International Business Machines Corporation

Bio-rad Laboratories, Inc.

Technion Research & Development Foundation Limited

Bio-rad Europe Gmbh

Robert Dean Lovchik

Govind V Kaigala

Emmanuel Delamarche

David P Taylor

Anna Fomitcheva Khartchenko

Iago Pereiro Pereiro

Urs T Duerig

Jonas R Weiss

Yuksel Temiz

Ute Drechsler

Martina Hitzbleck

Lorenzo Franco Teodoro Petrini

Ismael Zeaf

Alessandro Sorniotti

Moran Bercovici

Itay Barak

Yochanan Uri

Daniel J Solis

Federico Paratore

Laurent Guillon

Marie Salva

Daniel Widerker

Emilie Frisan

Claudia I Trainito

Marcel Buerge

Julia Hesse

Mechanisms for verifying a captured digital image are provided. A verifier computing system generates, in response to a request to perform digital identity verification of a subject, a computer readable first encoded pattern. Light projecting equipment of the verifier computing system, projects the first encoded pattern onto a physical surface associated with the subject. Digital image capturing equipment of a prover computing system captures a digital image of the subject while the first encoded pattern is projected onto the physical surface such that the captured digital image captures both an image of the subject and the projected first encoded pattern. The prover computing system generates a second pattern based on an extraction key received from the verifier computing system. The prover computing system verifies an authenticity of the captured digital image based on a matching of the second pattern to the first pattern.

Authentication of images based on projected encoded pattern

Patterning a substrate can be provided. A substrate is covered by an immersion liquid and a microfluidic probe head is positioned in proximity with the surface of the substrate, so as to immerse a processing surface of the probe head in the immersion liquid. Liquid flows are generated between the processing surface of the probe head and the surface of the substrate, via the probe head. The liquid flows generated include an etching flow of an etching liquid (e.g., an acid or solvent) and a processing flow of a processing liquid (e.g., a solution or suspension).

Subtractive microfabrication and functionalization of substrates by hydrodynamic flow confinements

The present disclosure is notably directed to a microfluidic probe head (), or MFP head, comprising a processing surface () having liquid injection and liquid aspiration apertures, as well as projections () extending from the processing surface (). The arrangement of injection and aspiration apertures provides for a hydrodynamic flow confinement within a processing region that is formed between the processing surface () and a substrate () or sample surface (for example, the bottom of a microtiter plate sample well ()), typically located beneath the processing surface (). The disclosure is further directed to related microfluidic probe devices, and methods of operation of such an MFP head, notably to deposit cells on a surface.

Microfluidic probe head with aspiration posts

A microfluidic device may be provided. The microfluidic device comprises a processing surface having an aperture. The microfluidic device comprises a liquid ejection channel. The liquid ejection channel guides to the aperture. The microfluidic device comprises a first liquid injection channel guiding to the liquid ejection channel. The first liquid injection channel has a first end and a second end and is arranged to provide a fluid flow from the first end to the second end. At least a portion of the first liquid injection channel is closer to the processing surface than (both) the first and second ends to sediment particles.

Structures on microfluidic devices to control sedimentation

The present disclosure is notably directed to a microfluidic probe head, or MFP head, comprising a processing surface having a liquid injection aperture and a liquid aspiration aperture thereon. The aspiration aperture is generally shaped so as to partly extend around the injection aperture on the processing surface, although such injection apertures are not completely surrounded by the slit on the processing surface. Further, fluidic and solid barriers to aspiration are considered. The disclosure is further directed to related microfluidic probe devices, and methods of operation of such an MFP head, notably to deposit cells on a surface.

Microfluidic probe head with barrier projections

A microtiter plate comprising a first array of M×N wells and a microfluidic probe insert is provided. The microfluidic probe insert includes a second array of M×N microfluidic probe conduits, forming N columns of M conduits. The M conduits include respective orifices in a bounding plane and extend, each, perpendicularly to the bounding plane on one side. The microfluidic probe insert also includes N vacuum circuits, each comprising at least one vacuum port and M openings in the bounding plane, where 2≤M, 2≤N. The microfluidic probe insert is positioned on the microtiter plate and the microfluidic probe conduits are inserted in respective wells. A processing liquid is ejected from M conduits via the M orifices of the M conduits by applying a negative pressure to a corresponding set of N vacuum circuits via the respective one or more vacuum ports.

