Reagent carrier for fluidic systems

Abstract

Fluidic systems and reagent carriers suitable for storing reagents in a desired manner are generally provided. In some embodiments, the reagent carrier stores a liquid film containing a solid reagent and / or stores different reagents at different locations. In some embodiments, the fluidic system includes a reagent carrier constrained such that the reagent carrier includes a longitudinal axis positioned within 30° of a vertical axis of the fluid reservoir.

Description

Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 981,409, filed February 25, 2020, entitled "Reagent Carrier for Fluidic Systems," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Technical Field]

[0002] The present invention relates generally to reagent carriers, and more particularly to reagent carriers suitable for use in fluid systems. [Background technology]

[0003] Fluidic systems can be used to react a sample with one or more reagents stored in the fluidic system. However, some methods of reagent storage are not suitable for positioning different reagents at desired locations relative to each other. Therefore, there is a need for improved reagent carriers and fluidic systems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Fluidic systems, reagent carriers, and related methods and content are generally described.

[0005] In some embodiments, a reagent carrier for use in a fluidic system is provided, the reagent carrier comprising a carrier body and a liquid film disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body, the liquid film comprising a solid reagent, the liquid film being substantially free of water.

[0006] In some embodiments, a fluid system is provided. The fluid system includes a fluid reservoir including a vertical axis and a reagent carrier positioned within the fluid reservoir. The reagent carrier includes a carrier body including a long portion extending along the long axis and one or more protruding portions extending from the long portion. The fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier such that the long axis forms an angle of 30° or less with the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir.

[0007] In some embodiments, the fluid system includes a fluid reservoir and a reagent carrier positioned within the fluid reservoir. The reagent carrier includes a carrier body including a first well and a second well. The fluid system further includes a first film including a first reagent disposed in at least a portion of the first well, and a second film including a second reagent disposed in at least a portion of the second well. The second reagent is different from the first reagent.

[0008] In some embodiments, a method is provided. The method includes exposing a reagent carrier positioned in a fluid reservoir to a liquid. The reagent carrier includes a carrier body including a well. A membrane (or film) containing a reagent is disposed in at least a portion of the well. The method further includes dissolving and / or suspending at least a portion of the membrane containing the reagent in the liquid.

[0009] Other advantages and novel features of the present invention may become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the event that the present specification and a document incorporated by reference include conflicting and / or inconsistent disclosure, the present specification shall control. In the event that two or more documents incorporated by reference include conflicting and / or inconsistent disclosure with respect to each other, the document having the later effective date shall control. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown is typically designated by a single numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure, and not every component of each embodiment of the present invention is shown unless illustration is necessary to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention.

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body according to some embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a reagent carrier including a carrier body containing wells, according to some embodiments. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the reagent carrier shown in FIG. 2, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a reagent carrier including a carrier body containing two wells, according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a reagent carrier in which a membrane containing one or more reagents is disposed within a well positioned within the carrier body of the reagent carrier, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates a reagent carrier configured to hold pellets by frictional forces, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8C]FIG. 8C shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8D] FIG. 8D shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8E] FIG. 8E shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8F] FIG. 8F shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8G] FIG. 8G shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8H] FIG. 8H shows a reagent carrier including a carrier body including an elongated portion and two protruding portions, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A shows a reagent carrier and a fluid reservoir that constrains the orientation of the reagent carrier, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B shows a reagent carrier and a fluid reservoir that constrains the orientation of the reagent carrier, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C shows a reagent carrier and a fluid reservoir that constrains the orientation of the reagent carrier, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a fluid system including a fluid reservoir in which a fluid channel and a reagent carrier are positioned, according to some embodiments. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A shows two different views of a fluid system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B shows two different views of a fluid system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A shows a cross-sectional top view of two example fluid systems, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12B]FIG. 12B shows a cross-sectional top view of two example fluid systems, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A illustrates a process of dissolving and / or suspending a portion of a reagent located within a reagent carrier in a liquid to which the reagent carrier is exposed, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B illustrates exposing a reagent carrier containing two or more wells to a liquid in an amount such that some of the wells are exposed to the liquid and other wells are not, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13C] FIG. 13C illustrates a step of removing the liquid to which the reagent was exposed from the fluid reservoir, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13D] FIG. 13D illustrates removing liquid from a fluid reservoir while retaining reagents suspended in the fluid reservoir, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13E] FIG. 13E illustrates introducing a second liquid into a fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13F] FIG. 13F illustrates introducing a plurality of gas bubbles into a liquid from the bottom of a fluid reservoir in which the liquid is located, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13G] FIG. 13G shows a schematic diagram of a method according to some embodiments, including introducing a first liquid into a fluid reservoir, removing the first liquid from the fluid reservoir, introducing a second liquid into the fluid reservoir, and introducing a plurality of gas bubbles into the second liquid from the bottom of the fluid reservoir. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows a reagent carrier having a maximum width according to some embodiments. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 illustrates a fluid reservoir including a lower portion having a cross-sectional diameter that tapers from an upper maximum to a lower minimum, according to some embodiments. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 shows a fluid reservoir in which a reagent carrier is positioned, according to some embodiments. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 shows a fluid reservoir in which a reagent carrier is positioned, according to some embodiments. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 shows data obtained from the exemplary fluidic system described in Example 1, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Fluidic systems, reagent carriers, and related methods and content are generally described. Some embodiments relate to reagent carriers particularly suitable for use in the fluidic systems described herein, some embodiments relate to fluidic systems including the reagent carriers described herein, and some methods relate to the use of the fluidic systems and / or reagent carriers described herein. The reagent carriers described herein can be particularly advantageous for storing reagents in a manner that facilitates the introduction of the reagents into a fluid (e.g., a liquid) within the fluidic system in a particularly desirable manner, and / or can be configured to interact with the fluidic system in a manner that facilitates such introduction. Further advantages associated with exemplary fluidic systems, reagent carriers, and methods are described below.

[0013] In some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes a reagent stored therein that dissolves and / or suspends in a desired manner when exposed to a fluid (e.g., a liquid). By way of example, the reagent carrier may store a reagent within a membrane that is entirely liquid. Upon exposure of the liquid to a fluid (e.g., another liquid), the reagent in the reagent carrier may dissolve and / or form a suspension in the fluid in a relatively uniform manner. For example, the reagent may be dissolved and / or suspended relatively uniformly within the fluid and / or in a manner such that the fluid containing the dissolved and / or suspended reagent has little (or lacks) significant aggregates of the reagent. While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that aggregates of the reagent may undesirably reduce the surface area of ​​the reagent available to participate in any particular reaction, thereby slowing the rate and / or limiting the extent of the reaction in which the reagent is configured to participate. It is believed that the liquid nature of the membrane aids in this dissolution and / or suspension. Advantageously, the liquid film may be a liquid having a combination of viscosity and surface tension sufficient to retain the reagent, where the fluidic device is configured to introduce the reagent into the fluid prior to exposing the reagent to the fluid; or Liquid forms containing solid reagents It could be.

[0014] As another example of an advantageous structure contemplated herein, a reagent carrier may contain two different reagents and / or two different combinations of reagents that are not in direct topological contact with each other at one or more times (e.g., at any time during storage, prior to exposing the combination of reagents to a common liquid). Advantageously, topological separation of reagents from each other allows incompatible reagents (e.g., reagents that react with each other) to be stored in close proximity to each other, introduced into the reagent carrier at times close to each other, and / or undergo processing steps together. Furthermore, topological separation of reagents from each other allows fluids (e.g., liquids) in a fluidic system to be exposed to one set of reagents but not to another set of reagents. This may facilitate performing reactions in fluids containing one reagent but not the other, and / or exposing fluids to different reagents in a desired order and / or at a desired time.

[0015] In some embodiments, topological separation of reagents is provided by a reagent carrier including two or more wells, at least two of which comprise or contain different reagents and / or combinations of reagents with each other. The presence of wells in the reagent carrier can facilitate little topological contact, as each well can surround and function to topologically separate the reagents disposed therein (and / or any fluids disposed therein, such as liquids and / or fluids from loaded reagents) from the contents of other wells. However, it should be understood that reagents and / or combinations of reagents can also be prevented from physically contacting each other in ways other than being disposed in separate wells. For example, in some embodiments, two or more reagents and / or combinations of reagents are located in different membranes that prevent mixing due to relatively high viscosity and / or surface tension.

[0016] As a third example of an advantageous structure contemplated herein, a fluid system may constrain the position of a reagent carrier therein. The position to which the reagent carrier is constrained may be particularly advantageous for one or more desired uses of the fluid system. By way of example, in some embodiments, the fluid system constrains the reagent carrier so that the reagent carrier is oriented relatively vertically within a fluid reservoir in the fluid system and / or so that there is a vertical separation between two or more wells in the fluid system. The placement of the reagent carrier may control the reagents to which fluid in the fluid system is exposed and may control the amount of fluid introduced into the fluid system. Introducing a small amount of fluid into the fluid system exposes the fluid only to reagents located at the bottom of the reagent carrier, while introducing a larger amount of fluid into the fluid system may expose the fluid to reagents located at the bottom of the reagent carrier. (lower part) and the top (upper part) For the reasons stated above, it is desirable to control the reagents to which the fluid is exposed.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates one non-limiting embodiment of a reagent carrier (or reagent carrier) including carrier body (or reagent carrier) 100. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, some reagent carriers include one or more wells. The wells may take the form of recesses and / or indentations in the outer surface of the carrier body. By way of example, FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a reagent carrier including carrier body 102 including well 202. FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of this same reagent carrier, and FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a reagent carrier including carrier body 104 including two wells 204 and 254. Some wells may be surrounded on all sides by a portion of the carrier body (e.g., some wells may be present on a single outer surface, as shown in FIGS. 3-4), and some wells may intersect two or more outer surfaces of the carrier body (e.g., some wells may take the form of recesses and / or indentations in two or more outer surfaces of the carrier body). It should be understood that FIGS. 1-4 are exemplary, and reagent carriers having both similarities and differences to those illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 are contemplated.

[0018] In some embodiments, one or more reagents are disposed within the well of a reagent carrier. For example, a membrane containing one or more reagents can be disposed within the well. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a reagent carrier having this characteristic. In FIG. 5, a membrane 306 containing one or more reagents is disposed within a well 206 positioned within the carrier body 106. The membrane disposed within the well of the reagent carrier can have a variety of suitable forms. For example, the membrane can be continuous or discontinuous. In some embodiments, the membrane containing one or more reagents can conformally coat the interior of the well (e.g., including any sidewalls of the well), and in some embodiments, the membrane containing one or more reagents can fill the well to a certain depth. The membrane covering the well can be smooth or rough, uniform or non-uniform, and porous or non-porous.

[0019] Components that are disposed relative to one another as described herein and / or shown in the drawings may be disposed directly relative to one another or indirectly relative to one another. In other words, as used herein, when a component is referred to as being "disposed on," "disposed within," or "adjacent to" another component, it may be disposed directly on, within, or adjacent to the component, or it may be disposed on or within one or more intervening components that are disposed on or within the other component. A component that is "disposed directly on," "directly disposed within," "directly adjacent to," or "contacting" another component is disposed relative to the other component in a manner such that there are no intervening components.

[0020] As another example of how one or more reagents may be disposed within the well of the reagent carrier, in some embodiments, one or more reagents in the form of pellets are disposed within the well of the reagent carrier. The reagent carrier may be configured to accommodate the pellet within the reagent carrier. In some embodiments, the well configured to accommodate the pellet therein is also configured to retain the pellet within the well. For example, the well may be configured to retain the pellet within the well by friction and / or adhesive. The friction, adhesive, and / or other structure configured to retain the pellet within the well may take the form of a portion configured to retain the pellet within the well. By way of example, (e.g., in addition to the frictional force exerted on the pellet by the well), a frictional force may be exerted by a component of the reagent carrier other than the well. By way of example, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes a flap configured, optionally in combination with one or more surfaces of the well, to exert a frictional force on a pellet disposed within the well. For example, the flap may be configured, optionally in combination with one or more surfaces of the well, to clamp (or secure, or attach, or fasten; clamp) the pellet within the well. In some embodiments, a pellet disposed within a well is configured and / or is in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir in which a reagent carrier containing the well is disposed, and this fluid communication can occur and / or can be configured to occur even when a flap that exerts a frictional force on the pellet is in a closed state.

[0021] If present, the flap may be configured to be movable at one or more times. For example, the flap may be configured to be movable from an "open" state, in which a pellet can be easily inserted into the well, to a "closed" state, in which the flap applies a frictional force to the pellet to contain it within the well. The flap may be configured to close once (i.e., to move from an initial open state to a closed state but not return to an open state), or to be reversibly opened and closed. In some embodiments, a reagent carrier including a flap further includes one or more clasps configured to hold the flap in a closed state. Such clasps may be engaged by depressing the flap.

[0022] For some reagent carriers that include flaps, the entire reagent carrier may be formed from a single, unified (or unitary) material. It is also possible for one or more components of the reagent carrier (e.g., the flaps) to be formed as separate pieces from the rest of the reagent carrier. In either case, the material forming the flaps should be sufficiently flexible to allow the flaps to close (e.g., by folding around a well configured to aid in pellet containment).

[0023] Figure 6 shows one non-limiting embodiment of a reagent carrier configured to retain a pellet by frictional forces. In Figure 6, the reagent carrier includes a carrier body 108 that includes a well 208 and further includes a flap 408. In Figure 6, the flap 408 is in an open position.

[0024] It should also be noted that a reagent carrier containing two or more wells may include one or more wells in which one or more reagents are disposed, and / or one or more wells that do not contain any reagents. In embodiments in which a reagent carrier includes two or more wells each containing one or more reagents, such reagents (or combinations of reagents) may be the same or may differ in one or more respects (e.g., two wells may each contain a set of reagents that includes some common reagents and some reagents that differ from the reagents in the other well). Similarly, in such embodiments, the forms that the reagents take within the wells may be the same or may differ in one or more respects (e.g., the reagents may be disposed within membranes that have different forms).

[0025] A well that is free of reagents may be empty (e.g., the well may comprise and / or contain any fluid present in an environment, such as a fluid reservoir, in which the reagent carrier is placed), or may contain components other than reagents (e.g., components from which the reagent is released). It is also possible that a well initially contains a reagent but becomes free of reagents (e.g., empties) during use of a fluidic device in which a reagent carrier containing the well is placed. By way of example, and as described elsewhere herein, in some embodiments, a well initially contains one or more reagents that are released (e.g., completely) into a liquid to which the reagent is exposed during a method performed in the fluidic device. After performance of the relevant method, the well may be free of the reagents (and possibly all species) that it originally contained.

