A heat pump that includes a thermoelectric device(s) and a heat sink having a raised portion with a top surface for thermally coupling with a planar face of the thermoelectric device(s). The raised portion of the heat sink includes an outer periphery and a raised central region surrounded by a void region to provide more uniform thermal conductivity when clamped within an assembly. The raised central region is shaped in an any shape corresponding to a shape of uneven thermal conductivity due to clamping pressure applied to the heat sink. The void region can be substantially contiguous and entirely circumscribe the central raised region. The device can optionally include discrete supports formed of a less thermally-conductive material within the void region. The supports can be elastomeric, such as O-rings, and disposed within pockets defined within the void region.

A heat pump that includes a thermoelectric device(s) and a heat sink having a raised portion with a top surface for thermally coupling with a planar face of the thermoelectric device(s). The raised portion of the heat sink includes an outer periphery and a raised central region surrounded by a void region to provide more uniform thermal conductivity when clamped within an assembly. The raised central region is shaped in an any shape corresponding to a shape of uneven thermal conductivity due to clamping pressure applied to the heat sink. The void region can be substantially contiguous and entirely circumscribe the central raised region. The device can optionally include discrete supports formed of a less thermally-conductive material within the void region. The supports can be elastomeric, such as O-rings, and disposed within pockets defined within the void region.

An apparatus for performing nucleic acid amplification reactions includes a thermally-conductive receptacle holder with multiple receptacle wells. Each well has a through-hole extending from an inner surface of the well to an outer surface of the holder. A cover is rotatable between an open position and a closed position relative to the holder and is configured to exert a force onto any receptacles in the wells when the cover is in the closed position. The apparatus includes multiple optical fibers, and each of the optical fibers provides optical communication between one of the wells and an excitation signal source and/or an emission signal detector. A thermal element is positioned between a thermally-conductive support and the receptacle holder.

Embodiments of a platelet testing system include an analyzer console device and a blood testing cartridge configured to releasably install into the console device. The cartridge device is configured with one or more measuring chambers and one or more mixing chambers that are fluidically connected within the cartridge device that enable the mixing of saline and a blood sample to a desired dilution. Additionally, the cartridge device is further configured with a cartridge slider that provides a reagent bead to the saline and blood mixture at a desired time. As such, one or more platelet activation assays can be conducted by measuring, through cartridge electrodes of the cartridge device, the detectable changes in platelet activity within the blood and saline mixture.

Embodiments of a platelet testing system include an analyzer console device and a blood testing cartridge configured to releasably install into the console device. The cartridge device is configured with one or more measuring chambers and one or more mixing chambers that are fluidically connected within the cartridge device that enable the mixing of saline and a blood sample to a desired dilution. Additionally, the cartridge device is further configured with a cartridge slider that provides a reagent bead to the saline and blood mixture at a desired time. As such, one or more platelet activation assays can be conducted by measuring, through cartridge electrodes of the cartridge device, the detectable changes in platelet activity within the blood and saline mixture.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for self-contained nucleic acid preparation, amplification, and analysis.

A metal-oxide electron-beam evaporation source including a variable temperature control device according to the present invention includes: a crucible configured to store a deposition material which is formed of a metal oxide and over which an electron beam is directly scanned; N heating units provided in an outer portion of the crucible, dividing the crucible into N regions, and provided for N regions, respectively; and a control unit configured to control the N heating units so that a temperature of an upper region of the crucible is maintained to be higher than that of a lower region of the crucible to reduce a temperature difference between a region over which the electron beam is scanned and a region over which the electron beam is not scanned.

Disclosed herein are methods and devices for rapid assessment of whether a microorganism present in a sample is susceptible or resistant to a treatment.

Disclosed herein are methods and devices for rapid assessment of whether a microorganism present in a sample is susceptible or resistant to a treatment.

A reaction processor is provided with a reaction processing vessel in which a channel is formed, a liquid feeding system, a temperature control system for providing a high temperature region and a low temperature region to the channel, and a fluorescence detector for detecting the sample passing through a fluorescence detection region of the channel, and a CPU for controlling the liquid feeding system based on a signal that is detected. A target stop position X.sup.[L].sub.0(n+1) of the sample in the low temperature region in an (n+1)th cycle is corrected from a target stop position X.sup.[L].sub.0(n) of the sample in the low temperature region in the nth cycle based on the result of stopping control on the sample in the nth cycle.