Apparatus and methods for measuring the concentrations of organic and inorganic carbon, or of other materials in aqueous samples are described, having a reactor that is resistively heated by passing an electric current through the reactor.

Apparatus and methods for measuring the concentrations of organic and inorganic carbon, or of other materials in aqueous samples are described, having a reactor that is resistively heated by passing an electric current through the reactor.

A measuring apparatus for determining the total organic carbon of a sample in a liquid medium includes a reactor block made of a metallic, electrically conductive, and corrosion-resistant material, the reactor block including a housing wall for accommodating a light source, the housing wall including an inlet into and an outlet from the reactor block and a flow chamber in which digestion of the sample for determining the total organic carbon occurs, the flow chamber configured to accommodate the light source and to route the sample to be irradiated with light, wherein the measuring apparatus further includes at least one conductivity measurement device, wherein the reactor block is an external electrode of the conductivity measurement device. A method for determining the total organic carbon of the sample using the measuring apparatus is disclosed.

A tissue processing device includes a cassette for carrying tissue; a cassette container in which the cassette is received; a working stage, the cassette container being movably disposed on an upper side of the working stage; and an elastic vessel disposed on a lower side of the working stage, wherein the working stage defines a through hole, the cassette container communicates with the elastic vessel by means of the through hole, and each elastic vessel is configured to squeeze a reagent contained therein into the cassette container when the elastic vessel is deformed and to suck the reagent from the cassette container into the elastic vessel when the elastic vessel is restored. When the elastic vessel is deformed, the reagent therein is squeezed into the cassette container so that the tissue is immersed by the reagent, and when the elastic vessel is restored, the reagent contained in the cassette container is sucked into the elastic vessel to release the tissue from the reagent, so as to process the single tissue by means of a unique solution to prevent cross-contamination.

A tissue processing device includes a cassette for carrying tissue; a cassette container in which the cassette is received; a working stage, the cassette container being movably disposed on an upper side of the working stage; and an elastic vessel disposed on a lower side of the working stage, wherein the working stage defines a through hole, the cassette container communicates with the elastic vessel by means of the through hole, and each elastic vessel is configured to squeeze a reagent contained therein into the cassette container when the elastic vessel is deformed and to suck the reagent from the cassette container into the elastic vessel when the elastic vessel is restored. When the elastic vessel is deformed, the reagent therein is squeezed into the cassette container so that the tissue is immersed by the reagent, and when the elastic vessel is restored, the reagent contained in the cassette container is sucked into the elastic vessel to release the tissue from the reagent, so as to process the single tissue by means of a unique solution to prevent cross-contamination.

The present disclosure relates in some aspects to methods for preparing biological samples for in situ analysis of one or more analytes, wherein the biological sample has been previously affixed to a substrate, which is not compatible with in situ analysis, for example, due to the absence of positional markers and/or fiducial markers and/or a region suitable for in situ signal detection on the substrate.

A closed-loop temperature controller employing at least two sensors: a control temperature sensor and a safety sensor at the heat-transfer element. The heat-generating element is separated from the controlled mass/volume by a transport delay so that the mass or volume that is being heated or cooled is located in a vessel which is located remotely from the heat-transfer unit. Thermally conducting fluid flows through a conduit that connects the heat-transfer unit to the vessel. Upon fluid flow interruption or control sensor removal, the temperature controller quickly detects thermal runaway before the safety sensor has reached the critical temperature. In heated systems, the temperature controller will therefore minimize direct damage and/or overshoot damage caused by excessive heat. It will also maintain the heater's output at an elevated, but non-damaging level to enable a fast recovery to the original setpoint temperature after the nonlinearity subsides.

A closed-loop temperature controller employing at least two sensors: a control temperature sensor and a safety sensor at the heat-transfer element. The heat-generating element is separated from the controlled mass/volume by a transport delay so that the mass or volume that is being heated or cooled is located in a vessel which is located remotely from the heat-transfer unit. Thermally conducting fluid flows through a conduit that connects the heat-transfer unit to the vessel. Upon fluid flow interruption or control sensor removal, the temperature controller quickly detects thermal runaway before the safety sensor has reached the critical temperature. In heated systems, the temperature controller will therefore minimize direct damage and/or overshoot damage caused by excessive heat. It will also maintain the heater's output at an elevated, but non-damaging level to enable a fast recovery to the original setpoint temperature after the nonlinearity subsides.

The observation device comprises: a scanning electron microscope for detecting secondary electrons generated by irradiating the sample with an electron beam within the analysis chamber; a sample holder having a cell for housing the observation target gas, an open window of the cell, and a sample mounting part to which the sample can be mounted so as to block the open window; and an observation target ion detecting unit for irradiating the front surface of the sample with an electron beam in a state where the observation target gas in the cell contacts the back surface of the sample and detecting observation target ions derived from the observation target gas generated by the electron beam. In a state where the observation target gas is housed in the cell and the sample is mounted to the sample mounting part of the sample holder, the entire hydrogen cell can be sealed.

The observation device comprises: a scanning electron microscope for detecting secondary electrons generated by irradiating the sample with an electron beam within the analysis chamber; a sample holder having a cell for housing the observation target gas, an open window of the cell, and a sample mounting part to which the sample can be mounted so as to block the open window; and an observation target ion detecting unit for irradiating the front surface of the sample with an electron beam in a state where the observation target gas in the cell contacts the back surface of the sample and detecting observation target ions derived from the observation target gas generated by the electron beam. In a state where the observation target gas is housed in the cell and the sample is mounted to the sample mounting part of the sample holder, the entire hydrogen cell can be sealed.