Multiplexed microfluidic probe insert for microtiter plates

According to a first aspect, the present invention is embodied as a method of processing a filtered liquid with a microfluidic device. The method includes positioning a porous filtering medium with respect to the microfluidic device, so as to allow a flow path between the filtering medium and a channel of the microfluidic device. The method further includes introducing a liquid in the porous filtering medium for the liquid to advance along the filtering medium and be filtered by the medium. The method further includes applying compression to the filtering medium to extract a given volume of the filtered liquid from the filtering medium, where the extracted liquid volume reaches said channel via the flow path. The method further includes processing the extracted volume with the microfluidic device.

Bridging liquid between microfluidic elements without closed channels

A microfluidic probe head is provided. The microfluidic probe head comprises a processing surface. The processing surface has a first and second aperture and a fluid injection channel, which leads to the first aperture. The microfluidic probe head comprises also a first fluid aspiration channel which leads to the second aperture. Thereby, the second aperture forms a slot in the processing surface. Furthermore, a microfluidic probe may be provided comprising the microfluidic probe head.

Structures to define flow confinement shape and confinement stability with uniform aspiration

A microfluidic probe includes a probe head with a processing surface that includes a first aperture and a second aperture. The probe further includes a liquid injection channel, which leads to the first aperture, and a liquid aspiration channel, which extends from the second aperture. The probe also includes a bypass channel, arranged so as to fluidly connect the liquid injection channel to the liquid aspiration channel, as well as a control channel. The latter fluidly connects to the bypass channel, hence forming a junction therewith, so as to define two portions of the bypass channel. These portions includes: a first portion that extends from the junction to the liquid injection channel; and a second portion that extends from that same junction to the liquid aspiration channel. The invention is further directed to methods of operation of a probe as described above, to process a surface.

Microfluidic probe with bypass and control channels

Technology for managing objects. A method is applied to a set of objects, for example, in view of commissioning such objects. The method includes patterning a surface of each object of a set of objects to be managed. The patterning is accomplished by using hard particles to make indentations in a surface of each object of the set of object, with the pattern formed on each object being a unique physical fingerprint that can be used to identify the object when performing various manage method(s) on the objects.

Mechanically stamped unique features for authenticity and provenance tracking

A method for manufacturing a fluidic device is provided. The method comprises providing a capillary, providing a structure having a fluidic channel and an opening, reducing an outer diameter of a portion of the capillary to be smaller than the opening of the structure. Furthermore, the method comprises inserting, at least partly, the portion of the capillary through the opening of the structure into the fluidic channel and applying heat to the structure to expand the inserted portion of the capillary to fit the capillary to the structure.

Prevention and bubble removal from microfluidic devices

One or more embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method for processing a surface with a vertical microfluidic probe head. The method includes positioning the microfluidic probe head so as for the edge surface to face a surface to be processed. Next, the method dispenses processing liquid via each orifice of the first one of the sets of n orifices, so as for the dispensed processing liquid to process the surface; and aspirates liquid via each orifice of the second one of the sets of n orifices.

Vertical microfluidic probe head with large scale surface processing apertures

A microorganism culture device and a method of using the device. The device includes an open chamber, wherein microorganisms are likely to be deposited within a liquid for subsequent study. The open chamber simplifies the deposition of the microorganisms. The chamber is further provided with retention features, whereby microorganisms can be retained therein. In addition, the device includes an overflow area, wherein capillary structures are configured to retain excess liquid overflowing from the open chamber, e.g. when covering the device with a cover. As such, it allows for confining microorganism in the chamber, while excess fluid is captured externally, e.g. to seal the device with a cover.

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Schoenenberg, Switzerland

Robert Dean Lovchik