Provided is a medium evaluation method for evaluating the suitability of a medium in which cell aggregates are cultured in a suspended state, by which an evaluation of whether a medium is adequate for both the cell retention performance and the cell recovery efficiency, the medium evaluation method including dispersing a plurality of particles in a medium, measuring a sedimentation velocity by which the particles settle in the medium, and using the sedimentation velocity thus measured as an index value indicating the suitability of the medium; and also provided are a medium and a culture method.

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

The invention relates to a method for determining the physicochemical properties of a nanoscale system (NSS) using analytical ultracentrifugation), comprising the steps of generating a multi-dimensional sedimentation analysis map associated with the NSS of interest; selecting sample-dependent parameters; determining sedimentation coefficient value/parameter in the sample; inserting sample sedimentation coefficient values onto the multi-dimensional sedimentation analysis map to obtain a NSS sample map value; and inferring from the NSS sample map value the physicochemical properties of the NSS sample. Furthermore, the invention relates to a system for performing the method, a computer program product and a computer readable storage medium.

A method of aligning a plurality of targets is provided. The method includes generating a plurality of targets. A third phase includes the plurality of targets. The method further includes combining a first phase, a second phase, and the third phase in a volume. The first phase, the second phase, and the third phase are substantially immiscible, and the third phase is in fluid communication with the first phase and the second phase, and the first phase, the second phase, and the third phase are operable to be in a configuration of the third phase between the first phase and the second phase in the volume.

A method of aligning a plurality of targets is provided. The method includes generating a plurality of targets. A third phase includes the plurality of targets. The method further includes combining a first phase, a second phase, and the third phase in a volume. The first phase, the second phase, and the third phase are substantially immiscible, and the third phase is in fluid communication with the first phase and the second phase, and the first phase, the second phase, and the third phase are operable to be in a configuration of the third phase between the first phase and the second phase in the volume.

A state determination apparatus includes: electrodes configured to apply AC signal to a mixture; a measurement unit configured to measure an impedance of the mixture for every frequency of the AC signal based on a response signal flowing through the mixture when the AC signal is applied; a setting unit configured to set an equivalent circuit including one or a plurality of parallel circuit(s) based on element(s) corresponding to electrical component(s) of a solid matter; a calculating unit configured to calculate a parameter of the parallel circuit by executing an equivalent circuit analysis for approximating impedance of the equivalent circuit to the impedance of the mixture; and a derivation unit configured to derive an index for specifying a state of the mixture based on the parameter of the parallel circuit.

A state determination apparatus includes: electrodes configured to apply AC signal to a mixture; a measurement unit configured to measure an impedance of the mixture for every frequency of the AC signal based on a response signal flowing through the mixture when the AC signal is applied; a setting unit configured to set an equivalent circuit including one or a plurality of parallel circuit(s) based on element(s) corresponding to electrical component(s) of a solid matter; a calculating unit configured to calculate a parameter of the parallel circuit by executing an equivalent circuit analysis for approximating impedance of the equivalent circuit to the impedance of the mixture; and a derivation unit configured to derive an index for specifying a state of the mixture based on the parameter of the parallel circuit.