Methods and systems for stimulating and monitoring electrogenic cells are described. Some systems for stimulating electrogenic cells are based on the injection of electric currents into the cells via electrodes connected to the cells. Such stimulators may comprise an impedance element having an input terminal and an output terminal coupled to an electrode, and a voltage follower coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal of the impedance element, the voltage follower being configured to maintain a substantially constant voltage between the input terminal and the output terminal of the impedance element. The impedance element may comprise one or more switched capacitors at least in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the voltage follower may be implemented using a source follower.

A nucleic acid detection device includes a microfluidic opening and a sensor stack. The sensor stack includes an electrochemical electrode and a photodetector. The electrochemical electrode is formed of a conductive material that is transparent to a fluorescent emission, the electrochemical electrode including a first side and an opposite second side, wherein the first side is exposed to the microfluidic opening. The photodetector is positioned relative to the second side of the electrochemical electrode to optically receive the fluorescent emission when passed through the electrochemical electrode.

Various apparatus, systems, and methods for measuring a solution characteristic of a sample comprising microorganisms are disclosed. The measured solution characteristic can be used to generate a standardized inoculum. In one embodiment, a sensor apparatus is disclosed comprising a sample container having a chamber lateral wall surrounding a chamber cavity configured receive the sample, a reference sensor fabricated as a container cap and comprising a reference electrode material and, and an active sensor made of a substrate covered in part by an active electrode layer. The active sensor can be coupled to at least part of the chamber lateral wall at a window opening defined along the chamber lateral wall. The solution characteristic can be measured using a reader configured to electrically couple to the sensor apparatus and measure the solution characteristic based on a potential difference between the active sensor and the active sensor.

Various apparatus, systems, and methods for measuring a solution characteristic of a sample comprising microorganisms are disclosed. The measured solution characteristic can be used to generate a standardized inoculum. In one embodiment, a sensor apparatus is disclosed comprising a sample container having a chamber lateral wall surrounding a chamber cavity configured receive the sample, a reference sensor fabricated as a container cap and comprising a reference electrode material and, and an active sensor made of a substrate covered in part by an active electrode layer. The active sensor can be coupled to at least part of the chamber lateral wall at a window opening defined along the chamber lateral wall. The solution characteristic can be measured using a reader configured to electrically couple to the sensor apparatus and measure the solution characteristic based on a potential difference between the active sensor and the active sensor.

A flexible device (1) includes an insulating substrate (2), a source electrode (3), a drain electrode (4), and an extended gate electrode (5) formed on a surface of the insulating substrate (2) at intervals, a channel (6) arranged at an interval between the source electrode (3) and the drain electrode (4), and a gate dielectric (7) formed so as to cover all of the channel (6) and a part of the extended gate electrode (5), in which the insulating substrate (2) is a flexible thin film having light transmissivity, the extended gate electrode (5) is a carbon material thin film having biocompatibility and light transmissivity, the channel (6) is an organic semiconductor thin film, and the gate dielectric (7) is an ionic liquid or an ionic gel.

Methods and systems are disclosed for dynamically creating and annihilating subsurface electric dipoles having variable strength and variable alignment. The ability of various embodiments to create, annihilate, and control subsurface dipoles may be a useful technology for wide variety of applications including the nondestructive testing of materials and structures, for generating and receiving directed and omni-directional variable amplitude and frequency transmission waves without the need for conductive antennas, for phonon to electromagnetic power conversion, for materials and manufacturing process control, atomic and nanoparticle alignment, and for control and utilization as medical therapies.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro-pump for flowing a liquid, and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized biosensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro-pump for flowing a liquid, and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized biosensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro-pump for flowing a liquid, and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized biosensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.

Sensor accuracy issues may arise when a humidity sensor is kept in a high humidity environment for an extended period of time. In these circumstances, a humidity sensor reading may tend to may become less accurate over time. To improve the accuracy of sensor readings, methods and systems described herein estimate and correct for sensor drift in high humidity conditions. Methods and systems described herein may use memory to store past humidity or other sensor readings so that an estimated amount of sensor drift may be determined to improve the accuracy of sensor readings. A memory may be embedded in a sensor module so that past readings for a given sensor module are stored in the memory of the sensor module. Algorithms for sensor drift compensation, and systems and methods that use such algorithms to improve the accuracy of sensor readings, are disclosed herein.