to single axial tests and triaxial tests so as to obtain a plurality of sets of mechanical property parameters; then a true triaxial rock drilling tester that can directly measure the parameters while drilling is used to obtain a plurality of sets of parameters while drilling; a mathematical relationship between the mechanical property parameters and the parameters while drilling can be established, and thus the mechanical property parameters can be obtained only through measuring the parameters while drilling of rocks according to the mathematical relationship. According to the method, a multifunctional true triaxial rock drilling tester is taken as the preset test apparatus; the tester can perform true triaxial loading on a test piece and is capable of simulating the drilling process when a test piece is pressed from three directions in underground engineering; the relationship between the parameters while drilling and mechanical characteristics of rocks under different pressures on a test piece can be established, and the test method comprises specific steps from sample preparation to data processing.

A method of sample extraction entails making multiple, overlapping cuts using a beam, such as a focused ion beam, to create a trench around a sample, and then undercutting the sample to free it. Because the sidewalls of the cut are not vertical, the overlapping cuts impinge on the sloping sidewalls formed by previous cuts. The high angle of incidence provides a greatly enhanced mill rate, so that making multiple overlapping cuts to produce a wide trench can requires less time than making a single, deep cut around the perimeter of a sample.

The invention provides a portable rock mass structural plane direct shear test apparatus for field and indoor use. The apparatus comprises a sample preparation shear box and a shear test device. Specifically, the sample preparation shear box is mainly composed of a shear box housing, mould stripping pieces fixed by knobs and the shear box housing, and clamping pieces positioned at the ends of fixation screw rods that are mounted on the mould stripping pieces; the shear test device mainly consists of a shear test device outer frame, a vertical bearing plate, a horizontal pressure bearing instrument, sensors and jacks, with the vertical bearing plate mounted at the upper part of the shear test device outer frame and between a sensor and a jack, and the horizontal pressure bearing instrumentdisposed on a rolling shaft unit in the shear test device. Used in field or indoor rock mass structural plane direct shear tests, the apparatus of the invention can save sample preparation time, thusbeing suitable for rapid structural plane direct shear tests. The apparatus provided in the invention can improve the accuracy and convenience of structural plane direct shear tests, and has the advantages of simple structure, easy manufacturing, convenient operation and low cost, etc.

Design manufacturing and application of a triaxial penetration tester of the invention breaks through the limitation of permeability coefficient testing in Standard for soil test method GB / T50123-1999 and Specification of soil test SL237-014-1999. According to the invention, the tester is designed based on a varying-head principle; with water head with a height of up to 47 m provided by an air compressor, a constant head can be used to process the test results. Coarse grained soil and fine grained soil can be calculated both by a constant head and by a varying head, and the results are of the same order of magnitude and are quite close to each other. The tester of the invention comprises an air compressor, a penetration tester frame, a triaxial penetration pressure chamber, a liquid level sensor, a test data collector and a receiver, a data processing software, and a computer. Data are read on-line, are stored automatically, and samples of 10-9 cm / s or lower can be tested. The tester of the invention can test permeability coefficients of undisturbed soil, disturbed soil, and additive mixtures of soil and cement. The sample preparation method is simple and practical; the test is rapid and convenient, and covers the application fields which require permeability coefficient testing in soil mechanics or materials science.

A device and method for analyzing a sample, in particular a sample which contains low-density materials, is provided. Ions of a predefined mass and / or a predefined elementary charge are selected from a plurality of ions. The selected ions are directed onto the sample for sample preparation. An electron beam is then directed onto the prepared sample and a spatial distribution of scattered electrons is measured.

Integrated devices that include a sample preparation component integrated with a detection component are disclosed. The sample preparation component may be a digital microfluidics module or a surface acoustic wave module which modules are used for combing a sample droplet with a reagent droplet and for performing additional sample preparation step leading to a droplet that contains beads / particles / labels that indicate presence or absence of an analyte of interest in the sample. The beads / particles / labels may be detected by moving the droplet to the detection component of the device, which detection component includes an array of wells. Additonal analyte detection devices configured to operate an analyte detection chip to prepare a test sample and to detect an analyte related signal from the prepared test sample in the analyte detection chip are disclosed. The analyte detection chip may include a digital microfluidics (DMF) region and an analyte detection region which may overlap or may be spatially separated. The analyte detection device may be configured for detection of analyte by an optical or electrochemical means operably connected with an analyte detection chip inserted into the device.