Applied Biosystems, LLC

H Pin Kao

Mark F Oldham

Ian A Harding

Achim Karger

Barry J Blasenheim

Omead Ostadan

Greg Young

Kenneth J Livak

Dar Bahatt

Kevin S Bodner

Nigel P Beard

Douglas Greiner

Stephen J Gunstream

Jason E Babcoke

Exemplary embodiments provide microfludic devices and methods for their use. The microfluidic device can include an array of M&#xd7;N reaction sites formed by intersecting a first and second plurality of fluid channels of a flow layer. The flow layer can have a matrix design and/or a blind channel design to analyze a large number of samples under a limited number of conditions. The microfluidic device can also include a control layer including a valve system for regulating solution flow through fluid channels. In addition, by aligning the control layer with the fluid channels, the detection of the microfluidic devices, e.g., optical signal collection, can be improved by piping lights to/from the reaction sites. In an exemplary embodiment, guard channels can be included in the microfluidic device for thermal cycling and/or reducing evaporation from the reaction sites.

Microfluidic devices and method for their use

A camera alignment system that can enable alignment in at least one of three planes and about an axis of at least one of the planes. An alignment mount can mate to a camera and lens. The alignment mount can comprise a mechanism to adjust the camera relative to the lens to that an image plane of the camera aligns with an image plane of the lens in a predetermined orientation. One predetermined orientation can be that the image plane of the camera being parallel to the image plane of the lens.

Optical camera alignment

Methods for normalizing output from an instrument employing a reference standard or non-fluorescing substance disposed within at least one of a plurality of reaction chambers. The method comprises collecting and analyzing a signal associated with the reference standard or non-fluorescing substance to determine a normalizing bias. The normalizing bias is then applied to the data signal collected from a remainder of the plurality of reaction chambers.

Normalization of data

An apparatus for normalizing a PCR instrument, can comprise a microplate comprising at least 6,000 wells and a system of dyes at known concentrations in a plurality of the at least 6,000 wells. A method for normalizing a system can comprise (a) providing a microplate comprising at least 6,000 wells and a system of dyes; (b) exciting at least one dye; (c) detecting an emission output for the at least one dye; (d) determining if the emission output is in an acceptable range; and (e) adjusting the system so that the emission output is in the acceptable range.

Normalization of data using controls

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

H Pin Kao