An immuno-chromatographic diagnosis means for detecting and/or quantifying a plurality of analytes present in an essentially liquid sample, comprising: at least one reaction mixture containing recognition biological molecules and/or competitive ligands labelled with at least one visualisation molecule which is detectable in fluorescence, the reaction mixture being present in a separate container of the recovery system; and at least one recovery system in the form of a solid support to which are bonded competitive ligands and/or recognition biological molecules at distinct and known recovery locations, which are arranged according to a two-dimensional matrix arrangement defined according to a system of coordinates, so as to identify by the localisation of the recovery locations on the support, the analytes present in the sample.

A method for evaluating a biological material for unassociated virus-size particles having an adenovirus epitope uses a fluorescent antibody stain specific for binding with the epitope and a fluid sample with the virus-size particles and fluorescent antibody stain is subjected to flow cytometry with identification of fluorescent emission detection events indicative of passage through a flow cell of a flow cytometer of unassociated labeled particles of virus size including such a virus-size particle and fluorescent antibody stain.

A system, an apparatus, and a method are provided for a modular flow cytometer with a compact size. In one embodiment, the modular flow cytometry system includes the following: a laser system for emitting laser beams; a flow cell assembly positioned to receive the laser beams at an interrogation region of a fluidics stream where fluoresced cells scatter the laser beams into fluorescent light; a fiber assembly positioned to collect the fluorescent light; and a grating system including a dispersive element and a receiver assembly, wherein the dispersive element is positioned to receive the fluorescent light from the fiber assembly and to direct spectrally dispersed light toward the receiver assembly.

A porous mirror (1) for detection of an analyte (96) in a fluid (99) by optical probing, comprising a translucent slab (2) with a front side (3), and a backside (4) facing away from the front side (3), wherein the front side (3) is adapted for being contacted with a fluid (99), and a reflective layer (5) at the front side (3) of the translucent slab (2), the reflective layer (5) being adapted to reflect light reaching the reflective layer from the backside (4) of the translucent slab (2), wherein the translucent slab (2) comprises pores (6), wherein the pores (6) are dead end pores (6) extending from respective openings (7) at the front side (3) into the translucent slab (2), through the reflective layer (5), wherein a cross-sectional dimension of the openings (7) of the pores (6) is dimensioned so as to prevent larger particles or debris, if any included the fluid, from entering the pores (6), while allowing the analyte (96) in the fluid (99) to enter the pores (6) via diffusion.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for the collection of light scattered from a liquid sample contained within a multiwell plate for which evaporation from the wells is mitigated by the application of a barrier between the liquid sample and the environment. A vertical thermal gradient is applied across the vessel so that condensation is inhibited from forming on the interior surface of the barrier, thus permitting clear illumination of the sample for visual imaging, fluorescence studies and light scattering detection.

Techniques and technologies for automated microscopy scanning systems are disclosed wherein a microscopy system performs hunt mode operations at coarsely-spaced locations throughout a scanning window until an acceptable quality scan result is achieved. The system then performs detailed scans at all fields of view within a grid cell that includes the location having the acceptable scan result. The system performs another evaluation of the scan results for the entire grid cell, and if the scan results for the grid cell are collectively acceptable, then the system proceeds to perform scan mode operations. The scan mode operations include scanning and evaluating all of the fields of view within one or more grid cells adjacent to the acceptable grid cell from the hunt mode operations. The system may successively perform hunt mode operations and scan mode operations, compiling information regarding one or more aspects of the scanning process, until one or more termination criteria are satisfied.

The present invention is a cuvette assembly for use in optically measuring at least one characteristic of particles within a plurality of liquid samples. The cuvette assembly includes a unitary body made of a single type of transparent material. The unitary body includes a plurality of optical chambers for receiving the liquid sample, an entry side wall for allowing transmission of an input light beam into the respective liquid sample, and an exit side wall for transmitting a forward scatter signal caused by the particles within the respective liquid sample. Each of the plurality of optical chambers is separated by internal walls of the unitary body.

We describe a method of selectively detecting the presence of an analyte, the method comprising: providing at least one waveguide, the waveguide having a core comprising porous material; absorbing an analyte sample into said porous material of said core such that said analyte sample is held within pores of said core; waveguiding radiation along said at least one waveguide to an output to provide output radiation; measuring one or more spectral features of said output radiation due to absorption or scattering of said waveguided radiation by said absorbed analyte sample; selectively identifying the presence of a target analyte in said analyte sample from said one or more spectral features. In embodiments spectral features are measured for multiple different waveguide core regions having different physical/chemical properties modified to provide additional selectivity to the target analyte(s), and these measurements combined to identify the target analyte.

A particle imaging device comprises a flow cell, a light source, an irradiation optical system configured to form a light sheet on the flow cell, a light collecting optical system and an imaging element. The sheet surface of the light sheet is perpendicular to the exterior side surface of the flow cell to which the light is entered from the light source. The sheet surface of the light sheet is inclined at a predetermined angle that is not perpendicular to the flow direction of the sample.

Disclosed is a sheath delivery system that uses a continuous flow of sheath fluid into a pressurized internal reservoir that substantially matches the outflow of sheath fluid through the nozzle of a flow cytometer. A substantially constant level of the sheath fluid is maintained. If the sheath fluid level falls below a desired level, or goes above a desired level, a dampened control system is used to reach the desired level. In addition, air pressure in the pressurized internal container is controlled so that an external sheath container can be removed and refilled with additional sheath fluid without stopping the sheath delivery system 100. Differences in pressure are detected by a droplet camera, which measures the droplet breakoff point to determine the pressure of the sheath fluid in the nozzle.