[0026] Additionally, it should be noted that some reagent carriers may include reagents disposed at locations other than those disposed in and / or contained within wells. By way of example, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes a membrane containing the reagent disposed at a location other than a well in the reagent carrier, such as a portion of the carrier body other than a well in the reagent carrier.

[0027] As described elsewhere herein, some reagent carriers described herein have structures configured to interact with a fluid system in a desired manner. By way of example, a reagent carrier may include one or more portions configured to support positioning of the reagent carrier within a fluid system at a favorable position and / or orientation. FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a reagent carrier having such a structure. The reagent carrier illustrated in FIG. 7 includes a carrier body 110 including a long portion 510 and two protruding portions 610, 660. The long portion 510 illustrated in FIG. 7 extends along a long axis 710. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the long axis along which the long portion extends may be the longest major axis of the long portion. Some reagent carriers may include long portions arranged symmetrically with respect to the long axis. By way of example, the long axis may be an axis about which the long portion is rotationally symmetric and / or an axis through which a mirror plane of the long portion passes.

[0028] 7 can increase the width of the reagent carrier, thereby limiting the locations within the fluidic system at which the reagent carrier can fit, limiting its orientation within one or more locations within the fluidic system at which it is placed, and / or limiting the mobility of the reagent carrier within the fluidic system once placed. In some embodiments, such protruding portions can do so without significantly reducing and / or impeding the flow of liquid within one or more locations within the fluidic system (e.g., around the reagent carrier within the well in which it is placed). This feature is believed to be advantageous, as reduced and / or inhibited flow near the reagents within the reagent carrier would impede dissolution and / or suspension of the reagents.

[0029] 8A-8H show additional possible reagent carrier configurations in which the reagent carrier includes two protruding portions and an elongated portion. When the reagent carrier includes two or more protruding portions, the reagent carrier may include protruding portions that are identical to one another (e.g., the protruding portions shown in FIG. 7 and FIGS. 8A-8H) and / or protruding portions that differ from the other protruding portions in one or more respects. By way of example, the reagent carrier may include protruding portions that differ in size, shape, or any other characteristic. Similarly, some reagent carriers include two or more protruding portions that are positioned so that their centers of gravity are equidistant from a portion of the reagent carrier (e.g., from one end of the elongated portion in the reagent carrier), and / or include two or more portions that are not positioned so that their centers of gravity are equidistant from that portion of the reagent carrier.

[0030] Some reagent carriers may include two or more protruding portions that are symmetrically arranged, and some reagent carriers may include two or more protruding portions that are not symmetrically arranged. In other words, some reagent carriers may include two or more protruding portions that are invariantly arranged under one or more symmetry operations. Symmetry operations may include reflection (e.g., arranging the protruding portions so that a mirror plane exists) and / or rotation (e.g., arranging the protruding portions so that they have radial symmetry about an axis and / or point). In some embodiments, two or more protruding portions are positioned such that a symmetrically positioned plane, axis, or point is located on and / or passes through a portion of the reagent carrier. By way of example, some protruding portions may have mirror symmetry across a mirror plane that passes through the elongate portion of the reagent carrier (e.g., through its center) and / or rotational symmetry around an axis that passes through the elongate portion of the reagent carrier (e.g., the axis along which the elongate portion extends).

[0031] In some embodiments, a reagent carrier includes two or more sets of protruding portions, each set having one or more of the above characteristics. For example, a reagent carrier may include one set of protruding portions that all have the same shape and are all symmetrically arranged about a first axis of rotation, and a second set of protruding portions that all have a different but identical shape and are all symmetrically arranged about a second axis of rotation. Figures 8B and 8C show two views of a reagent carrier having this characteristic. Referring to Figure 8B, the illustrated reagent carrier includes a carrier body 112 that includes two wells 212 and 262, a first set of protruding portions 612 and 632, and a second set of protruding portions 662 and 682. Both the first set of protruding portions and the second set of protruding portions are symmetrically arranged about an axis 712 that passes through the center of the carrier body's elongated portion 512 and are also arranged with mirror symmetry about this axis. Furthermore, the first set of protruding portions 612 and 632 both have the same shape and size and are positioned such that their centers of gravity are equidistant from axis 712 passing through (i.e., extending along) the elongated portions. Similarly, the second set of protruding portions 662 and 682 both have the same shape and size and are positioned such that their centers of gravity are equidistant from axis 712 passing through (i.e., extending along) the elongated portions. However, the first set of protruding portions 612 and 632 have different shapes and different sizes than the second set of protruding portions 662 and 682. Similarly, the first set of protruding portions 612 and 632 and the second set of protruding portions 662 and 682 are not symmetrically positioned together or all positioned equidistant from any portion of the carrier body.

[0032] As shown in Figures 8B-8H, a reagent carrier including one or more protruding portions and a long portion may further include one or more wells disposed in the long portion. By way of example, as described above with respect to Figure 8B, Figures 8B-8H each show a reagent carrier including at least two wells and at least two protruding portions. Note also that Figures 8F-8H show exemplary embodiments of reagent carriers including wells, protruding portions, and flaps.

[0033] In some embodiments, the reagent carrier is configured to be positioned within one or more components of the fluid system. By way of example, some reagent carriers may be configured to be disposed within a fluid reservoir. It is also possible for some fluid reservoirs to contain (or house) the reagent carrier. A fluid reservoir may be part of a fluidic device configured to contain a fluid (e.g., a liquid, a gas (or gas, a liquid at some times and a gas at other times, or a liquid and a gas simultaneously) at one or more times. For example, a fluid reservoir may be configured to initially contain a fluid (e.g., a fluidic device may be provided to its user with the fluid reservoir containing a fluid) and / or may be initially devoid of fluid but configured to contain a fluid at a later time (e.g., while using the fluidic device to analyze a sample, while preparing the fluidic device for sample analysis, and / or after sample analysis). Some fluid reservoirs may be configured to contain a fluid at some times but not at other, later times. For example, a fluidic device may be provided to its user with a fluid reservoir containing a fluid that is later transferred to a different portion of the fluidic device (e.g., during preparation of the fluidic device for sample analysis, during sample analysis, after sample analysis). As another example, a fluid reservoir may be configured such that a fluid passes through, is transferred to, and / or is contained by the fluid reservoir during one or more processes (e.g., during preparation of the fluidic device for sample analysis, during sample analysis, after sample analysis), but is not retained in the fluid reservoir after completion of the associated process. It should also be noted that some fluid reservoirs may be configured to contain two or more different fluids (e.g., at different times, simultaneously).

[0034] In some embodiments, the reagent carrier comprises, as described elsewhere herein: The reagent carrier is configured to interact with the fluid system and / or one or more components of the fluid system so as to be constrained and positioned in a desired orientation and / or position. For example, the reagent carrier may be configured to interact with a portion of the fluid system in which it is positioned, such as a fluid reservoir. The interaction may be other than constrained by attachment of the reagent carrier to a portion of the fluid system (e.g., a fluid reservoir). In other words, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier is not integrally connected to a portion of the fluid system (e.g., a fluid reservoir), or is not integrally connected to the fluid system but is still constrained by a portion of the fluid system. In some embodiments, the reagent carrier may be completely separable from a portion of the fluid system (e.g., a fluid reservoir) and / or the entire fluid system but still be constrained by a portion of the fluid system.

[0035] For example, a reagent carrier can be shaped so that, when placed in an initial orientation within a fluid reservoir, it prevents the reagent carrier from adopting a subsequent undesired orientation. This can be achieved by selecting a reagent carrier and fluid reservoir configuration that are configured to be cohesively arranged such that the fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier to a set of desirable orientations. FIG. 9A shows an example of a reagent carrier and fluid reservoir pair in which the fluid reservoir constrains the orientation of the reagent carrier. In FIG. 9A, a reagent carrier 814 includes a carrier body 114 that includes a long portion 514 and two protruding portions 614 and 664. The reagent carrier is positioned within a fluid reservoir 914. As can be seen in FIG. 9A, the protruding portions 614 and 664 of the reagent carrier 814 prevent the reagent carrier from tilting significantly away from its initial upright position. FIG. 9B shows another example of a combination of a fluid reservoir and a reagent carrier placed within the fluid reservoir, where the fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier to adopt a set of advantageous orientations. A reagent carrier that is constrained and / or configured to be constrained by a fluid reservoir, such as the reagent carrier shown in FIG. 9B, may include one or more wells (e.g., two or more wells, three or more wells, four or more wells, five or more wells, or more wells).

[0036] One way to quantify the degree to which a fluid reservoir restrains a reagent carrier is by the range of angles that the fluid reservoir allows the longitudinal axis along which the reagent carrier's elongated portion extends to be relative to the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir. The vertical axis of the fluid reservoir can be an axis passing through the fluid reservoir oriented along the direction of gravity. Characterizing the position of a reagent carrier relative to the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is disposed can be particularly appropriate in embodiments where it is desirable for the longitudinal portion of the reagent carrier to extend relatively vertically, for example, where the longitudinal portion includes two or more wells located at different positions along the reagent carrier's longitudinal axis, where it is beneficial to introduce fluids disposed within the fluid system at different times. If a fluid reservoir limits the longitudinal axis of a reagent carrier disposed in the fluid reservoir to a range of angles with the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir, it can thereby limit the vertical separation between wells located at different positions along the longitudinal axis. A fixed-shape fluid reservoir may allow the wells to be initially exposed to a fluid (e.g., liquid, gas) introduced into the fluid reservoir at a volume of fluid that is limited to a particular range (e.g., thereby preventing one or more wells from being exposed to a fluid introduced into the fluid reservoir until the fluid is present in an amount above a particular minimum amount, and / or preserving the wells from being exposed to a fluid introduced into the fluid reservoir once the fluid is present in an amount above a different minimum amount). Referring to Figure 9C, the fluid reservoir 916 in which the reagent carrier 816 is disposed may constrain the reagent carrier such that the longitudinal axis 716 of the reagent carrier forms an angle 1016 with the vertical axis 1116 of the fluid reservoir within a particular range.

[0037] It should also be understood that some reagent carriers may be constrained by one or more features of the fluid reservoir (e.g., instead of a portion of the reagent carrier that prevents the reagent carrier from assuming one or more orientations within the fluid reservoir, or in addition to any portion of the reagent carrier that prevents the reagent carrier from assuming one or more orientations within the fluid reservoir). As an example, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir includes one or more grooves and / or protrusions that constrain the orientation of a reagent carrier disposed in the fluid reservoir. As another example, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier is integrally connected to one or more portions of the fluid system (e.g., the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is disposed, the entire fluid system) and / or is not separable from one or more portions of the fluid system (e.g., the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is disposed, the entire fluid system). It is also possible that a fluid reservoir is not constrained by any portion of the fluid system in which it is positioned and / or is configured to be positioned.

[0038] In some embodiments, a fluid system includes a fluid reservoir and further includes one or more additional components configured to introduce a fluid (e.g., liquid, gas) into the fluid reservoir. By way of example, in some embodiments, a fluid system includes a fluid reservoir and further includes a fluid channel in fluid communication (and / or configured to be in fluid communication) with the fluid reservoir. Fluid introduced into the fluid channel can flow into the fluid reservoir when the fluid reservoir is in fluid communication with the fluid channel and sufficient pressure is applied. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous for the fluid channel to be positioned relative to the fluid reservoir so that the fluid reservoir fills from the bottom and / or from a position below the position of any reagent configured to be solubilized by the fluid. This may be useful when it is desirable to expose a reagent carrier to a fluid in a controlled and predictable manner. Fluid entering the fluid reservoir from below can fill the fluid reservoir until the pressure exerted by the fluid reservoir equals the pressure exerted on the fluid, thereby easily controlling the amount of fluid in the fluid reservoir and the portion of the fluid reservoir (and any reagent carrier in the fluid reservoir). In contrast, fluid entering the fluid reservoir from another point within the fluid reservoir may flow downward under the influence of gravity and / or sideways under the influence of forces of relatively small magnitude, exposing portions of the fluid reservoir (and / or reagent carriers therein) in an inconsistent, unpredictable, and / or difficult to control manner. In some embodiments, the fluid may enter the fluid reservoir in a laminar flow manner, which may facilitate filling of the fluid reservoir in a controlled and / or predictable manner.

[0039] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a fluid system including a fluid channel 1218 and a fluid reservoir 918 in which a reagent carrier 818 is disposed. The fluid channel 1218 is in fluid communication with a base 1318 of the fluid reservoir 918 and is configured to fill the fluid reservoir 918 from the base. In some embodiments, a valve is positioned between the fluid reservoir and the fluid channel configured to introduce a fluid. By way of example, with reference to FIG. 10 , the valve may be positioned between the fluid reservoir 918 and the fluid channel 1218 such that, when open, the valve places the fluid reservoir 918 in fluid communication with the fluid channel 1218, but when closed, removes the fluid reservoir 918 from fluid communication with the fluid channel 1218. A valve may also be positioned between the fluid channel and another component of the fluid system. For example, with reference to FIG. 10 , the valve may be positioned to reversibly place the fluid channel 1218 in fluid communication with one or more components of the fluid system upstream of the fluid channel 1218. Suitable valves may be configured to reversibly open and close, irreversibly open, and / or irreversibly close. Some valves may be configured to allow fluid flow in only one direction when open (e.g., some valves may be check valves), may be configured to allow fluid flow in more than one direction when open, and / or may be configured to allow fluid flow in a subset of the possible directions (e.g., some valves may be three-way valves).

[0040] In some embodiments, the fluid system includes one or more fluid channels that terminate in a fluid reservoir. Referring to Figure 10, fluid channel 1218 terminates in fluid reservoir 918.

[0041] Some suitable fluid systems (e.g., fluid systems that include a reagent carrier and / or are configured to have a reagent carrier disposed therein) can include multiple fluid reservoirs, fluid channels, and / or reagent carriers. FIGS. 11A and 11B show two different views of one non-limiting embodiment of such a fluid system. FIG. 11A shows an external perspective view of the fluid system, and FIG. 11B shows an external perspective view of the fluid system. FIG. 11B shows a cross-sectional top view (or top-down view) thereof. In FIGS. 11A and 11B, fluid system 1420 includes a first region 1520 that includes multiple fluid reservoirs and fluid channels, and further includes other regions (e.g., region 1620) that include fluid channels but are free of fluid reservoirs. Referring to FIG. 11B, an example of a fluid reservoir in the first region is fluid reservoir 920, and an example of a fluid channel in the second region is fluid channel 1270. 12A and 12B show cross-sectional top views of two additional example fluidic systems suitable for use with the reagent carriers described herein. Further details of some exemplary fluidic systems of which the components described herein (e.g., reagent cartridges, fluid reservoirs, fluidic channels) may form a part and / or for which some of the components described herein may be configured are described in more detail in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017 / 0259257, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. It should also be understood that the fluidic systems described in FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B and in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017 / 0259257 are merely exemplary, and that some embodiments may relate to fluidic systems that differ from such systems in one or more respects.

