Sphere Fluidics Limited

Cambridge Enterprise Limited

Frank F Craig

Xin Li

Clive Adrian Smith

Xin Liu

Marian Rehak

David Holmes

Graeme Whyte

Karine Enesa

Michael Stuart Hazell

Chris Abell

Richard Francis Day

Wilhelm T S Huck

Alexandra Clay

Robert Frank Marchington

Nicholas Dayrell-Armes

Dimitris Josephides

Giuseppe Benazzi

William Whitley

Raphael Ruis

Sinan Gokkaya

Vinayaka Pawate

Robert Salter

Vinayaka C Pawate

Wilhelm TS Huck

A method of processing droplets in a microfluidic system. The method may comprise capturing a time sequence of images of a droplet as it passes through a channel in a microfluidic system. The method may further comprise processing each image of the sequence of images using a convolutional neural network to count a number of cells or other entities visible in each image the droplet. The method may further comprise processing the count of the number of cells or other entities visible in each image of the droplet to determine an estimated number of cells or other entities in the droplet. The method/system may further comprise controlling a microfluidic process performed on the droplet responsive to the estimated number of cells or other entities in the droplet. Implementations of the method use the changing orientation and disposition of droplet contents in combination with machine learning to improve monoclonality assurance.

Droplet processing methods and systems

This invention generally relates to methods and systems for dispensing a droplet, in particular a picolitre volume droplet containing one or more entities. We disclose herein a microfluidic droplet dispensing system comprising: a droplet feed line to carry droplets for dispensing; a dispensing line to carry dispensing fluid for dispensing the droplets; a droplet outlet line coupled to a droplet outlet; a first junction having a first input to receive a flow from said droplet feed line, having a second input to receive a flow from said dispensing line and having an output to said droplet outlet line; a waste line coupled to said droplet output line between said first junction and said droplet output; a first pressure source to provide pressurised dispensing fluid to said dispensing line to eject droplets from said droplet output; a droplet dispensing valve between said first pressure source and said dispensing line to control the ejection of droplets from said droplet output; wherein the system further comprises: a second pressure source to provide pressurised dispensing fluid to a droplet protect line; a second junction having a first input from said droplet feed line, having a second input from said droplet protect line, and having an output; and a volume flow throttle coupled between the output of said second junction and the first input of said first junction to restrict a volume flow from said second junction into said first junction.

Droplet dispensing systems

The present invention provides a surfactant having a formula selected from the group consisting of: B&#x2014;((X)&#x2014;(CH)-A)(VI), (A-(CH)&#x2014;(X)&#x2014;B&#x2014;(X)&#x2014;(CH)-A)(IV), (A-(CH)&#x2014;(X)&#x2014;B)(V), and (B)&#x2014;(X)&#x2014;(CH)-A (VII), wherein A is a perfluoropolyether; a is a positive integer; X is either a covalent bond or a linking group; x is a positive integer; B is a polyalkylene oxide unit; n is a positive integer greater than 1 and, in compounds comprising more than one A, B, X, a and x, each may be the same or different. The present invention also relates to methods of making such surfactants, uses of such surfactants and emulsions comprising such surfactants.

Fluorosurfactants

A method for aligning sequences of droplets in streams of an emulsion comprising target droplets and tag droplets, a tag droplet comprising first and second tags. A target droplet is split into first and second target droplets and a tag droplet is split into first and second tag droplets. Each of the first and second tag droplets comprise the first and second tags. The first target droplet and first tag droplet are in a first stream of droplets, and the second target droplet and second tag droplet are in a second stream of droplets. The method detects the first tag droplets and first target droplets in the first stream and the second tag droplets and second target droplets in the second stream, determines a first sequence of droplets in the first stream and a second sequence of droplets in the second stream, and compares these to align the sequences.

Droplet sorting based on ionization mass spectrometry

Instruments and cartridges for processing droplets in emulsions containing biological entities such as cells. A method of such processing comprises providing a plurality of the entities in a fluid; preparing a droplet from the fluid; determining whether the droplet contains one or more entities of said plurality of entities, or whether said droplet does not contain a said entity; sorting said droplet dependent on an outcome of the determination; and dispensing the sorted droplet into a reservoir. The dispensing may comprise identifying and extracting the sorted droplet from a first fluidic flow path of said fluid by transferring the sorted droplet from into a second fluidic flow path and then ejecting the sorted droplet into a reservoir by applying pressure to the second fluidic flow path. The droplet contents may be tracked so that the contents of an individual droplet can be sorted, selectively dispensed, and retrieved.

Methods for processing droplets containing biological entities

We describe a method comprising: providing a droplet comprising a plurality of constituents, splitting said droplet into a first droplet and a second droplet, wherein said first droplet comprises a first fraction of said plurality of constituents and said second droplet comprises a second fraction of said plurality of constituents, analysing said constituents of said first fraction of said plurality of constituents in said first droplet, and sorting said second droplet dependent on an outcome of said analysis.

A method of label-free cell or particle sorting in a microfluidic device includes providing a stream of aqueous droplets in oil in a channel of the microfluidic device, wherein at least some of the droplets include cells or particles and illuminating the stream from a first direction. Then, one detects scattered light from cells or particles within said aqueous droplets in a second direction. Next, one determines a number of the cells or particles in each droplet from the scattered light and sorts the aqueous droplets into differentiated streams. Notably, the refractive index of said oil is modified to closely match a refractive index of the aqueous droplets to reduce light scattered from boundaries of the droplets. A volume of the droplets can also controlled.

Microfluidic devices and systems

The present invention provides an emulsion for sorting droplets in a microfluidic device, the emulsion comprising:

Emulsion

This invention relates to methods and systems for providing chemical and/or biological materials. Thus we describe a method of providing a chemical or biological material in a quantized form, the method comprising: preparing an emulsion comprising a plurality of microdroplets each holding a controlled amount of said material; storing said chemical or biological material in said microdroplets in said emulsion; transferring a portion of said emulsion microdroplets to a container for transportation; transporting said container to a user of said material, wherein said user receives said material in a quantized form in said microdroplets of said emulsion; and de-emulsifying said received microdroplets containing said material in quantized form to extract said material for subsequent use.

Growing community of inventors

Babraham Cambridge, United Kingdom

Frank F Craig