A counting method includes aggregating particles in a sample by the action of first dielectrophoretic force, dispersing the aggregated particles by the action of second dielectrophoretic force, which is different from the first dielectrophoretic force, capturing a dispersion image including the dispersed particles, and determining the number of particles on the basis of the dispersion image.

An apparatus includes a collection tube for containing a sample, a reading cell container including windows, the collection tube linked to the reading cell container to provide the sample to the reading cell container, a collimated light source composed in such way that light passes through the windows of the reading cell container and is reflected therein, an optical detector for the evaluation of collimated light attenuated by the sample within the reading cell container; and an electronic control device linked to the collection tube, collimated light source and optical detector.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for salt precipitation and scaling tests, which comprises two reagent storage tanks (2, 3), a reagent mixing module (6), induction period measurement modules (7, 12), an ultrasound-assisted precipitation module (9) and a scaling module with heat exchanger (13). From the apparatus, it is possible to carry out tests with the purpose of investigating the influence of parameters such as flow rate, temperature and concentration on salt precipitation and scaling. It is further possible to carry out tests under the action of ultrasound, since it promotes acceleration of chemical reactions.

Asphaltene onset pressure of a formation fluid is determined by subjecting the fluid to a plurality of tests where depressurization is conducted at a different depressurization rate for each test while optically monitoring the fluid for asphaltene flocculation. The pressures at which asphaltene flocculation are detected in each test are fit to a curve as a function of depressurization rate, and the curve is extrapolated to a pressure (e.g., 0 psi) to provide the asphaltene onset pressure.

A system consists of a detector and a detection card (9); the detector comprises a separation-detection turntable (4), a drive motor (3), a detection unit (5), a control and analysis unit (1), and a display unit (2); more than one detection card positions are arranged on the separation-detection turntable (4), and the separation-detection turntable (4) is driven by the drive motor (3) to rotate, so as to mix, separate and detect samples in the detection card; and the detection cards (9) are loaded on the detection card positions on the turntable, the detection card (9) is internally divided into more than two inner cavity pools, the divided inner cavity pools are respectively connected by narrow channels with a cross-sectional area less than 60% of a maximum cross-sectional area of each inner cavity pool, and all the inner cavity pools are unidirectionally connected in series.

Microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions are provided. In one aspect, such structures and methods can allow production of droplets of a precise volume, which can be stored/maintained at precise regions of the device. In another aspect, microfluidic structures and methods described herein are designed for containing and positioning components in an arrangement such that the components can be manipulated and then tracked even after manipulation. For example, cells may be constrained in an arrangement in microfluidic structures described herein to facilitate tracking during their growth and/or after they multiply.

The present invention describes a fluidic device for measuring at least one of corpuscle mass density and weight. The fluidic device comprises a sedimentation chamber fluidly connected to an inlet channel configured to be immersed in a liquid. The fluidic device further comprises a pumping system connected to the sedimentation chamber. The pumping system is adapted to control the flow of liquid in the sedimentation chamber. A processor of the fluidic device is configured to obtain corpuscle data related to a corpuscle in at least one region of the sedimentation chamber; and calculate at least one of corpuscle mass density and weight based on the data received.

This invention relates to a method of evaluating a squeegeeing property of powder for lamination shaping by stable criteria. In this method, the squeegeeing property is evaluated using at least a satellite adhesion ratio of the powder and an apparent density of the powder. The satellite adhesion ratio is the ratio of the number of particles on which satellites are adhered to the number of all particles. If the satellite adhesion ratio is equal to or less than 50%, and the apparent density is equal to or more than 3.5 g/cm.sup.3, the squeegeeing property is evaluated as that the powder can be spread into a uniform powder layer in the lamination shaping. Furthermore, if the 50% particle size of a powder obtained by a laser diffraction method is 3 to 250 μm, the squeegeeing property is evaluated as that the powder can be spread into a uniform powder layer in the lamination shaping.

A method for the assessment of the dispersing capacity of new and used lubricating compositions, in particular for internal combustion engines, and of additives for lubricating compositions, comprises the steps of: providing a homogeneous dispersion of at least one carbonaceous particulate in a composition to be tested, consisting of a lubricating composition or a fraction or component thereof; acquiring at least one micrographic image of a sample of said homogeneous dispersion, deposited on an observation support; calculating the lacunarity of the acquired image as a parameter representative of the degree of dispersion of the particulate in the composition.

In order to secure measurement reproducibility and a measurement accuracy by making it possible to automatically execute a bubble removal sequence as needed, the particle size distribution measurement device comprises a circulation flow channel through which the dispersion medium circulates, a flow cell arranged in the circulation flow channel, an imaging device that takes a particle image as being an image of a particle in the flow cell, and a bubble removal execution part that obtains bubble information which is obtained based on the particle image and which is about a bubble in the dispersion medium and that executes a bubble removal sequence to remove the bubble from the dispersion medium circulating in the circulation flow channel in case that the bubble information meets a predetermined condition.