[0042] As one specific example of a structure that may be present in a fluid system, in some embodiments, the fluid system includes two or more fluid reservoirs configured such that a fluid (e.g., liquid, gas) introduced into the fluid reservoir can be configured to pass sequentially through the two or more fluid reservoirs. For example, the two or more fluid reservoirs can be placed in fluid communication by multiple channels configured to sequentially transport the fluid through the two or more fluid reservoirs. This can be advantageous in embodiments in which it is desirable to perform multiple sequential reactions on a fluid. Each or a subset of the fluid reservoirs can include a reagent carrier containing one or more reagents configured to react with one or more components of the fluid. Two or more such fluid reservoirs can contain the same reagent, which can be useful for performing reactions with related components of the fluid in relatively high yields. In some embodiments, two or more such fluid reservoirs can contain different reagents and / or different combinations of reagents, which can be useful for performing different sequential reactions with the fluid.

[0043] In some fluidic systems that include two or more reagent carriers containing different reagents and / or different combinations of reagents, each type of reagent carrier may have its own color. In other words, reagent carriers containing the same combination of reagents may have the same color, and reagent carriers containing different combinations of reagents may have different colors. Color-coding the reagent carriers in this manner may facilitate accurate placement of the reagent carriers in desired locations within the fluidic device.

[0044] Some embodiments relate to methods, such as those relating to the reagent carriers, fluid reservoirs, and / or fluid systems described herein. In some embodiments, the methods include a step of releasing a reagent from a reagent carrier described herein into a liquid. For example, in some embodiments, the methods include dissolving and / or suspending a portion of a reagent disposed on the reagent carrier (e.g., positioned on a membrane disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body of the reagent carrier, positioned in a pellet contained in a well of the reagent carrier) in a liquid to which the reagent carrier is exposed. FIG. 13A shows a schematic diagram of one non-limiting embodiment of a method having such a step. In FIG. 13A, a reagent carrier 822 including a well 222 is positioned in a fluid reservoir 922. A membrane 322 containing one or more reagents is first placed in the well 222. In FIG. 13A, the reagent carrier 822 and the bottom of the well 222 in the reagent carrier are then exposed to a liquid 1722. A portion of the membrane 322 and a portion of the reagent in the membrane are then suspended and / or dissolved in the liquid 1722.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 13A, exposing a reagent carrier to a liquid can release some, but not all, of the reagents positioned in the reagent carrier into the liquid. As another example, in some embodiments, a reagent carrier including two or more wells can be exposed to a liquid in an amount such that some of the wells are exposed to the liquid and others are not. Reagents disposed in and / or contained in wells exposed to the liquid can be released into the liquid, and reagents disposed in and / or contained in wells not exposed to the liquid can be released into the liquid (e.g., the reagents are retained in and / or within the wells, and the liquid may not dissolve or suspend the reagents). FIG. 13B shows a schematic diagram of one example of a method that can be implemented with a reagent carrier having this characteristic. In FIG. 13B, a reagent carrier 824 includes a first well 224 and a second well 264 positioned at different points along the longitudinal axis 724 of the elongated portion 524. The first well 224 initially includes a membrane 324 containing a first reagent, and the second well 264 initially includes a membrane 364 containing a second reagent. As shown in FIG. 13B, a fluid reservoir 924 constrains the reagent carrier 824 such that the first well 224 is positioned below the second well 264. In FIG. 13B, upon exposure of the reagent carrier 824 to the amount of liquid 1724 shown, a portion of the membrane 324 and a portion of the reagent therein are suspended and / or dissolved in the liquid 1724, but any portion of the membrane 324 (or any reagent therein) is not suspended and / or dissolved in the liquid 1724. A method including steps such as those shown in FIG. 13B can be advantageous when the reagent carrier includes two or more distinct wells containing reagents, and it is desirable for the reagents in the different wells to be released from the wells at different times, as described elsewhere herein.

[0046] In some embodiments, method steps such as those shown in Figures 13A and 13B can be combined with additional steps. Figure 13C shows a schematic diagram of one example of a further step. In Figure 13C, the liquid to which the reagents have been exposed is removed from the fluid reservoir. Referring to Figure 13C, liquid 1726 in fluid reservoir 926 can be removed from the fluid reservoir. As shown in Figure 13C, removing the liquid from the fluid reservoir can also include removing reagents dissolved and / or suspended in the liquid from the fluid reservoir. This can be desirable, for example, if the liquid is used to wash a reagent carrier before a further analytical step and / or if it is desired that the removed reagents be subsequently transported by the liquid to another part of the fluid system.

[0047] It is also possible for the liquid to be removed from the fluid reservoir, but for the reagent suspended and / or dissolved in the liquid to be retained in the fluid reservoir. This can be beneficial when it is desirable to perform one or more processes on the retained reagent while it is present in the fluid reservoir; however, to do so, it may also be desirable to remove one or more components with which the retained reagent is initially mixed (e.g., one or more components of the membrane in which the reagent is initially positioned) before performing a subsequent step in the fluid reservoir (e.g., before introducing a sample to be analyzed by the fluidic device into the fluid reservoir). As another example, retaining the reagent suspended and / or dissolved in the liquid in the liquid reservoir can be beneficial when the liquid in which the reagent is suspended or dissolved is both configured to activate and interact with the reagent in a desired way, and when the liquid has one or more properties that make its presence undesirable during further processes performed with the reagent (e.g., if the liquid exhibits an undesirable reaction with additional species exposed to the reagent). Figure 13D illustrates one non-limiting embodiment of a process in which the liquid is removed from the fluid reservoir, but the reagent suspended in the liquid is retained in the fluid reservoir. 13D, a portion of the reagent initially present in liquid 1728 is retained in fluid reservoir 928 as particles 1828 after liquid 1728 is removed from fluid reservoir 928. The reagent may be retained in the fluid reservoir in a variety of suitable ways. In some embodiments, a field (e.g., a magnetic field) is used for this purpose.

[0048] Although Figures 13C and 13D show the removal of liquid from a fluid reservoir after a portion of a reagent positioned in a single well of a reagent carrier has been exposed to the liquid, it is also possible to remove liquid from a fluid reservoir after exposing the entire reagent positioned in a well of a reagent carrier to the liquid, after exposing at least a portion of two or more reagents positioned in two or more different wells of a reagent carrier to the liquid, and / or after exposing a reagent carrier in which no reagent is positioned to the liquid.

[0049] In some embodiments, a liquid may be applied to one or more of the above combinations of locations as part of an initial cleaning process. In some such embodiments, the liquid is not configured to dissolve and / or suspend any reagents exposed to the liquid and / or is configured to dissolve and / or suspend a minimal amount of any reagents exposed to the liquid. Non-limiting examples of liquids suitable for this purpose include non-polar detergents such as acetone, hexane, carbon tetrachloride, and diethyl ether. As another example, in some embodiments, one or more reagents are removed from the reagent carrier, but reagents held in the fluid reservoir are exposed to the liquid.

[0050] Another example of a further method step that may be performed in combination with one or more of the other method steps described herein is introducing a second liquid into the fluid reservoir. This may be performed after the introduction of the first liquid while the first liquid is still present in the fluid reservoir. In such a case, the first and second liquids may be mixed together. This may be beneficial, for example, if the first liquid is introduced into the fluid reservoir and incubated in the fluid reservoir for a period of time, and then the second liquid is introduced into the fluid reservoir. The incubation period may allow for a reaction to occur (e.g., between a reagent dissolved and / or suspended in the first liquid and a component of the first liquid, or between two or more reagents dissolved and / or suspended in the first liquid) that is desirable to occur before the second liquid is introduced into the fluid reservoir. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable for a reaction to occur that converts a first reagent dissolved and / or suspended in the first liquid into a second reagent suitable for reacting with a component of the second liquid. For various reasons, it may be desirable for this reaction to occur before the introduction of the second liquid. For example, the second liquid may contain species that exhibit undesired reactivity with the first reagent prior to conversion to the second reagent, the incubation conditions (e.g., temperature, time) may promote undesired reactions within the second liquid, etc.

[0051] In some embodiments, the second liquid is introduced into a fluid reservoir already containing the first liquid, and the second liquid is configured to interact with the first liquid in a desired manner. By way of example, in some embodiments, the first liquid may undesirably react with a third liquid that is introduced into the fluid reservoir after the introduction of the first and second liquids. The second liquid may be configured to neutralize the first liquid so that the third liquid can be introduced into the fluid reservoir and / or exposed to the first liquid (e.g., any portion of the first liquid remaining as residue in the fluid reservoir after most of the first liquid has been removed from the fluid reservoir) without undergoing an undesirable reaction. As a particular example, in some embodiments, the first liquid has a pH that is undesirably acidic or basic, and the second liquid includes a buffer configured to lower or raise the pH of the first liquid to a value that is acceptable for exposure to the third liquid.

[0052] A second liquid can be introduced into the fluid reservoir after the first liquid is removed from the fluid reservoir. One or more reagents positioned in the fluid reservoir can be exposed to (and / or dissolved and / or suspended in) the second liquid. For example, at least a portion of a reagent suspended and / or dissolved in the first liquid but retained in the fluid reservoir after removal of the first liquid can be exposed to the second liquid. As another example, at least a portion of a reagent not exposed to the first liquid can be exposed to the second liquid. This can occur when a reagent not exposed to the first liquid is disposed and / or contained in a well positioned along the longitudinal axis of the reagent carrier, the reagent carrier being constrained by the fluid reservoir, above the level reached by the first liquid when the reagent is introduced into the reagent carrier. In some embodiments, both types of reagents are exposed to the second liquid. In such cases, both types of reagents can be exposed to each other through the second liquid (e.g., when one or both reagents are dissolved and / or suspended in the second liquid). Advantageously, this allows the two reagents to be exposed to each other at a desired time (e.g., when it is desired to perform a reaction that results in a detectable product), but not before that time. This process may also allow a first reagent to be exposed to a first liquid that is incompatible with (or miscible with) the second liquid (e.g., that will undesirably react with) before being exposed to the second liquid. The first liquid may undergo the desired reaction with the first reagent, but may be removed from the fluid reservoir so that it will not undesirably react with the second liquid.

[0053] 13E shows a schematic diagram of one non-limiting example of method steps similar to those described in the previous paragraph. In FIG. 13E, a second liquid 1780 is introduced into a fluid reservoir 930 in which a reagent carrier 830 is positioned. Both a first reagent 1830 and a second reagent positioned in a membrane 380 disposed in a well 280 are exposed to the second liquid.

[0054] A third example of a further method step that may be performed in combination with one or more of the method steps described elsewhere herein is performing one or more actions to promote mixing of liquids located in fluid reservoirs. Performing the above action may be advantageous in situations where it is beneficial to mix a component of a liquid (e.g., a first liquid introduced into the fluid reservoir) with a reagent exposed to the liquid (e.g., a reagent located on a membrane disposed on at least a portion of a carrier body of a reagent carrier located in the fluid reservoir, a reagent located on a pellet contained in a well of a reagent carrier located in the fluid reservoir), and / or when it is beneficial to mix two reagents both exposed to the same liquid (e.g., a first reagent and a second reagent, each of which is located on a membrane disposed on a well of a reagent carrier or on a pellet contained in a well of a reagent carrier; a first reagent exposed to the first liquid and a second reagent not exposed to the first liquid).

[0055] Mixing can be promoted in a variety of suitable ways, one example of which is the introduction of gas bubbles. For example, gas bubbles having a lower density than the liquid can be introduced to the bottom of the fluid reservoir and then transported upward by gravity. In other words, gas can be pumped (or pumped, or bubbled, or provided; bubbled) through (e.g., upward) a fluid reservoir containing a liquid (e.g., a first liquid, a second liquid).

[0056] Figure 13F shows a schematic diagram of one non-limiting example of a method for promoting mixing in a fluid reservoir containing a liquid, in which a plurality of gas bubbles (shown schematically with reference to gas bubbles 1932) are introduced into the liquid 1782 from the bottom of the fluid reservoir 932 and are transported upward under the influence of buoyancy.

[0057] It should also be noted that in some embodiments, the presence of air bubbles in a fluid reservoir containing liquid can increase the height of the liquid in the fluid chamber. When air bubbles enter the fluid reservoir, they can push upward some of the liquid already present in the fluid reservoir. This can, in some embodiments, result in a reagent positioned above the initial height of the liquid in the fluid reservoir (i.e., the height of the liquid before the introduction of the air bubbles into the fluid reservoir) being exposed to the liquid. By way of example, in some embodiments, a liquid can be present in a fluid chamber having a height lower than the height of the bottom of a well in which the reagent is present (e.g., a liquid film disposed in the well, a pellet contained in the well), and the introduction of air bubbles into the liquid can raise the height of the liquid so that the liquid is above the bottom of the well. At least some (or all) of that reagent can then be exposed to the liquid (and, in some cases, dissolved and / or suspended in the liquid).

[0058] FIG. 13G shows a schematic diagram of one non-limiting embodiment of a method including all of the above steps. In FIG. 13G, a first liquid is introduced into the fluid reservoir in an amount such that the bottom of the well, any reagents positioned within the membrane disposed in the well, and / or pellets contained within the well are exposed to the first liquid. Then, in FIG. 13G, the first liquid is completely removed from the fluid reservoir. The next step, shown in FIG. 13G, is to introduce a second liquid into the fluid reservoir in an amount such that both the bottom and upper wells, and any reagents positioned within the membrane disposed in the well and / or pellets contained within the well are exposed to the second liquid (different from the first liquid). Finally, FIG. 13G shows the introduction of multiple air bubbles into the fluid reservoir to promote mixing between the second liquid and any reagents dissolved and / or suspended in the second liquid.

[0059] To supplement the overview of some possible designs of the components of the fluid systems described herein, the fluid systems described herein, and methods that may be implemented with the fluid systems described herein provided above, further details regarding such components, systems, and methods are provided below.

[0060] As described elsewhere herein, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes a membrane containing a reagent disposed on at least a portion of its carrier body. When present, this membrane includes the reagent and may further include other additional components. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous for the membrane as a whole to have one or more physical properties that match those of a liquid (i.e., be a "liquid membrane"). As an example, in some embodiments, the liquid membrane exhibits resistance to the application of a force that matches the way a liquid resists force (i.e., a liquid flows under the application of a net magnitude of force). As another example, in some embodiments, the liquid membrane includes one or more liquid components and one or more solid components, and the mechanical properties of the liquid membrane are dominated by the mechanical properties of the liquid component (e.g., the response of the liquid membrane to an applied mechanical force differs minimally from the response of an equivalent membrane without the solid component, or the characteristics of the liquid membrane's response to an applied mechanical force differ minimally from the response of an equivalent membrane without the solid component, even if the magnitude of the response differs significantly).

