Acoustic radiation for ejecting and monitoring pathogenic fluids

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and devices that use focused radiation to handle and/or monitor pathogenic fluids. In particular, a method is provided for dispensing one or more droplets of a fluid containing a pathogen. The method involves providing the pathogen-containing fluid in a reservoir and applying focused radiation to the pathogen-containing fluid in the reservoir in a manner effective to eject a droplet of the fluid therefrom. Often, a pathogen-impermeable enclosure is used.

1 .- 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A method for detecting for an interaction between a fluid and a compound, wherein the fluid and/or compound are pathogenic, comprising:
 (a) providing a reservoir containing the fluid;   (b) depositing the compound onto a designated site on a surface of a substrate;   (c) positioning the substrate so that the designated site is in droplet-receiving relationship with respect to the reservoir;   (d) applying focused radiation to the fluid in the reservoir in a manner effective to eject a droplet of the fluid therefrom onto the substrate surface at the designated site;   (e) sealing the fluid droplet and the compound at the designated site in a pathogen-impermeable enclosure; and   (f) detecting for an interaction between the fluid and the compound.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the compound is pathogenic. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the fluid is pathogenic. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the interaction is acoustically detected. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the interaction is optically detected. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the interaction is fluorescently detected. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the interaction is magnetically detected. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the interaction is electrically detected. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising, after (e), (e′) subjecting the pathogen-impermeable enclosure to temperatures associated with PCR thermal cycling. 
     
     
         52 .- 53 . (canceled)