An identification apparatus includes a window unit including a passage surface on an upper side configured to allow a sample supplied from a conveyance unit to slide along and pass on the passage surface, a light irradiation unit disposed below the window unit, spaced a certain distance from the passage surface, and configured to irradiate the sample with a primary light through the window unit, a light collection unit disposed below the window unit and configured to collect a secondary light from the sample through the window unit, and an acquisition unit configured to acquire identification information for identifying a property of the sample based on the secondary light collected by the light collection unit.

An identification apparatus includes a window unit including a passage surface on an upper side configured to allow a sample supplied from a conveyance unit to slide along and pass on the passage surface, a light irradiation unit disposed below the window unit, spaced a certain distance from the passage surface, and configured to irradiate the sample with a primary light through the window unit, a light collection unit disposed below the window unit and configured to collect a secondary light from the sample through the window unit, and an acquisition unit configured to acquire identification information for identifying a property of the sample based on the secondary light collected by the light collection unit.

Disposable, pre-sterilized, and pre-calibrated, pre-validated sensor components are provided. The sensor components interact with a sensor system having disposable fluid conduit or bioreactor bag and a reusable sensor assembly. The components can include an optical bench or inset optical component or module designed to be integrated within the disposable fluid conduit or bioreactor bag, which provides an optical light path through the conduit or bag. The sensors systems are designed to store sensor-specific information, such as calibration and production information, in a non-volatile memory chip on the disposable fluid conduit or bag and on the reusable sensor assembly. Methods for calibrating the sensor and for determining a target property of an unknown fluid are also disclosed. The devices, systems and methods relating to the sensor are suitable for and can be outfitted for turbidity sensing.

A scalable, real-time, label-free, electrode- or optical-based cell monitoring system for integration into a cell culture incubator is described herein. An example system includes (1) cell culture consumables with integrated electrodes and/or optics for growing and monitoring cells, (2) incubator trays for consumable organization and recording, and (3) a system console, external to the incubator, for connecting multiple incubator trays. Without perturbing the cell culture, the system is capable of monitoring multiple culture attributes for each cell culture consumable simultaneously. These attributes can include, but are not limited to, cell growth, proliferation, morphology, media pH, or media oxygen. The system can support multiple trays, which permits monitoring dozens to hundreds of consumables simultaneously, including a mixture of consumables of various sizes. In addition to monitoring adherent cells, the disclosed technology can be readily adapted for monitoring of cell suspensions.

A gas cell (1) for the spectroscopic, in particular absorption spectroscopic, analysis of a gas, in which the gas is exposed to an incident beam of rays (S) of electromagnetic radiation and a beam of rays (S.sub.A) of electromagnetic radiation exiting the gas is detected to form a measurement signal, wherein the gas cell (1) comprises a body (10) formed by a porous, electromagnetic radiation-scattering material, an in-coupling device (20) for coupling the incident beam of rays (S) into the gas cell (1) and an out-coupling device (30) for coupling the exiting beam of rays (S.sub.A) out of the gas cell (1), wherein, according to the invention, the gas cell is further developed according to the invention by forming a material-free cavity (12) in the body (10), which is surrounded by an inner surface (14) running within the material and is both diffusely reflecting and transmitting the electromagnetic radiation.

A biochemical substance analysis system (5) is used to detect biological characteristics of a sample in a flow cell (38), and includes a detection system (51), a scheduling system (53), a biochemical reaction system (55). and a control system (57). The scheduling system (53) is used to schedule the flow cell (38) at different sites, including sites in the detection system (51) and sites in the biochemical reaction system (55). The biochemical reaction system (55) is used to allow the sample to react in the flow cell (38). The detection system (51) is used to detect a signal from the reacted sample to obtain a signal representing the biological characteristics of the sample. The control system (57) is used to control the detection system (51), the scheduling system (53), and the biochemical reaction system (55) to cooperate. The disclosure improves automation degree and flux of the biochemical substance analysis.

Apparatus and methods are described for determining a property of a bodily sample using a microscope and optical-density-measurement apparatus, the apparatus including a sample carrier that includes a plurality of microscopy sample chambers configured to receive a first portion of the sample and to facilitate imaging of the first portion of the sample by the microscope, each of the microscopy sample chambers having an upper and a lower surface, and having respective heights between the upper and lower surfaces that are different from each other. The sample carrier includes at least one optical-density-measurement chamber configured to receive a second portion of the sample, and to facilitate optical density measurements being performed optical-density-measurement apparatus upon the second portion of the sample. Other applications are also described.

An apparatus for analysing a liquid sample comprising particles, comprises: a first chamber (12) and a second chamber (14), and an optical path between the first chamber (12) and the second chamber (14), wherein: the first chamber (12) is a sample chamber comprising: a sample space for receiving the sample; a light input (24) for input of light into the first chamber (12) for interaction with the sample; and an exit aperture (26) arranged for scattered and/or reflected light to pass from the first chamber via the optical path to the second chamber (14); the second chamber (14) is a detection chamber comprising: an input aperture (28) for receiving light from the optical path; and a detector (25) for detecting, or a detector aperture for receiving, light to be detected; wherein the first chamber (12) and the second chamber (14) provide at least one light integrating volume, and wherein the first chamber (12) is configured such that in operation the liquid sample is present in the first chamber (12) and isolated from the second chamber (14).

Example embodiments include a cell culture apparatus, methods for cell cultivation by using the cell culture apparatus, and a cell culture incubator comprising the cell culture apparatus. The cell culture apparatus comprises a plurality of cell culture modules arranged adjacent to each other. Each cell culture module comprises two or more culture medium reservoirs connected by two or more flow channels that go through a basal chamber arranged under an apical chamber. The apical and basal chambers are separated by a porous membrane. The basal chamber has a bottom part arranged higher than a bottom part of each of the culture medium reservoirs. The culture model comprises further a cavity under at least the bottom part of the basal chamber and at least one means for capturing at least one image from a bottom and/or top of the at least one cell culture module.

Example embodiments include a cell culture apparatus, methods for cell cultivation by using the cell culture apparatus, and a cell culture incubator comprising the cell culture apparatus. The cell culture apparatus comprises a plurality of cell culture modules arranged adjacent to each other. Each cell culture module comprises two or more culture medium reservoirs connected by two or more flow channels that go through a basal chamber arranged under an apical chamber. The apical and basal chambers are separated by a porous membrane. The basal chamber has a bottom part arranged higher than a bottom part of each of the culture medium reservoirs. The culture model comprises further a cavity under at least the bottom part of the basal chamber and at least one means for capturing at least one image from a bottom and/or top of the at least one cell culture module.