[0061] As described elsewhere herein, and without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that storing reagents in a liquid film may have one or more advantages compared to storing such reagents in a solid film. For example, when exposed to another liquid (e.g., a liquid introduced into a fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is located), the liquid film may be more easily released (e.g., dissolved and / or suspended) and / or released in a more uniform manner. For example, the liquid film may release in a manner that lacks clumps and / or aggregates of its components from the liquid to which it is exposed. Another example of an advantage associated with some liquid films is the ability to position the liquid film at a desired location on and / or within the reagent carrier (e.g., on at least a portion of the carrier body of the reagent carrier, in a well in the reagent carrier). A third example of an advantage associated with some liquid films is the ability to retain, in a defined location, a reagent that is in powder form and tends to disperse randomly within a fluid reservoir in which the reagent is located upon application of forces typically experienced during transportation and / or storage of a fluidic device.

[0062] In some embodiments, the liquid film disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body of the reagent carrier has a relatively high viscosity and / or a relatively high surface tension. The relatively high viscosity and / or the relatively high surface tension can help maintain the liquid film in its initial form when the reagent carrier is placed in the fluid reservoir. For example, the viscous force and the surface tension together exert a net force on the liquid film that balances the force exerted by gravity on the liquid film, preventing the liquid film from flowing (and / or preventing the liquid film from flowing significantly) under the influence of gravity. In some embodiments, the liquid film can have a combination of viscosity and surface tension that together prevent the liquid film from flowing (and / or preventing the liquid film from flowing significantly) under the influence of gravity when disposed perpendicular to the direction of gravity (e.g., when its thinnest dimension is perpendicular to the direction of gravity) for a significant period of time. By way of example, this period can be at least one month, at least two months, at least three months, at least six months, at least nine months, at least one year, at least one and a half years, or at least two years.

[0063] In embodiments in which a liquid film is initially disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body of the reagent carrier (e.g., a well of the carrier body) in a direction substantially parallel to the outer surface of the carrier body, it may be advantageous for the liquid film to not flow under the influence of gravity (and / or to flow significantly less under the influence of gravity). Subsequently, if the carrier body is disposed within the fluid reservoir such that the surface of the carrier body is relatively upright (e.g., if the fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier such that the surface of the carrier body is relatively upright, such as when the surface of the carrier body includes the longitudinal axis of the long portion of the reagent carrier and the longitudinal axis of the long portion of the reagent carrier forms a relatively small angle with the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir), the orientation of the liquid film may also be constrained to be relatively upright. For liquid films having relatively low viscosity and / or relatively low surface tension, such a change in position may undesirably cause the liquid film to flow down the reagent carrier, out of the well and / or away from the reagent carrier in which it was originally disposed. This flow can cause reagents located in different portions of the reagent carrier to mix (e.g., reagents not configured to mix, reagents configured to mix at a predetermined time upon exposure to a common liquid) and / or can disadvantageously release liquid introduced into the fluid reservoir prematurely (e.g., liquid introduced into the fluid reservoir in a volume smaller than the volume to which the reagent would be exposed if the liquid film did not flow significantly). In contrast, a film with significant viscosity and / or surface tension may be retained in or near its original position when repositioned in this manner.

[0064] If present, the liquid film may include one or more liquids. The liquid may be biocompatible, chemically compatible with the other components of the liquid film, and / or have relatively low volatility under the conditions to which the liquid film is exposed during manufacture and storage. In some embodiments, the liquid of the liquid film shares one or more chemical properties with the liquid into which any reagents retained within the liquid film are configured to be released (e.g., aqueous liquid, organic liquid, sample to be analyzed by the fluidic device). For example, the liquid in the film and the liquid into which the reagents in the film are configured to be released may all be aqueous, polar, or non-polar. The liquid in the film may also be at least partially soluble and / or suspendable in the liquid into which any reagents retained within the film are configured to be released (e.g., aqueous liquid, organic liquid, sample to be analyzed by the fluidic device). By way of example, the liquid present in the liquid films described herein is fully miscible in water, and the liquid present in the liquid films described herein is fully immiscible in water. Non-limiting examples of suitable liquids include polyols (e.g., glycerol, trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, poly(vinyl alcohol)), sugar alcohols, dimethyl sulfoxide, poly(dimethylsiloxane), poly(propylene glycol), and poly(ethylene glycol). Non-limiting examples of suitable sugar alcohols include maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, inositol, and isomalt.

[0065] As described elsewhere herein, the liquid film may include one or more reagents. As used herein, the term "reagent" refers to a species configured to be dissolved and / or suspended in a liquid to which the reagent is exposed. In some embodiments, the dissolution and / or suspension of a reagent in a liquid may alter one or more physical or chemical properties of the liquid (e.g., the liquid's viscosity, density, pH, osmolality, conductance, electrolyte strength, reactivity with species to which the liquid is exposed, tendency to foam, etc.).

[0066] In some embodiments, the reagent present in the liquid film is in solid form. In other words, the reagent may be in the form of a material that behaves chemically like a bulk solid and not like a solute and / or particle suspended in a liquid. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that storing some reagents in solid form may be beneficial. For example, a reagent that is unstable at room temperature when dissolved and / or suspended in a bulk liquid (e.g., a reagent that is unstable when dissolved and / or suspended in one or more liquids at room temperature, such as a reagent that is unstable when dissolved and / or suspended in an aqueous liquid at room temperature) may be advantageously stored in this form. Storing a reagent in solid form may also be beneficial if it is desired that the reagent be present at a concentration that is just below its solubility limit in the liquid introduced into the liquid reservoir. In such cases, it is necessary that the fluid introduced into the fluid reservoir not highly dilute the reagent concentration, which would undesirably require the reagent to be stored in a significant amount of liquid that dissolves and / or suspends the reagent. A third example of a situation in which storing a reagent in solid form may be beneficial is when the reagent (e.g., a particulate reagent such as beads) tends to suspend relatively unstably in the liquid in which it is stored. If such a reagent is stored in a liquid located in a fluid reservoir, it may deposit in one or more undesirable locations within the fluid reservoir if the liquid in which it is stored is splashed around (e.g., during transport and / or storage in a fluidic system). Deposition of the reagent in unpredictable locations may make it difficult to reproducibly expose a predetermined amount of reagent to a predetermined amount of liquid introduced into the fluid reservoir in which it is stored.

[0067] A solid reagent present in a liquid film may be positioned relative to other components in the liquid film in a variety of suitable ways. In some embodiments, the solid reagent may be embedded (e.g., partially, completely) in the liquid film.

[0068] It should be noted that the liquid film may include a liquid reagent (e.g., in addition to or instead of a solid reagent) and / or the reagent carrier may carry the reagent in a manner other than a liquid film (e.g., in the form of a solid pellet, such as a solid lyophilized pellet). Similar to the liquids described above, the reagent is also typically soluble and / or suspendable in the liquid into which it is configured to be released (e.g., an aqueous liquid, an organic liquid, a sample to be analyzed by the fluidic device). Furthermore, the reagent stored on and / or within the reagent carrier may have a variety of suitable forms and physical properties. For example, the reagent may include and / or be bound to particles and / or beads, such as microparticles, nanoparticles, microbeads, and / or nanobeads. Other examples of suitable forms that the solid reagent may have include powders, flakes, aggregates, and pellets. Such solid reagents and / or solids to which they are bound may be inert (e.g., to the conditions present during reagent storage, to the conditions present during reagent dissolution and / or suspension) or may be configured to undergo one or more chemical reactions (e.g., during the conditions present during reagent storage, during the conditions present during reagent dissolution and / or suspension). Solid reagents and / or solids to which any type of reagent is bound may be insoluble in one or more (e.g., all) other components of the liquid film in which they are positioned and / or insoluble in one or more (e.g., all) liquids to which they are exposed. In some embodiments, the solid reagents and / or solids to which they are bound may maintain substantially the same morphology for a significant period of time (e.g., when positioned in a liquid film, when released into a liquid, and / or when retained in a fluid reservoir after removal of the liquid from the fluid reservoir).

[0069] The solid reagents and the solids to which they are bound can have a variety of suitable shapes. Some solid reagents and / or solids to which they are bound (e.g., particles, beads, powders, flakes, aggregates, pellets) can be relatively spherical, relatively oval, and / or have structures that include one or more edges and / or corners. Such solid reagents and / or solids to which they are bound can have average diameters of 0.1 microns or more, 0.2 microns or more, 0.5 microns or more, 0.75 microns or more, 1 micron or more, 2 microns or more, 5 microns or more, 7.5 microns or more, 10 microns or more, 20 microns or more, 50 microns or more, 75 microns or more, 100 microns or more, 200 microns or more, 500 microns or more, or 750 microns or more. Such solid reagents and / or the solid to which they are attached can have an average diameter of 1 mm or less, 750 microns or less, 500 microns or less, 200 microns or less, 100 microns or less, 75 microns or less, 50 microns or less, 20 microns or less, 10 microns or less, 7.5 microns or less, or 5 microns or less, 2 microns or less, 1 micron or less, 0.75 microns or less, 0.5 microns or less, or 0.2 microns or less. Combinations of the above-referenced ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.1 microns to 5 microns, 0.5 microns to 10 microns, 5 microns to 50 microns, 10 microns to 100 microns, 20 microns to 500 microns, or 50 microns to 1 mm). Other ranges are also possible.

[0070] Reagents stored on and / or within the reagent carrier may also be magnetic and / or bound to a magnetic material (e.g., the reagents may include and / or be bound to magnetic particles and / or nanomagnetic particles). The use of magnetic reagents and / or reagents bound to a magnetic material may be particularly beneficial when such reagents are configured to be initially released into the first fluid and then retained in the fluid chamber by the magnetic field upon removal of the first fluid from the fluid chamber.

[0071] The solid reagent and / or the solid to which the reagent is bound can have a variety of suitable compositions. For example, the solid reagent and / or the solid to which the reagent is bound can include glass (e.g., silica), ceramic (e.g., zirconia, tungsten carbide), metal and / or metal alloy (e.g., zirconium, steel and / or stainless steel), and / or polymer (e.g., latex).

[0072] The reagents present in the reagent carriers described herein can be of a variety of suitable types. Non-limiting examples of such types include anion exchangers (e.g., strong or weak anion exchangers bound to particles, such as magnetic particles), non-limiting examples of which are described in WO2016 / 044621 and WO2017 / 160820. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the anion exchanger can include at least a single tertiary and / or quaternary amine. Additional non-limiting examples of reagents present in the reagent carriers include defoamers (or antifoaming agents). agents) (e.g., Antifoam 204, Antifoam A, Antifoam B, Antifoam C, Antifoam Y-30, Antifoam SE-15, Antifoam BYK1723, Antifoam BYK607, Antifoam BYK2013, Antifoam BYK300, Antifoam BYK081, Antifoam BYK1707, Antifoam BYK3750, Antifoam BYK3762, Antifoam BYK1630, Antifoam Fulcat-22F, Antifoam RHEBYK7405, Antifoam DISPERBYK2030, Antifoam RHEOBYK7610, Antifoam BYKETOL-WA), buffers (e.g., tris(3-hydroxypropyl)phosphine, 2-ethanesulfonic acid), salts (e.g., sodium fluoride, chloride sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride), reducing agents (e.g., 1,4-dithiothreitol, 2-mercaptoethanol, tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride), surfactants (e.g., ionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and / or zwitterionic surfactants; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, cetrimonium bromide), metal chelating agents (e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ethyleneglycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid), and enzymes (e.g., proteases, nucleases, lytic enzymes, polymerases, catabolic enzymes, anabolic enzymes). Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that defoamers may be particularly suitable for relatively highly foaming liquids.It is believed that such foaming can cause the liquid in the fluid reservoir to spread to undesirably high and / or undesirably unpredictable heights (e.g., to a height that exposes unwanted reagents to the liquid, to a height that causes the liquid to spill out of the top of the fluid reservoir), and that a defoamer can reduce and / or prevent such behavior.

[0073] In some embodiments, two or more reagents are stored together (e.g., in a common membrane, such as a common liquid membrane, in a common pellet). By way of example, in some embodiments, a defoamer and a buffer may be stored together (e.g., Tween and antifoam agent 204 may be stored together), a surfactant and a buffer may be stored together (e.g., Tween and Tris-HCl may be stored together), and / or two different types of surfactants may be stored together (e.g., Tween and Triton may be stored together). Storing a defoamer and a surfactant (or detergent) together is particularly beneficial because it is believed that introducing a surfactant into a liquid can increase the tendency of the liquid to foam. Two types of surfactants may be particularly useful when the reagent carrier is configured to introduce a combination of reagents into a fluid reservoir to lyse cells present in the liquid in the fluid reservoir. Different types of cells are believed to be susceptible to lysis by different types of surfactants (e.g., prokaryotic cells are susceptible to lysis by a different set of surfactants than eukaryotic cells), and exposing such cells to a combination of different types of surfactants may be particularly beneficial.

[0074] Some combinations of reagents may be particularly useful in combination, but may be particularly difficult to store together. One example of such a combination is a cationic surfactant and a zwitterionic surfactant. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that cationic surfactants and zwitterionic surfactants may co-precipitate from solution when dissolved in a common solution. This may make it difficult to form a liquid film containing both the cationic surfactant and the zwitterionic surfactant and / or may result in undesirable co-precipitation of these surfactants when released into a common liquid. Therefore, in embodiments in which it is desirable to release both the cationic surfactant and the zwitterionic surfactant into liquids present in a single fluid reservoir (e.g., into different liquids located in the fluid reservoir at different times), it may be desirable to store the cationic surfactant and the zwitterionic surfactant separately.

[0075] In some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes a species that is not a reagent (e.g., not a liquid). Such species may be disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body of the reagent carrier (e.g., in a well in the carrier body) and / or may be positioned within a membrane that further contains a liquid and / or one or more reagents. Such species may aid in the dissolution and / or suspension of a reagent also disposed on the reagent carrier in a liquid to which the species and reagents are exposed. In some embodiments, a species other than a reagent disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body of the reagent carrier enhances the short-term and / or long-term storage stability of a reagent also disposed on the carrier body of the reagent carrier. A third example of a benefit that a species other than a reagent disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body may provide is assistance in the manufacture of the reagent carrier and / or the deposition of additional species (e.g., one or more liquids, one or more reagents) on the reagent carrier. Species that fall into this latter category may be particularly beneficial when simplified manufacturing processes are implemented, such as processes characterized by and / or requiring reduced deposition tolerances, shorter deposition times, high uniformity, high reliability, improved upstream manufacturability, and / or high long-term stability.

[0076] In some embodiments, the material, such as a membrane (e.g., liquid membrane) and / or pellet, onto which the reagents are disposed is substantially free of substances. For example, in some embodiments, such material is substantially free of water.

