Apparatuses for Contactless Loading and Imaging of Microfluidic Chips and Related Methods

A method of loading and imaging a microfluidic chip, the method comprising:

• disposing one or more microfluidic chips within a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber defined by walls of a housing, each of the chip(s) having one or more microfluidic networks that each includes:
• one or more ports, including an inlet port containing liquid;
• a test volume containing gas;
• and
• a flow path extending between the inlet port and the test volume, the flow path including a droplet-generating region along which a minimum cross-sectional area of the flow path increases along the flow path;
• reducing pressure within the vacuum chamber such that, for each of the network(s) of each of the chip(s), gas flows from the test volume and out of at least one of the port(s);
• increasing pressure within the vacuum chamber such that, for each of the network(s) of each of the chip(s), liquid flows from the inlet port, through the flow path, and into the test volume;
• and
• for each of the network(s) of each of the chip(s), capturing an image of liquid within the test volume while the chip is disposed within the vacuum chamber.