To show a highly accurate cell measurement method. A cell measurement method comprises: a step of staining a cultured target cell with a dye; a step of obtaining a first image and a second image which are transmission images for a first light and a second light to which the dye has different absorbance; a step of dividing each of the first image and the second image into a plurality of divided regions and comparing the first image and the second image for each of the divided regions so as to eliminate noises; and a step of integrating an indicator of a cell amount in each of the divided regions in the images from which the noises were eliminated so as to evaluate a target cell amount.

An apparatus comprising: a direct push probe configured to be pushed into a subsurface soil environment; a transparent window mounted to a side of the probe; a white light source mounted within the probe and positioned such that when the white light source is activated only white light exits the window; an ultraviolet (UV) light source mounted within the probe and positioned such that when the UV light source is activated only UV light having a given wavelength exits the window; and an imaging system disposed within the probe and configured to capture a white-light-only-illuminated image and a UV-light-induced-fluorescence image of the subsurface soil environment at a given depth, wherein the imaging system comprises a longpass filter to filter out the UV light having the given wavelength.

Provided is a measurement method whereby the amount of unbound bilirubin (UB) can be exactly reflected whether a specimen contains a large amount of conjugated bilirubin or not. The measurement method for UB according to the present invention comprises decomposition step (i), decomposition stopping step (ii), contact step (iii) and detection step (iv). In decomposition step (i), a blood sample containing unconjugated bilirubin (iD-Bil) and conjugated bilirubin (D-Bil) is subjected to an oxidative decomposition reaction of UB in iD-Bil and D-Bil. In decomposition stopping step (ii), the oxidative decomposition reaction is stopped to give a decomposition product of the sample. In contact step (iii), the decomposition product of the sample is contacted with UnaG that is capable of specifically binding to iD-Bil. Separately, an unreacted sample, which is the blood sample not subjected to decomposition step (i), is contacted with UnaG too. In detection step (iv), the fluorescence of UnaG is detected from the decomposition product of the sample and from the unreacted sample. Then, the amount of UB is derived from the difference between the detected values.

In one aspect, optofluidic lasers are described herein. In some embodiments, an optofluidic laser described herein comprises a first liquid having a first refractive index, a second liquid having a second refractive index that is different than the first refractive index, and a liquid-liquid interface defined by the first and second liquids and disposed between the first and second liquids. Moreover, the first and second liquids are immiscible. Additionally, the optofluidic laser further comprises a layer of gain material disposed at the liquid-liquid interface between the first and second liquids.

A metal oxide TFT-based sensor with multiple sensing modalities including an ion sensitive detector having an extended gate, a reservoir constructed to receive a sample carrying solution, and an ion sensitive electrode. The sensor further including a photodiode, a plurality of metal-oxide thin film transistors and a signal output. A pair of the metal-oxide thin film transistors are coupled to the photodiode, the ion sensitive detector and the output so as to provide output signals at the output alternately representative of ion emissions sensed by the ion sensitive detector and fluorescence events sensed by the photodiode.

A bioreactor device includes a solid substrate having a first face and a second face. The solid substrate at least partially defines a perfusion channel, a plurality of chambers, a fluidic inlet, and a fluidic outlet. A first sheet disposed over the first face and a second sheet disposed over the second face. Characteristically, the combination of the solid substrate, the first sheet and the second sheet define the perfusion channel and each chamber of the plurality of chambers. The plurality of chambers are arranged in rows of chambers in which adjacent chambers are positioned at opposite side of the perfusion channel. The perfusion channel extends from the fluidic inlet and the fluidic outlet having a serpentine path along each row of chambers with each chamber being in fluid communication with the perfusion channel.

An apparatus comprising: a direct push probe configured to be pushed into a subsurface soil environment; a transparent window mounted to a side of the probe; a white light source mounted within the probe and positioned such that when the white light source is activated only white light exits the window; an ultraviolet (UV) light source mounted within the probe and positioned such that when the UV light source is activated only UV light having a given wavelength exits the window; and an imaging system disposed within the probe and configured to capture a white-light-only-illuminated image and a UV-light-induced-fluorescence image of the subsurface soil environment at a given depth, wherein the imaging system comprises a longpass filter to filter out the UV light having the given wavelength.

Provided is a bacterium number measuring system comprising a database storing known bacterial growth patterns in advance and an analyzing part. The analyzing part has first cultures containing a bacterial liquid that contains a measurement target bacteria and second cultures being different from the first cultures and containing the bacterial liquid and an antimicrobial drug. The analyzing part performs bacterium number measurement which measures the number of bacteria in the first cultures on a culturing part where culturing has started in the first and second cultures. The analyzing part compares the bacterium number measurement result with the growth curves stored in the database and thereby determines a timing to perform MIC measurement which measures the number of bacteria in the second cultures to determine a minimum inhibitory concentration of the measurement target bacterium. The analyzing part performs the MIC measurement at the thus-determined timing.