[0077] When a membrane, such as a liquid membrane, includes both a solid reagent and a liquid, the relative amounts of the solid reagent and the liquid can generally be selected as needed. In some embodiments, the ratio of the weight of the solid reagent in the membrane to the weight of the liquid in the membrane is 0.001 or more, 0.002 or more, 0.005 or more, 0.005 or more, 0.0075 or more, 0.01 or more, 0.02 or more, 0.05 or more, 0.075 or more, 0.1 or more, 0.2 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.75 or more, 1 or more, 2 or more, 5 or more, 7.5 or more, 10 or more, 20 or more, 50 or more, or 75 or more. In some embodiments, the ratio of the weight of solid reagent in the membrane to the weight of liquid in the membrane is 100 or less, 75 or less, 50 or less, 20 or less, 10 or less, 7.5 or less, 5 or less, 2 or less, 1 or less, 0.75 or less, 0.5 or less, 0.25 or less, 0.1 or less, 0.075 or less, 0.05 or less, 0.025 or less, 0.01 or less, 0.0075 or less, 0.005 or less, or 0.002 or less. Combinations of the above-referenced ranges (e.g., 0.001 or more to 100 or less) are also possible. Other ranges are also possible. When a fluid system includes two or more membranes (e.g., two or more membranes positioned on a common reagent carrier, two or more membranes positioned on different reagent carriers), each membrane can independently include solid reagent to liquid in one or more weight ratios in the above ranges.

[0078] As described elsewhere herein, some embodiments relate to reagent carriers having structures that are useful for containing reagents and / or that interact with fluid reservoirs in which reagents are positioned in a useful manner. Further details regarding structural features that the reagent carriers described herein may have are provided below.

[0079] In some embodiments, the use of a reagent carrier to support and / or contain one or more reagents can be particularly advantageous. Two examples of such advantages relate to the ability to remove undesirable volatile components (e.g., liquids) from a reagent prior to assembly of a fluidic device. For example, the use of a reagent carrier can allow such components to be removed from a reagent prior to assembly of a fluidic device by drying the reagent carrier separately from the fluidic device, and / or can allow such components to be removed separately from different reagents by placing different reagents in different reagent carriers that are dried separately. Some advantages associated with reagent carriers relate to reproducibility. For example, because reagent carriers are small, such reagent carriers can be dried in large batches (thereby increasing uniformity and / or facilitating rapid production of reagent-containing reagent carriers), and / or the reagent carriers can be easily stored. A third type of advantage can arise from the constraint of a reagent carrier by a fluid reservoir, as described elsewhere herein. Such restraint may allow the reagent carrier to remain in a relatively constant position within the fluid reservoir during storage and / or handling, thereby protecting the reagents and / or promoting assay reproducibility and / or reliability.

[0080] As described above, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes a carrier body. The carrier body may include a longitudinal portion and one or more protruding portions protruding from the longitudinal portion. For example, the reagent carrier may include two or more protruding portions, three or more protruding portions, four or more protruding portions, and / or even a larger number of protruding portions. Such protruding portions may have a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, in some embodiments, such protruding portions may be straight (e.g., the protruding portions are free of curves, bends, and / or kinks). As another example, in some embodiments, the carrier body includes one or more protruding portions (e.g., straight protruding portions) that form a 90° angle with the longitudinal portion (e.g., the protruding portion may intersect the longitudinal portion such that the plane of intersection forms a 90° angle, and the longest major axis of the protruding portion may form a 90° angle with the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal portion). By way of further example, in some embodiments (e.g., in addition to forming a 90° angle with the longitudinal axis of the elongate portion and / or being straight), the carrier body includes two protruding portions that form a 180° angle with each other, three protruding portions that form a 120° angle with each other, and / or four protruding portions that form a 90° angle with their nearest neighbors. In general, when a reagent carrier includes two or more protruding portions, it should be understood that each protruding portion can independently have some or all of the characteristics described herein (e.g., some or all of the characteristics in this paragraph).

[0081] Due to protruding portions protruding from the elongate portion of the carrier body, the carrier body may have a width that varies along its length (i.e., a range in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which its length is evaluated, as described below). Accordingly, in some embodiments, it may be beneficial to characterize the width of the carrier body by its maximum width. As used herein, the "maximum width" of a carrier body is the length of the longest line segment drawn on the carrier body, having both endpoints, and that is either perpendicular to the elongate axis of the elongate portion or oblique to the elongate axis, but that is perpendicular to the elongate axis when projected onto a plane in which both the longest line segment and the elongate axis of the elongate portion are perpendicular to the shortest line segment connecting them. As used herein, the "portion of the carrier body having the greatest width" is a cross-section of the carrier body that is perpendicular to the elongate axis of the elongate portion and includes the endpoints of the line segment described above. Referring to FIG. 14, reagent carrier 834 has a maximum width of 2034 and a portion 2134 having the greatest width.

[0082] In some embodiments, the portion of the carrier body having the greatest width is the top of the carrier body. (upper part) is positioned proximate to the reagent carrier. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that this feature is desirable when the reagent carrier is configured to be restrained by the fluid reservoir in which it is positioned. It is believed that when the reagent carrier is placed in the fluid reservoir such that the reagent carrier is tilted, the deviation of the position of a portion of the reagent carrier from its position when not tilted increases from the bottom to the top of the reagent carrier. Therefore, at a given tilt angle, it is believed that the position of the top of the reagent carrier will be more different than the position that the reagent carrier would be when not tilted, compared to the bottom of the reagent carrier. For this reason, it is believed that the restraint exerted by the positions that the top of the reagent carrier can assume may have a greater effect on the angle at which the reagent carrier can tilt than a similar restraint exerted by the positions that the lower portion of the reagent carrier can assume. Therefore, it is believed that the portion of the reagent carrier having the greatest width is positioned at the top of the carrier body. (upper part) The reagent carrier proximal to the carrier body is such that the part of the reagent carrier having the greatest width is at the bottom of the carrier body. (lower part)Reagent carriers that are relatively more constrained and / or more easily constrained by the fluid reservoir in which they are positioned than reagent carriers that are more proximal to the fluid reservoir. Accordingly, such reagent carriers are believed to be desirably more easily constrained and / or more highly constrained by the fluid reservoirs described herein.

[0083] When an elongated portion is present, the elongated portion can have a variety of suitable lengths. As used herein, the "length" of the elongated portion is the length of a line segment formed by projecting the elongated portion perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the elongated portion has a length of 1 cm or more, 1.5 cm or more, 2 cm or more, 2.5 cm or more, 3 cm or more, 4 cm or more, 5 cm or more, 6 cm or more, 88 cm or more, 10 cm or more, 12.5 cm or more, 15 cm or more, or 17.5 cm or more. In some embodiments, the elongated portion has a length of 20 cm or less, 17.5 cm or less, 15 cm or less, 12.5 cm or less, 10 cm or less, 8 cm or less, 6 cm or less, 5 cm or less, 4 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2.5 cm or less, 2 cm or less, or 1.5 cm or less. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., 1 cm or more and 20 cm or less) are also possible. Other ranges are also possible. When a fluid system includes more than one reagent carrier, each reagent carrier may independently include an elongate portion having a length in one or more of the ranges stated above.

[0084] The carrier body of the reagent carriers described herein can have a variety of suitable maximum widths. In some embodiments, the maximum width of the carrier body is 0.5 cm or more, 0.6 cm or more, 0.8 cm or more, 1 cm or more, 2 cm or more, 3 cm or more, 4 cm or more, 5 cm or more, 6 cm or more, or 8 cm or more. In some embodiments, the maximum width of the carrier body is 10 cm or less, 8 cm or less, 6 cm or less, 5 cm or less, 4 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1 cm or less, 0.8 cm or less, or 0.6 cm or less. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., 0.5 cm or more and 10 cm or less) are also possible. Other ranges are also possible. When a fluid system includes more than one reagent carrier, each reagent carrier can independently have one or more maximum widths in the above ranges.

[0085] The carrier body of the reagent carrier described herein may have a variety of suitable aspect ratios. As used herein, the "aspect ratio" of a reagent carrier is the ratio of the length of the reagent carrier to the maximum width of the reagent carrier. Also, as used herein, the "length" of a reagent carrier is the length of the longest line segment formed by projecting the reagent carrier perpendicularly onto one of its major axes. The carrier body may have an aspect ratio of 2 or more, 2.5 or more, 3 or more, 3.5 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 6 or more, 8 or more, 10 or more, 12.5 or more, 15 or more, or 17.5 or more. The carrier body may have an aspect ratio of 20 or less, 17.5 or less, 15 or less, 12.5 or less, 10 or less, 8 or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, 4 or less, 3.5 or less, 3 or less, or 2.5 or less. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., 2 or more and 20 or less) are also possible. Other ranges are also possible. When the fluid system includes more than one reagent carrier, each reagent carrier may independently have an aspect ratio in one or more of the ranges stated above.

[0086] In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to characterize one or more dimensions of a reagent carrier relative to the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned and / or configured to be positioned. By way of example, in some embodiments, it may be beneficial to characterize the length of an elongated portion relative to the height of a fluid reservoir in which the elongated portion is positioned and / or configured to be positioned. As used herein, the "height" of a fluid reservoir is the length of a line formed by projecting the fluid reservoir onto its vertical axis. In some embodiments, the length of the elongated portion is 50% or more, 55% or more, 60% or more, 65% or more, 70% or more, 75% or more, 80% or more, 85% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more of the height of the fluid reservoir in which the elongated portion is positioned and / or configured to be positioned. In some embodiments, the length of the elongated portion is 100% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, 75% or less, 70% or less, 65% or less, 60% or less, or 55% or less of the height of the fluid reservoir in which the elongated portion is located and / or configured to be located. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., 50% or more and 100% or less) are also possible. Other ranges are also possible. When a fluid system includes more than one reagent carrier, each reagent carrier may independently include an elongated portion having a length in one or more of the above ranges.

[0087] As another example of a characteristic of a reagent carrier that may be desirable to characterize in relation to the characteristics of the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier has a volume that is relatively small compared to the volume of the fluid reservoir. Advantageously, in such embodiments, a majority of the volume of the fluid reservoir is not occupied by the reagent carrier and may be suitable for carrying out reactions in the fluid reservoir. By way of example, in some embodiments, the volume of the reagent carrier is 60% or less, 55% or less, 50% or less, 45% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, 30% or less, 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 5% or less, 2.5% or less, or 1% or less of the volume of the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned. In some embodiments, the volume of a reagent carrier is greater than 0%, 1% or more, 2.5% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, 25% or more, 30% or more, 35% or more, 40% or more, 45% or more, 50% or more, or 55% or more of the volume of the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., greater than 0% to 60% or less) are also possible. Other ranges are also possible. When a fluid system includes more than one reagent carrier, each reagent carrier can independently have a volume in one or more of the above ranges.

[0088] As described elsewhere herein, some embodiments relate to reagent carriers that include one or more wells. Further details regarding such wells are provided below.

[0089] In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to position one or more reagents within a well (e.g., within a liquid film disposed and / or deposited within the well). For example, it may be relatively easy to position reagents within a well in such a way that the reagents are positioned exclusively within the well. In a reagent carrier including multiple wells, different reagents are positioned in close proximity to one another, but the different reagents may not be exposed to one another if they are disposed in separate wells. This may be desirable when the different reagents are incompatible with one another, are configured to react with one another in the presence of a liquid introduced into a fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned (rather than before the introduction of such a liquid), and / or are configured to be exposed to one another only after activation of one of the different reagents (e.g., by a liquid introduced into a fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned and exposing the activated reagent but not the other reagents). It may also be desirable to separately store different reagents that dissolve and / or suspend at different rates in a liquid configured to dissolve and / or suspend the different reagents together within the fluid reservoir. In such embodiments, for example, a reagent that dissolves and / or suspends more slowly may be positioned in a well that is exposed to the liquid first, and then, after at least partial suspension of that reagent, additional liquid may be introduced into the fluid reservoir to dissolve and / or suspend other reagents. Another example of an advantage associated with the use of wells to support and / or contain reagents is the ability to control the order in which reagents positioned in and / or contained by a reagent carrier are exposed to a liquid by selecting the location of the wells and the contents of the wells.

[0090] The wells present in the reagent carriers described herein may have a variety of suitable shapes. In some embodiments, the wells may include straight walls positioned perpendicular to the base. The shape enclosed by the walls may be, for example, circular, oval, rectangular, polygonal, and / or may include curved and straight portions. When a reagent carrier includes two or more wells, each well may independently have one or more of the above shapes. A reagent carrier including two or more wells may each include wells having different shapes, may include at least one well having the same shape as at least one other well, may include at least one well having a different shape from at least one other well, and / or may include wells all having the same shape.

[0091] As described elsewhere herein, the two or more wells present in the reagent carrier may include two wells positioned at different locations along the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion (i.e., when projected perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, the two wells do not overlap; if the reagent carrier is oriented so that the lower well is closer to the ground than the upper well, the lower sides of such two wells may be said to be positioned "below" or "below" the upper well), and / or two wells positioned at the same location along the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion (i.e., when projected perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, at least a portion of the two wells overlap; such two wells may be said to be positioned "side by side"). The former arrangement may be desirable for wells in which reagents are positioned that are beneficial to be introduced at different times (e.g., sequentially) into a fluid positioned in a fluid system. The latter arrangement may be desirable for wells in which reagents are positioned that are beneficial to be introduced at similar times (or the same time) into a fluid positioned in a fluid system. In some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes a well positioned beside two wells positioned at different points along its longitudinal axis.

[0092] Figures 8D-8H show reagent carriers containing combinations of the above-described types of wells. With specific reference to Figure 8D, wells 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all positioned at different locations along the longitudinal axis. Similarly, with reference to Figure 8D, wells 1, 2, and 5 are positioned at different locations along the longitudinal axis. In Figure 8D, wells 3 and 4 are positioned next to well 5.

[0093] The wells present in the reagent carriers described herein can have a variety of suitable volumes. In some embodiments, the reagent carriers include wells having volumes of 1 microliter or more, 2 microliters or more, 5 microliters or more, 7.5 microliters or more, 10 microliters or more, 20 microliters or more, 50 microliters or more, 75 microliters or more, 100 microliters or more, 200 microliters or more, 500 microliters or more, 750 microliters or more, 1000 microliters or more, or 1250 microliters or more. In some embodiments, the reagent carriers include wells having volumes of 1500 microliters or less, 1250 microliters or less, 1000 microliters or less, 750 microliters or less, 500 microliters or less, 200 microliters or less, 100 microliters or less, 75 microliters or less, 50 microliters or less, 20 microliters or less, 10 microliters or less, 7.5 microliters or less, 5 microliters or less, or 2 microliters or less. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., 1 microliter or more to 1500 microliters or less) are also possible. Other ranges are possible. When a reagent carrier contains more than one well, each well may independently have a volume in one or more of the above ranges.

