An apparatus for measuring properties of a thermosetting polymer includes a body having a first chamber and a second chamber each filled with the thermosetting polymer material. A first FBG sensor is disposed in the polymer material within the first chamber and a second FBG sensor is disposed in the polymer material within the second chamber. A first dielectric constant sensor is in the first chamber, and a second dielectric constant sensor is in the second chamber. A computing device is configured to measure properties of the thermosetting polymer based on wavelength data measured using the first FBG sensor and the second FBG sensor, and a loss coefficient of the polymer material measured using the first dielectric constant sensor and the second dielectric constant sensor, while the thermosetting polymer solidifies in the first chamber and the second chamber.

A method and apparatus for performing microrheological measurements in a viscoelastic medium by employing at least two optical traps, generated from a single laser source, acting on a single particle located in viscoelastic medium. The method uses an improved back-focal-plane interferometry (BFPI) procedure to obtain the complex shear modulus of the medium.

The present invention is directed to a method to detect in a blood sample whether the red blood cells (RBCs) contained in said blood sample present or not an alteration of their deformability by using molecular rotor (MR) able to penetrate RBCs cell membrane. The invention also relates to diagnostic methods of RBC related pathologies associated to the modification of the distribution of the viscosity, rigidity or deformability of RBCs by detection and measurement of the RBCs fluorescence intensity image intensity implementing optical methods. Finally, the present invention is directed to the use of MRs for testing the deformability of red blood cells (RBCs) in a blood sample and kit comprising MR and red blood cells (RBCs) control.

A fluorescent dye, as well as a preparation method and uses thereof, wherein the fluorescent dye is sensitive and specific to viscosity and has low background fluorescence; it can also be used as a fluorescent activated and lighted probe used for fluorescent labeling, quantification or monitoring of protein, enzymes or nucleic acid.

[Problem] To provide: fluorescent particles that are used to create a fluorescent material for coating an object in the vicinity of a fluid, that move regularly in the fluid while suppressing halation generated by the objects, and that enable the motion/movement of the fluid to be sharply visualized; an inspection device; and an inspection method.

[Solution] Substantially spherical fluorescent particles comprising a mixture containing at least one fluorescent material and a synthetic resin, wherein: the fluorescent material is excited by any purple visible light and UV rays having a wave-length of 290-405 nm, and emits visible light having a peak wavelength within the range of 410-620 nm; and the fluorescent particles have diameters of 100 nm to 1 mm and are distinguishable from bubbles and/or foreign bodies in the fluid when irradiated with the light.

Among other things, a method comprises imaging a sample displaced between a sensor surface and a surface of a microscopy sample chamber to produce an image of at least a part of the sample. The image is produced using lensless optical microscopy, and the sample contains at least blood from a subject. The method also comprises automatically differentiating cells of different types in the image, generating a count of one or more cell types based on the automatic differentiation, and deriving a radiation dose the subject has absorbed based on the count.

Metal oxide gel particles, may be prepared with a desired particle size, by preparing a low-temperature aqueous metal nitrate solution containing hexamethylene tetramine as a feed solution; and causing the feed solution to flow through a first tube and exit the first tube as a first stream at a first flow rate, so as to contact a high-temperature nonaqueous drive fluid. The drive fluid flows through a second tube at a second flow rate. Shear between the first stream and the drive fluid breaks the first stream into particles of the metal nitrate solution, and decomposition of hexamethylene tetramine converts metal nitrate solution particles into metal oxide gel particles. A metal oxide gel particle size is measured optically, using a sensor device directed at a flow of metal oxide gel particles within the stream of drive fluid. The sensor device measures transmission of light absorbed by either the metal oxide gel particles or the drive fluid, so that transmission of light through the drive fluid changes for a period of time as a metal oxide gel particle passes the optical sensor. If a measured particle size is not about equal to a desired particle size, the particle size may be corrected by adjusting a ratio of the first flow rate to a total flow rate, where the total flow rate is the sum of the first and second flow rates.

A sensing device for measuring physical properties of fluid medium uses fiber based cantilevers embedded in a cartridge. The cartridge may include: at least one fluidic channel, at least one light channel, at least one chamber located at the intersection of the fluidic channel and the light channel, and at least one light guide placed in the light channel. The light guide is at least partially contained in the respective chamber. The light guide has a movable section. The vibration of the movable section may be externally actuatable.

A rheological system includes a sample chamber, a compressed air system configured to provide compressed air to pressurize the sample chamber, and a rotor configured for rheological measurement of a material with variable volume, the rotor including an elongated shaft extending to a measurement portion having a widened geometry relative to the elongated shaft. The rotor is dimensioned such that a compression ratio of at least 5 to 1 is achievable while maintaining material cover of the sample over the entirety of the measurement portion of the rotor, the compression ratio being defined by a decompressed volume of a sample when the sample chamber is not pressurized to a compressed volume of the sample when the sample chamber is pressurized. Methods of taking rheological measurements with such a rotor are also disclosed.

Exemplary apparatus and method can be provided for obtaining data regarding a plurality of samples. For example, using at least one arrangement, it is possible to receive interferometric information that is based on radiations provided from a reference and the samples that are provided in respective chambers. Alternatively and/or in addition, based on the interferometric information, it is possible to discriminate between agents to identify a particular agent that affects a particular function within at least one of the samples.