Among other things, a first surface is configured to receive a sample and is to be used in a microscopy device. There is a second surface to be moved into a predefined position relative to the first surface to form a sample space that is between the first surface and the second surface and contains at least part of the sample. There is a mechanism configured to move the second surface from an initial position into the predefined position to form the sample space. When the sample is in place on the first surface, the motion of the second surface includes a trajectory that is not solely a linear motion of the second surface towards the first surface.

Devices for detecting particle sizes and distributions using focused light scattering techniques, by passing a sample through a focused beam of light, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the devices include one or more lasers, whose light is focused into a narrow beam and into a flow cell, and dispersions are passed through the flow cell using hydrodynamic sample injection. In another embodiment, a plurality of lasers is used, optionally with hydrodynamic sample injection. Particles pass through and scatter the light. The scattered light is then detected using scatter and extinction detectors, and, optionally, fluorescence detectors, and the number and size of the particles is determined. Particles in the size range of 0.1 to 10 .Math. can be measured. Using the device, significantly smaller particles can be detected than if techniques such as EQELS, flow cytometry, and other conventional devices for measuring biological particles.

The present invention relates to a method for measuring circulating cells in superficial body fluids by means of high-frequency-based device. The method can be used for detecting circulating cells in the fluids of an individual without the necessity of extracting a sample of the individual, being useful as a diagnostic tool and for monitoring the effectiveness of a treatment administered to an individual suffering from a viral, protozoal, fungal and/or bacterial disease.

A particle analysis system includes an inlet; an inertial focusing microchannel disposed in a substrate and having a downstream expanding region at a distal end, where the inlet is connected to a proximal end of the microchannel; a plurality of outlets connected to the microchannel at the downstream expanding region; a plurality of fluidic resistors, where each fluidic resistor is connected to a respective outlet; and a particle analyzer configured to measure a size and a position of particles in the microchannel. A particle sorting system includes an inlet; an inertial focusing microchannel disposed in a substrate and having a downstream expanding region at a distal end, where the inlet is connected to a proximal end of the microchannel; a plurality of outlets connected to the microchannel at the downstream expanding region; and a plurality of fluidic resistors, where each fluidic resistor is connected to a respective outlet.

Devices, techniques, and processes are disclosed that use electrical impedance to detect of the presence and contents of droplets including cells, nucleic acids, proteins, or solute concentrations in an array of retrievable, trackable, trapped droplets in a fluidic system. Electrodes may be positioned underneath individual droplet traps in a microchannel to assay droplet contents and/or actuating droplets for the release of the droplets from corresponding traps. The disclosed technology may be used for detection of the results of solvent extraction processes including time-dependent quantification of metal ion concentration in the aqueous and organic phases, for wastewater treatment, heavy metal detection, pharmaceutical industry, and/or biotechnology, or for environmental monitoring of wastewater for toxic metal, monitoring of biological cell viability and proliferation, monitoring of extraction processes used in heavy metal mining, monitoring of extraction processes used in nuclear fuel processing, monitoring kinetics of enzyme processes, and/or assessing pharmacodynamics and drug efficacy.

A calibration method and system for a lubrication oil metal debris sensor includes applying an excitation to the lubrication oil metal debris sensor to be calibrated, obtaining a second output signal from the lubrication oil metal debris sensor to be calibrated based on a test metal ball with a known diameter, and determining a sensitivity characteristic parameter of the lubrication oil metal debris sensor to be calibrated according to the diameter of the test metal ball with the known diameter, the second output signal, and a preset data processing model. Large particulate metal balls with large diameter are used as calibration particles. The calibration performed by the combination of the particulate metal ball and the data processing model helps when the signal processing circuit cannot be matched with the actual performance of the sensor and avoids an underestimation of the monitoring capability of the lubrication oil metal debris sensor.

A detection system for detecting debris in a fluid may include one or more of an inductive sensor, a Hall sensor, a capacitive sensor, and a sensor processing system. The sensor processing, using the signals supplied from the one or more sensors, may do one or more of estimate a size of each debris that has interacted with the magnet field, determine a total number of debris particles that have interacted with the magnet field, determine a cumulative quantity of the debris particles attracted by and contacting the magnet, and determine the viscosity of the fluid.

A particle-measuring system for determining particle mass concentrations in aerosols has a laser diode serving as a radiation source and projecting a beam of laser light through a flowing stream of the aerosol. A receiver for receiving the light from the diode after passing through the stream and converting the received light into a measurement. A frequency radiation output of the laser diode is modulated such that the frequency is substantially greater than a cutoff frequency of the receiver so that a specifiable radiation output of the laser diode is achieved on average over a duration of a measurement signal of the receiver.

An apparatus for mixing a solution includes first and second tanks, a sampling element, a flow control element and a mixing assembly is provided. The first tank has a first chamber and a first fluid inlet. The second tank has a second chamber. The sampling element is connected and communicated with the first chamber. The flow control element connects and communicates with the first chamber through the first fluid inlet. Two opposite ends of the mixing assembly connect and communicate with the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively.

Devices for detecting particle sizes and distributions using focused light scattering techniques, by passing a sample through a focused beam of light, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the devices include one or more lasers, whose light is focused into a narrow beam and into a flow cell, and dispersions are passed through the flow cell using hydrodynamic sample injection. In another embodiment, a plurality of lasers is used, optionally with hydrodynamic sample injection. Particles pass through and scatter the light. The scattered light is then detected using scatter and extinction detectors, and, optionally, fluorescence detectors, and the number and size of the particles is determined. Particles in the size range of 0.1 to 10 m can be measured. Using the device, significantly smaller particles can be detected than if techniques such as EQELS, flow cytometry, and other conventional devices for measuring biological particles.