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.

An object of the present claimed invention is to improve cell cooling performance, keep a temperature of a dispersion medium constant, and improve measurement accuracy. The particle size distribution measuring device of this invention comprises a cell holding body 31 that holds a cell 2 housing a measurement sample and that is rotated by a motor 322, a case (C) having a housing space (S) for rotatably housing the cell holding body 31, and a cooling mechanism 8 for cooling the cell 2. The cooling mechanism 8 comprises a cooler 81, and a supply channel 82 that supplies a gas that has been cooled by the cooler 81 to the housing space (S).

Provided is a centrifugal field-flow fractionation device that can stably press a fixing member toward an inner peripheral surface of a rotor by a wedge-shaped member, even when a relatively large centrifugal force acts on the wedge-shaped member. An arc-shaped (C-shaped) fixing member 17 is provided along an inner peripheral surface of a channel member 16 on a side of a rotation axis of the channel member 16. A wedge-shaped member 18 is attached between opposite ends of the fixing member 17 and applies a force in a direction of spreading the opposite ends apart, to thereby press the fixing member 17 toward the inner peripheral surface of the rotor 14. The wedge-shaped member 18 has a pair of contact surfaces 184 that respectively come into contact with the opposite ends of the fixing member 17. The pair of contact surfaces 184 include tapered surfaces that gradually taper down toward the rotor 14, so that the distance between the contact surfaces 184 gradually shortens as the contact surfaces 184 come close to the rotor 14.

An apparatus for determining the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in a whole blood sample includes a sample holder including an elongate sample chamber having an open end and a closed end. A holding member is adapted to receive and retain the sample holder. The holding member rotates may rotate about an axis of rotation. When the sample holder is received and retained by the holding member the sample chamber is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation. First and second light sources are positioned on one side of the sample holder and are configured to emit light in respective different frequencies. At least one light sensor is positioned on a second side of the sample holder, opposite from the first side, so that light from the light source may pass through the sample chamber, in at least one rotational position of the sample holder, and impinge on the light sensor.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro-pump for flowing a liquid, and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized biosensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.

A method for measuring a concentration of molecules, characterized in that the method measures the concentration of molecules dissolved in a continuous phase of a colloid and includes obtaining a test sample by mixing a number of molecules with a volume of colloid, obtaining a control sample by mixing a number of molecules with a volume of a composition comprising a particle-free solution extracted from a fraction of the continuous phase of same colloid used in the obtaining the test sample, so that a value of the concentration of molecules in the mixture is equal to the value of the concentration of molecules in the test sample obtained in the obtaining the test sample, and submitting the test and the control samples obtained in the obtaining the test sample and obtaining the control sample to a process in order to concentrate the particles of the test sample.

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro-pump for flowing a liquid, and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized biosensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.

A method for collecting plasma includes determining the weight and hematocrit of a donor, and inserting a venous-access device into the donor. The method then withdraws blood from the donor through a draw line connected to a blood component separation device, and introduces anticoagulant into the withdrawn blood. The blood component separation device separates the blood into a plasma component and a second blood component, and the plasma component is collected from the blood component separation device and into a plasma collection container. The method may then calculate (1) a percentage of anticoagulant in the collected plasma component, and (2) a volume of pure plasma collected within the plasma collection container. The volume of pure plasma may be based, at least in part, on the calculated percentage of anticoagulant. The method may continue until a target volume of pure plasma is collected within the plasma collection container.

Devices and methods are described for measuring formed blood component sedimentation rate. Some of the methods may use (1) centrifugal techniques for separating red blood cells from plasma and (2) video and/or still imaging capability. Both may be used alone or in combination to accelerate formed blood component sedimentation and to measure its rate. In one example, the method may advantageously enable rapid measurement of sedimentation rate using small blood sample volumes. Automated image analysis can be used to determine both sedimentation rate and hematocrit. Automated techniques may be used to compensate for effects of hematocrit on uncorrected sedimentation rate data.

A method and device performing the method for estimation of cell count, such as sperm cell count, is disclosed. The device may be a kit including a cartridge configured to hold fluid, such as seminal fluid, and an instrument configured to centrifuge the cartridge. The cartridge and instrument are configured such that, during operation or centrifugation, they are securely attached to each other. The cartridge has a component with a defined cross-sectional volume. The defined cross-sectional volume is used to mark the component with markings, allowing a user of the device to read the markings and estimate cell volume and, thus, concentration. Various embodiments of the device are disclosed.