[0094] A reagent carrier containing two or more wells may contain wells each having a different volume, may contain at least one well having the same volume as at least one other well and a different volume from at least one other well, and / or may contain wells all having the same volume.

[0095] When a reagent carrier includes two or more wells, the two or more wells can be spaced apart from one another by various suitable distances, hi some embodiments, the reagent carrier includes two wells spaced apart from one another by a distance of 0.1 cm or more, 0.15 cm or more, 0.2 cm or more, 0.25 cm or more, 0.3 cm or more, 0.4 cm or more, 0.5 cm or more, 0.6 cm or more, 0.8 cm or more, 1 cm or more, 1.25 cm or more, 1.5 cm or more, 1.75 cm or more, 2 cm or more, 2.5 cm or more, 3 cm or more, 3.5 cm or more, 4 cm or more, 4.5 cm or more, or 5 cm or more. In some embodiments, the reagent carrier comprises two wells spaced apart by a distance of 5 cm or less, 4.5 cm or less, 4 cm or less, 3.5 cm or less, 3 cm or less, 2.5 cm or less, 2 cm or less, 1.75 cm or less, 1.5 cm or less, 1.25 cm or less, 1 cm or less, 0.8 cm or less, 0.6 cm or less, 0.5 cm or less, 0.4 cm or less, 0.3 cm or less, 0.25 cm or less, 0.2 cm or less, or 0.15 cm or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.1 cm or more to 5 cm or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0096] The ranges in the previous paragraph may characterize several different possible distances between wells. For example, in some embodiments, the centroids of two wells may be separated by one or more of the distances in the ranges in the previous paragraph. As another example, in some embodiments, the portions of two wells that are closest to each other (i.e., that can be connected by a line segment with the shortest length) may fall within one or more of the above ranges. As a third example, in some embodiments, the above ranges characterize the separation between two wells in a particular direction. For example, a reagent carrier may include two wells whose centroids are separated by one or more distances in the above ranges along the vertical, horizontal, and / or longitudinal axis of the reagent carrier. As yet another example, a reagent carrier may include two wells whose portions of the two wells that are closest to each other along the vertical, horizontal, and / or longitudinal axis fall within one or more of the above ranges. It should also be understood that when a reagent carrier includes three or more wells, for any pair of wells, each of the above distance types may independently fall within one or more of the ranges in the previous paragraph.

[0097] In the case of liquids that are likely and / or have the potential to foam, in some embodiments, it may be desirable for wells that are desired not to be exposed to such liquids to be separated vertically by a relatively large distance (e.g., one or more of the larger ranges noted above). In such cases, the liquid that is likely to foam may be introduced into a fluid reservoir containing a reagent carrier that includes such wells in an amount sufficient to expose the reagent in the lower wells to the liquid, but insufficient to expose the reagent in the upper wells to the liquid (e.g., even if the liquid were to foam significantly).

[0098] As described elsewhere herein, some embodiments relate to systems including a fluid reservoir and a reagent carrier positioned within and / or configured to be positioned within the fluid reservoir, and / or methods implemented (at least in part) within the fluid reservoir. Details regarding some features of suitable fluid reservoirs are provided below.

[0099] In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir is configured to allow one or more fluids to be introduced into and / or removed from the fluid reservoir. For example, as described elsewhere herein, in some embodiments, a fluid (e.g., a liquid, a gas bubbled through a liquid present in a fluid channel) may be introduced into the fluid reservoir from its bottom. In such embodiments, the fluid reservoir may include an inlet located at (or near) its bottom. Fluid may flow into the fluid reservoir through this inlet. It is possible that fluid may exit the fluid reservoir through this inlet (e.g., an inlet that can function as both an inlet and an outlet), and / or the fluid reservoir may include an outlet located at its bottom (e.g., in addition to or instead of an inlet). In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir includes an inlet and / or an outlet located at its top. This can be useful for introducing fluid into and / or removing fluid from the fluid reservoir from the top of the fluid reservoir. For example, a fluid (e.g., gas) can be introduced into the fluid reservoir from the top of the fluid reservoir to apply pressure and force the fluid (e.g., liquid) located in the fluid reservoir out of an outlet located at the bottom of the fluid reservoir. In some embodiments, the fluid can be pumped into the fluid reservoir from the top of the fluid reservoir under pressure (e.g., pressure above atmospheric pressure, pressure below atmospheric pressure). An inlet and / or outlet located at the top of the fluid reservoir can also be useful for removing fluid already present in the fluid reservoir when introducing fluid into the fluid reservoir from an inlet located at the bottom. For example, gas initially present in the fluid reservoir can be removed from an outlet located at the top of the fluid reservoir when introducing liquid into the fluid reservoir from an inlet located at the bottom of the fluid reservoir. It is also possible for the fluid reservoir to have an open top.

[0100] As described elsewhere herein, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir is configured to interact with the reagent carrier such that the fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in Figures 8A-8H, the reagent carrier includes one or more features, such as one or more protrusions, configured to interact with the fluid reservoir such that its position is constrained. It is also possible for the fluid reservoir to include one or more features configured to constrain the reagent carrier. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir has a cross-sectional diameter that varies across its vertical axis. As an example, the fluid reservoir may include an upper and lower portion, where the lower portion may have a cross-sectional diameter that is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the upper portion. In some such embodiments, the fluid reservoir includes a lower portion having a cross-sectional diameter that tapers from an upper maximum value to a lower minimum value.

[0101] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a fluid reservoir including a lower portion having a cross-sectional diameter that tapers from an upper maximum to a lower minimum. In Figure 15, the cross-sectional diameter of the lower portion 2236 of the fluid reservoir 936 tapers from an upper maximum 2336 to a lower minimum 2436. The tapered portion shown in Figure 15 is limited to the lower portion 2236 of the fluid reservoir rather than occurring across the entire vertical axis 736 of the fluid reservoir. Some fluid reservoirs may have a similar structure to Figure 15 in that the cross-sectional diameter of the fluid reservoir tapers from an upper maximum to a lower minimum across a portion of the fluid reservoir but also includes additional portions where the cross-sectional diameter is relatively constant (similar to portion 2536 in Figure 15). It should be understood that the fluid reservoir can have a structure in which the cross-sectional diameter tapers throughout its entirety (e.g., from the top to the bottom of the fluid reservoir), or the fluid reservoir can include a change in diameter from an upper value (e.g., a maximum value) to a lower value (e.g., a minimum value) that does not taper.

[0102] It should be understood that fluid reservoirs having other similarities and differences to the fluid reservoir schematically shown in Figure 15 are also contemplated. By way of example, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir has a cross-section that is conical (e.g., circular, elliptical) and / or in which the relative dimensions of the non-tapered upper portion and tapered lower portion are similar to those shown in Figure 15. As another example, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir has an aspect ratio and / or degree of taper that is different from that of the fluid reservoir schematically shown in Figure 15.

[0103] In some embodiments in which a fluid reservoir includes a lower portion having a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of its upper portion, a reagent carrier positioned in and / or configured to be positioned in the fluid reservoir includes an elongated portion having a cross-sectional diameter between the cross-sectional diameter of the lower portion of the fluid reservoir and the cross-sectional diameter of the upper portion of the fluid reservoir. Advantageously, this can help position the reagent carrier within the fluid reservoir at a consistent height and / or at a height that provides minimal blockage to fluid flowing into and / or out of the fluid reservoir from the bottom of the fluid reservoir. It is also possible for the reagent carrier to include an elongated portion having a diameter greater than the lower minimum of the tapered cross section of the lower portion of the fluid reservoir but smaller than the upper maximum of the tapered cross section. FIG. 16 shows one non-limiting embodiment of a cross-section of a fluid reservoir 938 in which a reagent carrier 838 is positioned. In FIG. 16, the reagent carrier 838 includes an elongate portion 538 having a cross-sectional dimension 2638 that is between the maximum cross-sectional dimension 2338 of the fluid reservoir 938 and the minimum cross-sectional dimension 2438 of the fluid reservoir 938 .

[0104] In some embodiments, a fluid reservoir including a lower portion having a cross-sectional diameter smaller than that of its upper portion (e.g., including the tapered cross-section described above) accommodates (and / or is configured to accommodate) a reagent carrier including one or more protruding portions spanning a width between the cross-sectional diameter of the lower portion of the fluid reservoir and the cross-sectional diameter of the upper portion of the fluid reservoir. For the same reasons as explained in the previous paragraph, such protruding portions can help position the reagent carrier at a consistent height within the fluid reservoir and / or at a height that provides minimal blockage to fluid flowing into and / or out of the fluid reservoir from its bottom. Such protruding portions can be provided in combination with a carrier body having a cross-sectional diameter smaller than the lower minimum of the tapered cross-section of the lower portion of the fluid reservoir. Such protruding portions can also be provided in combination with a carrier body having a cross-sectional diameter greater than the lower minimum of the tapered cross-section of the lower portion of the fluid reservoir but smaller than the upper maximum of the tapered cross-section. Figure 17 shows a schematic diagram of one non-limiting embodiment of a reagent carrier having the former characteristic. 17, the reagent carrier 840 includes an elongate portion 540 having a cross-sectional diameter 2640 that is smaller than the minimum cross-sectional dimension 2440 of the fluid reservoir 940. The reagent carrier further includes a pair of protruding portions 640 and 642 that together span the width between the maximum cross-sectional dimension 2340 of the fluid reservoir 940 and the minimum cross-sectional dimension 2440 of the fluid reservoir 940.

[0105] It should also be noted that some fluid reservoirs may have one or more features, in addition to those shown in FIG. 16 , that help position the reagent carrier at a desired height within the fluid reservoir and / or prevent blockage of flow into and / or out of the fluid reservoir. One example of a fluid reservoir feature that may have this characteristic is the presence of a top surface on the fluid reservoir that prevents the reagent carrier from extending above a certain point in the fluid reservoir. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir is covered by a thin foil, membrane, or other suitable cover to restrict upward movement of a reagent carrier positioned in the fluid reservoir. The cover may be substantially permeable to some or all fluids (e.g., air, one or more liquids introduced into the fluid reservoir) and / or substantially impermeable to some or all fluids (e.g., air, one or more liquids introduced into the fluid reservoir). In some embodiments, the cover is substantially permeable to gases but impermeable to liquids. Some covers may be permeable to gases applied at a particular pressure, but impermeable to liquids applied at the same pressure. Some suitable covers are hydrophobic, and some suitable covers are hydrophilic.

[0106] As another example, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier is formed from a material or combination of materials that has a density that exceeds the density of one or more (or all) of the liquids that are introduced into the reagent carrier during use of the fluidic device. In such embodiments, the reagent carrier may remain at the bottom (or the lowest portion that the reagent carrier can fit) of the fluid reservoir when the fluidic device is operated. For example, in some embodiments, the reagent carrier may be denser overall than water (e.g., 1 g / cm 3(The reagent carrier may have a density greater than 1000 .mu.m.) Suitable non-limiting examples of types of materials that may be used to form the reagent carrier include polymers (e.g., acetal, ABS, cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyethylene, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, perfluoroalkoxy, polylactide, polymethyl methacrylate / acrylic, polysulfone, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride), metals (e.g., aluminum), glass, ceramics, and carbides.

[0107] As described elsewhere herein, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoir constrains a reagent carrier positioned therein such that the longitudinal axis of the reagent carrier forms a relatively small angle with the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier such that the longitudinal axis forms an angle of 30° or less, 25° or less, 20° or less, 15° or less, 10° or less, 7.5° or less, 5° or less, 2° or less, or 1° or less with the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier such that the longitudinal axis forms an angle of 0° or more, 1° or more, 2° or more, 5° or more, 7.5° or more, 10° or more, 15° or more, 20° or more, or 25° or more with the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., 0° or more to 30° or less) are also possible. Other ranges are also possible. When a fluid system includes two or more fluid reservoirs each confining a reagent carrier, each fluid reservoir may independently confine the reagent carrier so as to form an angle in one or more of the above ranges with the vertical axis of the fluid reservoir in which the reagent carrier is positioned.

[0108] Some fluid reservoirs may be configured to be initially (e.g., hermetically) sealed from the atmosphere external to the fluidic device prior to use of the fluidic device in which they are located. By way of example, as described elsewhere herein, in some embodiments, the fluid reservoirs are hermetically sealed from the atmosphere external to the fluidic device by a thin foil, membrane, or other suitable cover positioned across the top of the fluid reservoir. In such cases, if it is desirable to allow fluid to escape from the top of the fluid reservoir during operation of the fluidic device, the thin foil or cover may be pierced or removed prior to use of the fluidic device. The fluid reservoirs may be in fluid communication with one or more channels of the fluidic system, which channels are themselves hermetically sealed from the atmosphere external to the fluidic system by valves that can be opened prior to use of the fluidic device (e.g., to allow one or more liquids to be introduced into the fluidic device).

[0109] The fluid reservoirs described herein can have a variety of suitable volumes. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir has a volume of 0.1 mL or more, 0.2 mL or more, 0.3 mL or more, 0.4 mL or more, 0.5 mL or more, 0.75 mL or more, 1 mL or more, 1.5 mL or more, 2 mL or more, 2.5 mL or more, 3 mL or more, 4 mL or more, 5 mL or more, 6 mL or more, 8 mL or more, 10 mL or more, 15 mL or more, or 20 mL or more. In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir has a volume of 20 mL or less, 15 mL or less, 10 mL or less, 8 mL or less, 6 mL or less, 5 mL or less, 4 mL or less, 3 mL or less, 2.5 mL or less, 2 mL or less, 1.5 mL or less, 1 mL or less, 0.75 mL or less, 0.5 mL or less, 0.4 mL or less, 0.3 mL or less, 0.2 mL or less, or 0.1 mL or less. Combinations of the above ranges (e.g., 0.1 mL or more and 20 mL or less) are also possible. Other ranges are possible. When a fluid system includes more than one fluid reservoir, each fluid reservoir can independently have a volume in one or more of the above ranges.

[0110] It should be understood that the fluidic systems described herein may be suitable for a variety of different applications. In some embodiments, the fluidic systems are disposable and / or configured for single use. Such fluidic systems may be particularly useful for diagnostic applications and / or applications involving analyzing samples of biological origin.

[0111] As described elsewhere herein, some embodiments relate to methods that may be implemented in conjunction with the reagent carriers, fluid reservoirs, and / or fluidic devices described herein, and further details regarding such methods are provided below.

