Disclosed is an optical trap calibration apparatus and method based on variation of electric field by optical imaging of a nanoparticle. By means of a direct optical imaging method, a linear nanoparticle equilibrium position displacement under the action of a constant electric field is measured to realize calibration, thereby avoiding the introduction of error signals, and improving the reliability of differential calibration. The specific calibration method and apparatus of the present invention are not only suitable for calibration of electric field quantity, but also suitable for the calibration of other magnetic forces and the like. By means of the accurate calibration of mechanical quantity in the present invention, the development and application of the vacuum optical trap sensing technology can be promoted.

Disclosed is an optical trap calibration apparatus and method based on variation of electric field by optical imaging of a nanoparticle. By means of a direct optical imaging method, a linear nanoparticle equilibrium position displacement under the action of a constant electric field is measured to realize calibration, thereby avoiding the introduction of error signals, and improving the reliability of differential calibration. The specific calibration method and apparatus of the present invention are not only suitable for calibration of electric field quantity, but also suitable for the calibration of other magnetic forces and the like. By means of the accurate calibration of mechanical quantity in the present invention, the development and application of the vacuum optical trap sensing technology can be promoted.

Beamformers are formed (e.g., carved) from a stack of transparent sheets. A rear face of each sheet has a reflective coating. The reflectivities of the coatings vary monotonically with sheet position within the stack. The sheets are tilted relative to the intended direction of an input beam and then bonded to form the stack. The carving can include dicing the stack to yield stacklets, and polishing the stacklets to form beamformers. Each beamformer is thus a stack of beamsplitters, including a front beamsplitter in the form of a triangular or trapezoidal prism, and one or more beamsplitters in the form of rhomboid prisms. In use, a beamformer forms an output beam from an input beam. More specifically, the beamformer splits an input beam into plural output beam components that collectively constitute an output beam that differs in cross section from the input beam.

Systems and methods for automated optical tweezer (OT)-based mitochondrial transfer are provided. The system for automated optical tweezer-based mitochondrial transfer includes a microfluidic device and an optical tweezer micromanipulation system. The microfluidic device includes one or more confinement means for confining cells and a channel for flowing mitochondria near the confinement means. The optical tweezer micromanipulation system is configured to trap at least one of the mitochondria within the channel of the microfluidic device for transport of the mitochondria to one of the confined cells.

A system for dissociating cells from a cell culture vessel. The system comprises an imaging system configured to image a plurality of cells in a cell culture vessel being dissociated from at least one surface of the cell culture vessel by at least one cell dissociation agent; and at least one controller coupled to the imaging system and configured to: control the imaging system to capture a sequence of images of at least some cells in the plurality of cells during dissociation; and identify when to neutralize the at least one cell dissociation agent using the sequence of images.

A system for dissociating cells from a cell culture vessel. The system comprises an imaging system configured to image a plurality of cells in a cell culture vessel being dissociated from at least one surface of the cell culture vessel by at least one cell dissociation agent; and at least one controller coupled to the imaging system and configured to: control the imaging system to capture a sequence of images of at least some cells in the plurality of cells during dissociation; and identify when to neutralize the at least one cell dissociation agent using the sequence of images.

An imaging system for a biological sample includes a sample container having at least one biological cell that is in contact with an interface surface of a container interface. The imaging system also includes illuminating optics that output a light beam aligned with a sample plane, the light beam being oriented horizontally along a transverse (XY) plane and illuminating the biological cell vertically along an axial (XZ) plane. The imaging system further includes imaging optics aligned horizontally along the transverse (XY) plane with the interface in the sample container, the imaging optics being configured to detect along the axial (XZ) plane a magnified image of a measurable contact angle between the biological cell and the interface surface. The measurable contact angle changes over time and is indicative of biological adhesion between the biological cell and another biological cell.

An imaging system for a biological sample includes a sample container having at least one biological cell that is in contact with an interface surface of a container interface. The imaging system also includes illuminating optics that output a light beam aligned with a sample plane, the light beam being oriented horizontally along a transverse (XY) plane and illuminating the biological cell vertically along an axial (XZ) plane. The imaging system further includes imaging optics aligned horizontally along the transverse (XY) plane with the interface in the sample container, the imaging optics being configured to detect along the axial (XZ) plane a magnified image of a measurable contact angle between the biological cell and the interface surface. The measurable contact angle changes over time and is indicative of biological adhesion between the biological cell and another biological cell.

Beamformers are formed (e.g., carved) from a stack of transparent sheets. A rear face of each sheet has a reflective coating. The reflectivities of the coatings vary monotonically with sheet position within the stack. The sheets are tilted relative to the intended direction of an input beam and then bonded to form the stack. The carving can include dicing the stack to yield stacklets, and polishing the stacklets to form beamformers. Each beamformer is thus a stack of beamsplitters, including a front beamsplitter in the form of a triangular or trapezoidal prism, and one or more beamsplitters in the form of rhomboid prisms. In use, a beamformer forms an output beam from an input beam. More specifically, the beamformer splits an input beam into plural output beam components that collectively constitute an output beam that differs in cross section from the input beam.

A probe-based bidirectional electrophoretic force optical trap loading method includes steps of (1) detaching target particles from an upper electrode plate and capturing the target particles by a micro-scale probe based on a bidirectional electrophoretic force; (2) moving the probe with the target particles over an optical trap, applying a reverse electric field between the probe and the upper substrate electrode plate which is applied during a polar relaxation time of the target particles, and desorbing the target particles from the probe; and (3) turning on the optical trap, applying an electric field between the lower electrode plate and the upper electrode plate, adjusting the speed of the desorbed target particles through the electric field at which the optical trap is able to capture the desorbed target particles and the desorbed target particles moving to the effective capture range of the optical trap.