DEVICES FOR GENERATING PRE-TEMPLATED INSTANT PARTITIONS

1 . A device for generating pre-templated instant partitions, the device comprising:

a vortexer for shearing a liquid contained in at least one vessel into a plurality of pre-templated instant partitions;

a holder for securing the at least one vessel to the vortexer; and

a temperature control unit operable to adjust a temperature of the liquid by convection.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the holder comprises a clamp that can accommodate one or more vessels of different sizes or shapes.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the holder is operable to hold the at least one vessel in a substantially vertical position while the vortexer shears the liquid.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the holder is operable to move between securing the at least one vessel in a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position while the vortexer shears the liquid.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the vortexer is operable to shear the liquid by vortexing the at least one vessel at a speed of at least 5,000 revolutions per minute.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control unit comprises a first conduit for heating a fluid within the temperature control unit to a first temperature.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the temperature control unit comprises a second conduit for cooling the fluid to a second temperature.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the temperature control unit comprises a valve, the valve comprising a first position and a second position, wherein, when the valve is in the first position, fluid is blocked from flowing through the first conduit.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises an optical system, the optical system comprising:

a light source positioned to transmit light into the at least one vessel; and

a photodetector positioned to sense light from the liquid contained in the at least one vessel.

10 . The device of claim 9 , further comprising a control system coupled to the vortexer and the optical system.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the control system controls a speed of the vortexer to alter a shearing energy applied to the at least one vessel in response to the transmitted light.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the control system directs the vortexer to stop applying the shearing energy to the at least one vessel when the liquid is substantially monodisperse.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one component manufactured by 3D printing.

14 . A method for generating pre-templated instant partitions, the method comprising:

contacting at least one vessel containing a liquid with a device comprising:

a vortexer;

a holder configured to secure the at least one vessel to the vortexer; and

a temperature control unit in fluidic communication with the holder;

operating the device to shear the liquid inside the at least one vessel into a plurality of pre-templated instant partitions, wherein each of the plurality of pre-templated instant partitions comprises one or zero analyte; and

heating, with the temperature control unit, the at least one vessel by convection.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising vortexing the liquid at a speed of about 5,000 revolutions per minute.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a fluid of a predetermined temperature to the holder via a first conduit.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing, to the holder, a second fluid of a second predetermined temperature via a second conduit.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting a light to the liquid in the at least one vessel; and

sensing the transmitted light from the liquid in the at least one vessel.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

comparing the transmitted light from the liquid in the at least one vessel to a reference; and

adjusting a speed of the vortexer in response to the comparison.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising processing analyte inside the one or more of the pre-templated instant partitions by providing the first fluid to the holder thereby heating the at least one vessel.