[0112] As noted above, in some embodiments, the method includes exposing reagents disposed on the reagent carrier and / or contained in wells therein to one or more liquids. A variety of suitable liquids may be used for this purpose. For example, in some embodiments, the liquid to which the reagents are exposed includes water (i.e., the liquid is an aqueous liquid). The liquid may also include one or more additional species suspended and / or dissolved therein (e.g., biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, nucleic acids, proteins, fatty acids, and / or sugars (some or all of which may optionally be of human origin); buffers; salts; cells; pathogens; lysing agents; etc.). In some embodiments, the liquid to which the reagents are exposed is and / or includes an analyte (e.g., a fluid to be analyzed in a fluidic device). Non-limiting examples of such liquids include liquids containing cells (e.g., lysed cells), pathogens, bodily fluids (e.g., urine; blood, such as whole blood), and / or bodily secretions (e.g., sputum).

[0113] When a reagent-containing object (e.g., a film, such as a liquid film; a pellet) is exposed to a liquid, various suitable amounts of the reagent can be dissolved and / or suspended by the liquid. In some embodiments, the liquid to which the reagent-containing object is exposed dissolves and / or suspends 10% by weight or more, 15% by weight or more, 20% by weight or more, 25% by weight or more, 30% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, 75% by weight or more, 90% by weight or more, 95% by weight or more, 97.5% by weight or more, 99% by weight or more, or 99.9% by weight or more of the reagent in the liquid. In some embodiments, the liquid to which the reagent-containing object is exposed dissolves and / or suspends up to 100%, 99.9%, 99%, 97.5%, 95%, 90%, 75%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 25%, 20%, or 15% by weight of the reagent in the liquid. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 10% or more and up to 100% by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0114] The above ranges may independently refer to the amount of reagent dissolved in a liquid, the amount of reagent suspended in a liquid, and / or the amount of reagent dissolved or suspended in a liquid. It should be understood that the above ranges may refer to the amount of reagent dissolved, suspended, and / or both dissolved and suspended in a first liquid, a second liquid, or any liquid to which the reagent is exposed. It should also be understood that for objects containing two or more reagents, each reagent in the object may be independently described by the above ranges, and / or all of the reagents in the object together may be described by the above ranges. Similarly, when two or more objects are exposed to a liquid, the amount of reagent suspended and / or dissolved from each object may be independently described by one or more of the above ranges.

[0115] In some embodiments, the liquid to which a reagent disposed on a reagent carrier and / or contained within a well of a reagent carrier is exposed contains the reagent prior to such exposure. This reagent initially present in the liquid may be a second reagent different from the reagent disposed on the reagent carrier and / or contained in a well located within the reagent carrier. The reagent initially present in the liquid may be configured to react with the exposed reagent. For example, in some embodiments, the reagent initially present in the liquid may be configured to activate at least a portion of the reagent initially associated with the reagent carrier. This activation may occur upon exposure of the reagent initially associated with the reagent carrier to the reagent initially present in the liquid (e.g., when the reagent initially associated with the reagent carrier is suspended and / or dissolved in a liquid also containing other reagents, or when the reagent initially associated with the reagent carrier is contacted by a liquid also containing other reagents). In some embodiments, a single liquid may be configured to both release the reagent (e.g., to dissolve and / or suspend the reagent) and activate the reagent.

[0116] Activating a reagent can include converting the reagent from a first state in which the reagent is relatively unreactive with one or more species to a second state in which the reagent is relatively reactive with one or more species. Activation can include a variety of suitable processes, including charging (e.g., electrically) the first reagent (e.g., partially, fully). Charging a reagent can include, for example, performing an acid-base reaction that results in the addition or removal of protons, charging an initially uncharged reagent (in the case of full charging, the acid-base reaction can involve accepting and / or releasing all available protons). Reagents containing acidic functional groups can be activated when exposed to a deprotonating species having a conjugate acid with a pKa greater than the pKa of the acidic functional group (e.g., a base), and reagents containing basic functional groups can be activated when exposed to a protonating species with a pKa less than the pKa of the basic functional group (e.g., an acid). Two examples of reagents that can be charged include those containing a carboxylic acid functional group (which can be deprotonated to form a carboxylate anion) and those containing an amine functional group (which can be protonated to form a protonated amino cation). One example of a suitable reagent containing an amine functional group is diethylaminoethyl. Diethylaminoethyl has a pKa of 7.8 and can therefore be activated by exposure to protonated species with a pKa less than 7.8.

[0117] As one particular example of a reagent that may be activated, in some embodiments, an anion exchanger is activated. The anion exchanger may be bound to a particle, such as a magnetic particle.

[0118] The period of time over which activation is performed can be relatively short, for example, in some embodiments, the liquid configured to activate the reagent is exposed to the reagent (and / or is present in the fluid reservoir in which the reagent is also located) for at most a few minutes, tens of seconds, or a few seconds.

[0119] As described above, the reagent may be retained for a predetermined period of time after activation in the fluid reservoir where the reagent is activated. This period may include a period during which a second liquid is subsequently introduced into the fluid reservoir. For example, the first liquid to which the reagent carrier is exposed may be configured to activate at least a portion of the reagent disposed in the reagent carrier and / or contained in a well in the reagent carrier, and the second liquid may be a liquid configured to be analyzed by the fluidic device. The reagent activated by the first liquid may be configured to be exposed in its activated form to a liquid configured to be analyzed by the fluidic device. The liquid configured to be analyzed by the fluidic device may react with the activated reagent (and, in some cases, additional reagents released from the reagent carrier by the first and / or second liquid).

[0120] If the reagent is retained in a fluid reservoir after activation, the liquid used to activate the reagent (all or a portion thereof) may also be retained in the fluid reservoir or removed from the fluid reservoir. In the former case, a second liquid (e.g., a liquid configured to react with the activated reagent, a liquid configured to be analyzed by the fluidic device) may simply be added to a fluid reservoir already containing the first liquid and the activating reagent. In the latter case, in some embodiments, one or more procedures are performed to retain some or all of the activating reagent in the fluid reservoir while the first fluid is removed from the fluid reservoir. By way of example, as described above, a field may be applied to the fluid reservoir to retain the activated reagent in the fluid reservoir. For example, in the case of an activating reagent containing magnetic particles, a magnetic field may be applied to the fluid reservoir to retain the magnetic particles in the fluid reservoir.

[0121] In some embodiments, the reaction between the activating reagent and the liquid configured to be analyzed by the fluidic device can be a reaction in which at least a portion of species initially present in the second liquid are captured by the activating reagent (and / or additional reagents released from the reagent carrier by the first and / or second liquid). Such capture can include a reaction between the species and the reagent (e.g., an acid-base reaction, an ion exchange reaction) such that the species binds to the reagent. Capture can serve to remove (in some embodiments, at least partially, substantially completely, or completely) the species from the second liquid. For example, the reaction product between the species and the activating reagent can be configured to be retained in a fluid reservoir in which capture occurs when the second liquid is removed. This can be advantageous when the captured species may interfere with some further analysis of the second liquid. By way of example, such capture can serve to remove components present in relatively large amounts that may overwhelm signals from components present in relatively small amounts during further analysis of the second liquid (e.g., signals from human cells in blood, which further include relatively small amounts of pathogen cells detected by and / or within the fluidic device). The reaction between the second liquid and the active species may also produce a detectable signal indicative of one or more characteristics of the second liquid (eg, the presence and / or amount of a pathogen in the second liquid).

[0122] It should be noted that in some embodiments, components of the second liquid are captured by an inactivated reagent. For example, in some embodiments, components of the second liquid are captured by a reagent dissolved and / or suspended in the first liquid but not activated by either the first or second liquid. As another example, in some embodiments, components of the second liquid are captured by a drug dissolved and / or suspended in the second liquid but not activated by either the first or second liquid. It should also be noted that components of the second liquid can be captured by a reagent activated by the second liquid. For example, it should be noted that the second liquid can activate a reagent exposed to the second liquid (e.g., upon exposure) and then be captured by the reagent after the second liquid activates it. Species that can be captured (e.g., by an activated reagent) include biological molecules. For example, in some embodiments, nucleic acids and / or biological molecules (e.g., eukaryotic DNA, human DNA, microbial DNA, prokaryotic DNA, RNA, nucleic acids, proteins, fatty acids, sugars) are captured.

[0123] Various suitable amounts of species in the second liquid can be captured by the reagent (e.g., the reagent activated by the first liquid). In some embodiments, 10% by weight or more, 15% by weight or more, 20% by weight or more, 25% by weight or more, 30% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, 75% by weight or more, 90% by weight or more, 95% by weight or more, 97.5% by weight or more, 99% by weight or more, 99.9% by weight or more, 99.95% by weight or more, or 99.99% by weight or more of the species are captured by the reagent. In some embodiments, up to 100%, up to 99.99%, up to 99.95%, up to 99.9%, up to 99%, up to 97.5%, up to 95%, up to 90%, up to 75%, up to 50%, up to 40%, up to 30%, up to 25%, up to 20%, or up to 15% by weight of the species are captured by the reagent. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 10% to 100% by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0124] If the second liquid contains two or more species that are captured by a reagent (e.g., a reagent activated by the first liquid), each species can be independently captured by a reagent in one or more of the above ranges. Similarly, if the second liquid contains species that are captured by two or more reagents (e.g., two or more reagents activated by the first liquid), each reagent can independently capture a predetermined amount of the species in one or more of the above ranges, and / or all of the reagents together can capture a predetermined amount of the species in one or more of the above ranges.

[0125] Some methods may include removing eukaryotic DNA from a specimen, such as a specimen that further contains DNA from a non-eukaryotic pathogen. Such methods are further described in International Patent Publication No. WO2017 / 160820, International Patent Publication No. WO2016 / 044621, and International Application No. PCT / US2018 / 25681, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Briefly, a method for removing eukaryotic DNA from a specimen may include selectively lysing eukaryotic cells in the specimen and then capturing any eukaryotic-free DNA present in the resulting specimen (e.g., DNA from the lysed cells, DNA freely circulating in the specimen prior to lysis of the eukaryotic cells). This may occur in a fluid reservoir from which the specimen is subsequently removed. The captured DNA may be retained in the fluid reservoir. For example, in some embodiments, DNA may be captured by a reagent (e.g., an anion exchanger) bound to magnetic beads that are retained in the fluid reservoir upon application of a magnetic field. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to remove a significant portion or all of the eukaryotic DNA in a sample in which it is desired to determine the amount of prokaryotic DNA. Eukaryotic DNA may be present in a sample in much greater amounts than prokaryotic DNA and, if not removed from the sample, may overwhelm the signal from the prokaryotic DNA in the sample.

[0126] The reagent carrier shown schematically in Figures 8B and 8C may be particularly well suited for methods involving the removal of DNA from eukaryotic organisms from a specimen. In such embodiments, the lower well may contain a reagent in the form of a plurality of magnetic beads configured to be activated upon exposure to a first liquid and to capture DNA to which the eukaryotic organisms are exposed after activation. The upper well may contain a buffer and / or a defoaming agent. In some embodiments, the reagent located in the lower and / or upper well may be in the form of solid particles present in a liquid film. The reagent carrier may be positioned within, and optionally constrained by, a fluid reservoir.

[0127] When the reagent carriers shown schematically in Figures 8B and 8C are used to remove eukaryotic DNA from a specimen, magnetic beads configured to be activated are released from the lower well into a first liquid, and then an activation solution can be introduced into the fluid reservoir as a first liquid in an amount that allows the beads to incubate in the first liquid for a few seconds to a few minutes. After activation, the activated magnetic beads can be retained in the fluid reservoir by a magnetic field. This can occur simultaneously with the removal of the first liquid from the fluid reservoir or the retention of the first liquid in the fluid reservoir. Next, a second liquid can be introduced into the fluid reservoir in an amount sufficient to release the contents of the upper well into the second liquid. The second liquid can be the specimen and / or the specimen mixed with a lysing agent. After exposing the activated magnetic beads to the second liquid, the second liquid is also removed from the fluid reservoir, while the activated magnetic beads are again retained in the fluid reservoir by the magnetic field. Eukaryotic DNA present in the specimen and captured by the activated magnetic beads can also be retained in the fluid reservoir. This process results in the formation of a depleted specimen that is substantially depleted of the eukaryotic DNA initially present in the specimen, and can be further analyzed in a fluidic device (e.g., for non-eukaryotic DNA, for pathogen DNA).

[0128] It should also be noted that some methods suitable for removing eukaryotic DNA from a specimen may involve passing the specimen sequentially through two or more (e.g., three) fluid reservoirs. Each fluid reservoir contains a reagent carrier having a structure similar to that shown in Figures 8B and 8C. The bottom well of each such reagent carrier may contain magnetic beads configured to be activated. The contents of the top wells of these reagent carriers may differ from each other reagent carrier.

[0129] The reagent carriers shown schematically in Figures 8D and 8E may be particularly well suited for methods involving microbial cell lysis. Such methods are further described in International Patent Publication No. WO 2017 / 160820, International Patent Publication No. WO 2016 / 044621, and International Application No. PCT / US2018 / 25681. When a reagent carrier having a structure similar to that shown in Figures 8D and 8E is used to perform such methods, a liquid containing microbial cells to be lysed can be simultaneously reacted with two or more reagents that are preferably stored dry and should not be stored together. These two or more reagents can be stored in separate wells in a single reagent carrier. Referring to Figure 8D, a reagent carrier suitable for use in a method of lysing microbial cells can be configured to contain a lyophilized pellet in well 1 and a liquid film containing a solid reagent in wells 2-5. A reagent carrier suitable for use in a method of lysing microbial cells can also include an empty well 1 (i.e., no reagent, pellet, or liquid film) and a liquid film containing a solid reagent in wells 2-5. A reagent carrier having the structure shown in Figures 8D and 8E and configured for use in a method for lysing microbial cells may be positioned within (and, optionally, constrained by) a fluid reservoir.

[0130] Lysis of microbial cells can be achieved by introducing a first liquid containing microbial cells into a fluid reservoir containing a reagent carrier having a structure similar to that shown in FIGS. 8D and 8E. The first liquid can be introduced into the fluid reservoir in an amount such that all of the reagents in wells 1-5 are exposed to and released into the first liquid. In some embodiments, the first liquid is then retained in the fluid reservoir until it reacts to a significant extent (e.g., a high yield) with the reagents originally contained in wells 1-5. The first liquid can then be removed from the fluid reservoir. In some embodiments, the first liquid is then introduced into a second fluid reservoir containing a reagent carrier having a structure similar to that shown in FIGS. 8D and 8E. The first fluid reservoir can contain a combination of reagents configured to perform an enzymatic lysis step or a detergent lysis step, and the second fluid reservoir can contain a combination of reagents configured to perform the other of an enzymatic lysis step and a detergent lysis step. A fluid reservoir containing a reagent combination configured to perform an enzymatic lysis step may contain a pellet containing a lyophilized enzyme in well 1. A fluid reservoir containing a reagent combination configured to perform an enzymatic lysis step may contain an empty well 1. Wells 2-5 of such a reagent carrier may contain a buffer, a surfactant, and / or a defoaming agent.

