A method of preparing a sample may include depositing an aqueous solution comprising copies of a primer into a layer of hydrophobic liquid on a substrate with a thermal inkjet device. A sample may include: a substrate; a layer of hydrophobic liquid on the substrate, the layer of hydrophobic liquid comprising a plurality of droplets of aqueous solution distributed in the layer, wherein the plurality of droplets contain: primers; a polymerase enzyme; deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs); and a target sequence for replication; and a cover, the cover contacting and covering the layer of hydrophobic liquid.

The invention relates to a method for producing a sample on an object using a material processing device. The invention further relates to a computer program product and a material processing device for carrying out the method. The method comprises guiding a light beam over a surface of the object in a first direction along a first line, with material of the object being ablated when the light beam is guided over the surface of the object, changing the first direction into a second direction, guiding the light beam over the surface of the object in the second direction along a second line, with material of the object being ablated when the light beam is guided over the surface of the object along the second line, wherein the light beam is provided in pulsed fashion and is guided onto the surface of the object in such a way that the light beam ablates material from the object in a first operational state of the light beam device and that the light beam is not guided onto the object in a second operational state, and wherein the sample is produced in the first operational state by ablating material from the object.

A spheroid tissue microarray comprises an array of tissue spheroids embedded within a porous mold. The product may be impregnated with a wax or resin and sectioned, and contains spheroids which are precisely located in a regular geometric grid. A method of manufacturing a spheroid tissue microarray comprises the steps of: forming a mold of porous material from liquid mold material in a casting mold, and allowing the liquid mold material to set; removing the porous mold from the casting mold; topping up the porous mold with further liquid mold material, and allowing recesses to form in the surface of the mold by the drawing-in of liquid mold material through shrinkage as the liquid mold material sets; placing tissue spheroids into the recesses in the surface of the porous mold; and sealing the tissue spheroids within the mold by topping off with liquid mold material and allowing the liquid mold material to set. An alternative method comprises the steps of: forming a mold of porous material from liquid mold material in a casting mold; allowing the liquid mold material to set; removing the porous mold from the casting mold; placing spheroids in recesses at the bases of wells in the mold of porous material; and sealing the spheroids within the porous mold by adding further porous material on top of the spheroids; wherein the recesses at the bases of the wells in the porous material are formed by protrusions of the casting mold carrying further, nipple-shaped, protrusions.

An automated specimen preparation system for preparing a specimen from a sample in a sample container is provided. The automated specimen preparation system comprises a specimen transfer device configured for holding a specimen collector thereon and for being positioned within the sample container. The specimen transfer device comprises a central bore having an open distal end and a closed proximal end, a pressure monitoring port fluidly coupled to the central bore at the proximal end of the central bore, and a fluid waste evacuation port fluidly coupled to the proximal end of the central bore. The pressure monitoring port comprises a reduced diameter portion coupled directly to the central bore. The automated specimen preparation system further comprises a vacuum source fluidly coupled to the fluid waste evacuation port, and a pressure monitoring device fluidly coupled to the pressure monitoring port.

A titration system is disclosed for determining content of an analyte in a sample. The titration system comprises: a controller; a reaction vessel; a titration vessel and an indicator vessel in fluid communication with the reaction vessel; a spectroscopy unit; a sensor for outputting a signal to the controller based on a force exerted by the reaction vessel on the sensor. The controller executes a stored program to: (i) perform titration by delivering to the reaction vessel a first mass of a first fluid comprising the sample, a second mass of a second fluid comprising indicator, and a third mass of a third fluid comprising titrant; (ii) detect color change in the mixture in the reaction vessel based on a signal from the spectroscopy unit and stop titration; and (iii) calculate content of the analyte in the sample based on the first mass, the second mass, and the third mass.

A surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization method according to an aspect includes: a first process of preparing a sample support (2) having a substrate (21) in which a plurality of through-holes (S) passing from one surface (21a) thereof to the other surface (21b) thereof are provided and a conductive layer (23) that covers at least the one surface (21a); a second process of placing a sample (10) on a sample stage (1) and arranging the sample support (2) on the sample (10) such that the other surface (21b) faces the sample (10); and a third process of applying a laser beam (L) to the one surface (21a) and ionizing the sample (10) moved from the other surface (21b) side to the one surface (21a) side via the through-holes (S) due to a capillary phenomenon.

The method is for quantitative measurement of particle content using hydrated state imaging such as CryoTEM. A sample of virus-like particles (VLPs) or virus particles is provided. Preferably, the sample is rapidly frozen into a cryogenic liquid at a cryogenic temperature. While at the cryogenic temperature, the particle content of each VLP in the frozen sample is observed in the CryoTEM. An amount of the particle content of the VLPs is determined to assess whether the VLPs are empty or not.

Coal rock three-dimensional strain field visual system and method are provided under a complex geological structure. The system includes a stress condition simulation system and a strain monitoring system. The stress condition simulation system includes a similar simulation experiment rack, a loading system and a circular slideway. The method includes preparing a 3D printing wire, printing a strain visual similar model, simulating a stratum dip angle and a gas-containing condition, applying stress fields, recording a cracking and dyeing condition of microcapsules inside the model, and the like. The system can realize tracing the generation and development of internal cracks in simulation models with complex geological conditions, and tracing the three-dimensional movement of internal ink dots to draw four-dimensional images of displacement fields.

An imaging system includes a sample mount for holding a sample to be imaged, a light source configured to emit a light beam to be incident on the sample, a translation mechanism coupled to the sample mount and configured to scan the sample to a plurality of sample positions in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the imaging system, a mask positioned downstream from the sample along the optical axis, and an image sensor positioned downstream from the mask along the optical axis. The image sensor is configured to acquire a plurality of images as the sample is translated to the plurality of sample positions. Each respective image corresponds to a respective sample position. The imaging system further includes a processor configured to process the plurality of images to recover a complex profile of the sample based on positional shifts extracted from the plurality of images.

Technologies are described for methods and systems effective for flex plates. The flex plates may comprise a base plate. The base plate may include walls that define an insert location opening in the base plate. The insert location opening in the base plate may be in communication with a securement area. The flex plates may comprise an insert. The insert may include a reservoir region and a crystallization region separated by a wall including channels. The reservoir region and the crystallization region may include a backing. The insert may further include securement tabs. The securement tabs may be configured to secure the insert to the base plate at the securement area.