[0131] It should be noted that reagent carriers having a structure similar to that shown in Figures 8F-8G may also be suitable for use in methods for lysing microbial cells. In such embodiments, any pellets contained in the reagent carrier may be held in place by the flaps shown in these figures.

[0132] As described elsewhere herein, some embodiments involve disposing reagents in and / or within wells by spotting. Spotting can involve depositing a spotting fluid containing the reagent (e.g., suspended and / or dissolved in the spotting fluid) into the well and then at least partially (e.g., completely) evaporating the spotting fluid. After evaporation of the spotting fluid, the reagent and any additional non-volatile species present in the fluid can be retained in the well in the form of a film disposed on the well. As also described elsewhere herein, in some embodiments, it can be advantageous for the spotting fluid to further include a relatively non-volatile liquid that can promote the formation of a liquid film containing the reagent in solid form.

[0133] When a reagent is deposited in a well (e.g., by spotting or another method), it may be beneficial to include a diluent in the composition used for this purpose. As an example, with respect to spotting, in some embodiments, the spotting liquid may be the diluent, and / or the composition may further include a diluent in addition to the spotting liquid. The diluent can reduce the surface tension of the reagent-containing composition, thereby facilitating dispensing and / or deposition in the well. This reduction in surface tension may cause the composition to spread more evenly within the well than an equivalent composition without the diluent, thereby promoting the formation of a smooth, flat, and / or uniform film. Such a film may advantageously have an increased surface area and / or an increased area of ​​contact with the reagent carrier. The former feature increases the area of ​​the film that can be exposed to the liquid into which the reagent is configured to be released, thereby increasing its release rate into the liquid, improving the uniformity with which the reagent is released into the liquid, reducing the tendency of the reagent to form aggregates in the liquid into which it is released, and / or improving the reliability with which the reagent is released into the liquid. The latter feature may increase the adhesive strength between the membrane and the reagent carrier, making it more difficult for the membrane to peel from the reagent carrier. In some embodiments, the diluent (e.g., when present in the composition) may also reduce the surface tension of the membrane formed from the composition.

[0134] Some suitable diluents are at least partially miscible with and / or capable of dissolving one or more components of the composition to be deposited (e.g., any liquid in the composition, any reagent in the composition, any species other than the reagent in the composition). For example, in some embodiments in which the composition includes one or more species that are partially or fully miscible with water, the diluent can include water.

[0135] As mentioned above, it may be desirable for the reagent to be located in a liquid film having a relatively high viscosity. In such embodiments, it may be advantageous to remove some or all of any diluent from the composition used to form the liquid film after the liquid film is formed. This may be achieved, for example, by evaporation. Thus, in some embodiments, a diluent is used that is more volatile than the other components of the liquid film (e.g., more volatile than any liquid in the liquid film, more volatile than any reagent in the liquid film, more volatile than any species other than the reagent in the liquid film). Evaporation may be facilitated by applying heat and / or vacuum to the liquid film. [Example]

[0136] This example illustrates the use of a fluidic device to detect the presence of invasive and potentially pathogenic microorganisms in human blood.

[0137] Human blood derived from humans typically contains very high levels of human DNA. Therefore, tests designed to detect the presence of pathogens in human blood based on the presence of the pathogen's genetic material can be significantly limited by the large amount of human DNA present in human blood. This human DNA can be undesirably inhibitory during enzymatic amplification and / or can result in off-priming effects. The method described in this example involves removing human DNA from human blood prior to analysis of microbial DNA in the human blood, thereby improving the effectiveness of the method used to detect and / or characterize any microbial DNA that may be present.

[0138] The fluidic system shown in Figure 11B was used to remove human DNA from human blood. As shown in Figure 11B, the fluidic system included multiple fluid reservoirs, including a first fluid reservoir (920A) and a second fluid reservoir (920B). Each fluid reservoir was in fluid communication with the fluid channel through an opening located at its bottom and further contained an opening located at its top. These openings were sealed during storage. During use of the fluidic device, the openings were in fluid communication with a valve configured to either fluidly connect the fluid reservoir to the atmosphere outside the fluidic device using a pressure source (maintained at a pressure above or below atmospheric pressure) or to seal the fluid reservoir. The second fluid reservoir contained a reagent carrier having the structure shown in Figure 8B. The upper well of the reagent carrier contained a defoaming agent (Sigma Y-30), and the lower well of the reagent carrier contained multiple magnetic particles, each with a diameter of approximately 0.5 microns to approximately 1.5 microns, bound to a weak anion exchanger containing tertiary amine groups. The multiple magnetic particles were positioned within a membrane further containing a low-molecular-weight polyol. The membrane was formed by deposition from an aqueous solution, from which the water was subsequently removed by evaporation. The entire system was configured for single use.

[0139] A fresh whole blood sample obtained from a recent venous blood draw was introduced into the system by aseptically transferring it to a first fluid reservoir. A solution containing approximately equal amounts of two different non-ionic surfactants was then introduced into the first fluid reservoir through an opening located at its bottom. This solution served as a selective lysis solution. This solution is described in further detail in WO 2016 / 044621. Following introduction of the selective lysis solution, air bubbles were introduced into the first fluid reservoir through the opening located at its bottom, flowed upward, and then exited the open top of the first fluid reservoir (and then to the atmosphere outside the fluidic device through an open valve in fluid communication with the open top of the first fluid reservoir), causing the selective lysis solution to mix with the blood sample. Mixing these two liquids lysed substantially all of the eukaryotic cells in the blood sample, releasing the human DNA in the blood sample. Such eukaryotic cells included human cells, such as white blood cells, in the sample. The selective lysis solution was selected so as not to cause significant lysis of microbial cells present in the whole blood sample.

[0140] While the sample was placed in the first fluid reservoir, an activation solution was introduced into the second fluid reservoir through an opening located at the bottom of the first fluid reservoir. The activation solution had a pH below approximately 7.5 and a volume sufficient to suspend the magnetic particles located in the lower well of the reagent carrier contained in the second fluid reservoir, but insufficient to expose the defoamer located in the lower well of the reagent carrier to the activation solution. The activation solution activated the anion exchanger for several seconds. After activation of the anion exchanger, the activation solution was removed from the second fluid reservoir by applying pressurized air to the second fluid reservoir through a valve located at the top. The pressurized air caused the activation solution to flow out of the opening located at the bottom of the second fluid reservoir and into a fluid channel fluidically connected to the opening. The activation solution then flowed into the third fluid reservoir. During removal of the activation solution, a magnetic field was applied to the second fluid reservoir to retain the magnetic particles in the second fluid reservoir.

[0141] After the activation solution was removed, the processed whole blood sample was removed from the first fluid reservoir in the same manner as the activation solution was removed from the second fluid reservoir. The processed whole blood sump was then transported through a fluid channel connecting the first and second fluid reservoirs and then introduced into the second fluid reservoir through an opening at the bottom of the second fluid reservoir. As the processed whole blood sample was introduced into the second fluid reservoir, air within the second fluid reservoir escaped from the open top of the second fluid reservoir through an open valve in fluid communication with the open top of the second fluid reservoir to the atmosphere outside the fluidic device.

[0142] The processed whole blood sample resuspended the magnetic particles. The processed whole blood sample was also exposed to an antifoaming agent, suspending the defoaming agent in the sample. Following these processes, the air bubbles were passed into the second fluid reservoir in the same manner as described above for the air bubbles in the first fluid reservoir. During mixing with the air bubbles, free human DNA in the processed whole blood sample was captured by the magnetic particles via the activated anion exchanger. The total time for the processed whole blood sample to be introduced into the second fluid reservoir and mixed with the magnetic beads was less than 5 minutes. After this period, the processed whole blood sample was removed from the second fluid reservoir using the same process as described above for the activation solution.

[0143] A magnetic field was applied to the second fluid reservoir during removal of the blood sample to retain the magnetic beads by the same process described above for the activation solution. After the processed whole blood sample was removed from the second fluid reservoir, the sample contained significantly less human DNA (approximately 5% of the human DNA initially present in the whole blood sample) than it contained before being introduced into the second fluid reservoir.

[0144] The whole blood sample was then passed through an additional fluid reservoir identical to the second fluid reservoir using the same process described in the previous paragraph. After these procedures, the whole blood sample contained less than 0.02% of the human DNA initially present in the whole blood sample.

[0145] Figure 18 shows three different leukocyte loads (5 x 10 per mL). 6 of white blood cells, 1 x 10 per mL 7 of white blood cells, and 2.5 × 10 per mL 7Figure 18 shows data obtained by performing the above procedure on blood samples having 1000 leukocytes (1000 leukocytes). For each leukocyte load, 15 samples, each with a volume of 1.5 mL, were used, and each of these samples was passed through its own single-use device. The data shown in Figure 18 is the average of these 15 samples. As can be seen from Figure 18, the removal efficiency was less than 99.9% of the human DNA initially present. Error bars indicate standard deviation.

[0146] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated herein, those skilled in the art will readily conceive of various other means and / or structures for performing the functions and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and / or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present invention. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary, and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the particular application or uses for which the teachings of the present invention are employed. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present invention is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein. Furthermore, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods is within the scope of the present invention, provided that such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent.

[0147] All definitions provided and used herein should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0148] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used in the specification and claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."

[0149] The phrase "and / or," as used in the specification and claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified elements, may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" phrase. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "A and / or B," when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising," in one embodiment refers to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, refers to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, refers to both A and B (optionally including other elements), etc.

[0150] As used in this specification and in the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., including not only at least one of a number or series of elements, but also two or more, optionally including additional items not listed. Only terms expressly indicated to the contrary, such as "only one of" or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of," refer to the inclusion of only one element of a number or series of elements. Generally, the term "or" as used herein should only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., one or the other, but not both) when defined by exclusive terms such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one." When used in the claims, "consisting essentially of" shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0151] As used in this specification and claims, the phrase "at least one" in reference to a list of one or more elements means at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, and does not necessarily include at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and does not necessarily exclude combinations of elements in the list of elements. This provision allows for the optional presence of elements other than those specifically identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to the specifically identified elements. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one of A or B," or, equivalently, "at least one of A and / or B") refers, in one embodiment, to at least one, and optionally two or more, A, and no B (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, and optionally two or more, B, and no A (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, and optionally two or more, A, and at least one, and optionally two or more, B (optionally including other elements); and so forth.

[0152] It should also be understood that, unless expressly indicated to the contrary, in any method claimed herein that includes multiple steps or acts, the order of the method steps or acts is not necessarily limited to the order in which the method steps or acts are described.

[0153] In the above specification, as well as in the claims, all transitional phrases such as "comprises," "includes," "has," "has," "contains," "containing," "holds," "consisting of," and the like, are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.

Claims

1. 1. A fluid system comprising: fluid reservoir, a channel in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir; and a reagent carrier disposed within the fluid reservoir; Including, The reagent carrier a carrier body, and a liquid film disposed on at least a portion of the carrier body; Including, A fluidic system, wherein the liquid film contains a solid reagent and the liquid film is substantially free of water.

2. The fluid reservoir includes a vertical axis; the reagent carrier includes a carrier body including an elongate portion extending along a longitudinal axis and one or more protruding portions extending from the elongate portion; the reagent carrier includes a reagent stored therein; and The fluid system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid reservoir constrains the reagent carrier such that the longitudinal axis forms an angle of 30° or less with a vertical axis of the fluid reservoir.

3. The carrier body includes a first well and a second well; a first membrane containing a first reagent disposed in at least a portion of the first well; and a second membrane containing a second reagent disposed in at least a portion of the second well; 3. The fluid system of claim 1, wherein the second reagent is different from the first reagent.

4. The fluid system of claim 1 or 3, wherein the carrier body includes an elongate portion extending along a longitudinal axis.

5. 5. The fluid system according to claim 2, wherein the length of the elongated portion is 50% or more of the height of the fluid reservoir and 100% or less of the height of the fluid reservoir.

6. The fluid system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the part of the carrier body having the greatest width of the reagent carrier is proximate to the upper part (top) of the carrier body.

7. 7. The fluid system of claim 2, wherein the carrier body includes two straight portions projecting from the elongated portion, the straight portions forming 90 degrees with the elongated portion and forming 180 degrees with each other.

8. A fluid system as described in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the fluid reservoir includes a lower portion (lower part) having a cross-sectional diameter that tapers from an upper maximum value to a lower minimum value, and the cross-sectional diameter of the elongated portion is larger than the lower minimum value.

9. A fluid system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reagent carrier is configured to be positioned within the fluid reservoir so as not to obstruct the flow of liquid into and / or out of the fluid reservoir.

10. A fluid system according to any preceding claim, wherein the reagent carrier is separable from the fluid reservoir.

11. The fluid system of any one of claims 1, 2 and 4 to 10, wherein the carrier body includes a well.

12. A fluidic system according to any preceding claim, wherein the carrier body comprises two wells or a first well and a second well arranged at different positions along the length of the reagent carrier.

13. A fluid system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the carrier body comprises two wells or a first well and a second well arranged side by side at the same length along the long length of the reagent carrier.

14. A fluid system described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein at least one of the wells or the first well and the second well in the carrier body has a volume of 1 microliter or more and 1000 microliters or less.

15. A fluid system as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the carrier body includes a portion configured to hold a pellet in at least one of a well or a first well and a second well in the carrier body, the portion forming a closable flap.

16. A fluid system described in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein at least one of the wells or the first well and the second well in the carrier body that is not empty becomes empty and / or is empty from the beginning.

17. The fluid system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the liquid membrane or the first membrane and the second membrane comprise at least a portion that is soluble in water.

18. The fluid system of any preceding claim, wherein the solid reagent, the reagent, the first reagent or the second reagent comprises particles that are soluble and / or suspendable in water.

19. The fluid system of claim 18 , wherein the particles are magnetic.

20. The fluid system of any preceding claim, wherein the solid reagent, the reagent, the first reagent or the second reagent comprises beads.

21. The fluid system according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the liquid membrane or the first membrane and the second membrane are soluble in water.

22. exposing a reagent carrier disposed in a fluid reservoir to a liquid, the fluid reservoir being in fluid communication with the channel, the reagent carrier including a carrier body including a well, and a liquid film including a reagent disposed within at least a portion of the well; and Dissolving and / or suspending at least a portion of the liquid film containing the reagent in the liquid. A method comprising: The method, wherein the liquid film comprises a solid reagent and the liquid film is substantially free of water.

23. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the liquid comprises glycerol and / or DMSO.

24. A method comprising exposing a reagent carrier disposed in a fluid reservoir in a fluid system according to any preceding claim to a liquid.

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