A device for in-situ measuring settleability of activated sludge includes a sample chamber, an ultrasonic time domain reflectometer, a magnetic stirrer, an ultrasonic probe, a sample inlet, a sample outlet, and a stagnant zone. The sample chamber is configured to hold an activated sludge sample, and the ultrasonic time domain reflectometer is configured to measure the settling characteristics of the activated sludge. The stagnant zone is disposed in the sample chamber. The sample inlet and the sample outlet communicate with the sample chamber. The stagnant zone includes a top part, a sidewall, and a bottom part. The sample inlet is connected to the top part of the stagnant zone. The sample outlet is connected to the sidewall of the stagnant zone. The magnetic stirrer is disposed at the bottom part of the stagnant zone. The ultrasonic probe is disposed on the top part of the stagnant zone.

An acoustic wave sensor device, comprising an interdigitated transducer; a first reflection structure arranged on one side of the interdigitated transducer, and a second reflection structure arranged on another side of the interdigitated transducer; a first resonance cavity comprising a first upper surface and formed between the interdigitated transducer and the first reflection structure; a second resonance cavity comprising a second upper surface and formed between the interdigitated transducer and the second reflection structure; and wherein the second upper surface comprises a physical and/or chemical modification as compared to the first upper surface.

An ultrasonic flowmeter having a measuring tube, a control unit, at least one first ultrasonic measuring unit and a second ultrasonic measuring unit, the measuring tube having a measuring tube interior and a measuring tube longitudinal axis, wherein each of the ultrasonic measuring units is arranged on the measuring tube, wherein each ultrasonic measuring unit has a first ultrasonic transducer and a second ultrasonic transducer, the first and the second ultrasonic transducers spanning a sound measuring section with a sound axis. The sound measuring section and the sound axis penetrate the measuring tube interior for carrying out ultrasonic measurements. To provide an ultrasonic flowmeter for reliable measurement of a multi-phase medium, the sound axis of the first ultrasonic measuring unit and the sound axis of the second ultrasonic measuring unit span a sound measuring plane which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the measuring tube.

The invention relates to a method of performing an optical or electrical measurement in a sample of a disperse fluid, the sample comprising particles and a fluid. The method comprises the steps of: a) positioning the sample in a microfluidic cavity having a resonance frequency, b) subjecting the sample, in the cavity, to an acoustic standing wave configured for causing the particles to congregate in at least one first region of the cavity, thereby causing the fluid to occupy at least one second region of the cavity, wherein the frequency of the acoustic standing wave is varied between a frequency below the resonance frequency and a frequency above the resonance frequency, and c) performing an optical or electrical measurement in the fluid in at least one of the at least one second region of the cavity. Varying the frequency ensures reproducible results. The invention also relates to a system therefore and a method and system for measuring hematocrit.

Various embodiments of an interconnect device and modules and systems that utilize such interconnect device are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the interconnect device can include a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB can include a substrate forming a resiliently deflectable element, a conductive material disposed on the substrate, and an electrical contact disposed on the resiliently deflectable element and electrically coupled to the conductive material. The interconnect device can also include a connector that includes a connecting pin configured to electrically couple with the electrical contact of the resiliently deflectable element of the PCB and cause the resiliently deflectable element to deflect when the element contacts the connecting pin.

According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic probe includes a first member and a first vibrating element. The first member includes at least one selected from the group consisting of metal and ceramic. The first vibrating element includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer provided between the first electrode and the first member, and a second electrode provided between the piezoelectric layer and the first member and being in contact with the first member.

The invention provides devices and methods for optimized cellular measurements. The method comprises introducing cellular and/or non-cellular material into a measurement device, collecting data from the cellular and/or non-cellular material, providing the data to a classifier that utilizes the data to identify cellular and/or non-cellular material, and using the identification by the classifier to optimize cellular measurements made by the measurement device.

According to the invention there is provided a flowmeter (10) includes a body (12) defining a passageway (14) for allowing fluid to flow therethrough and a sensing arrangement (16) which extends substantially inwardly from opposing end regions (18) of the passageway (14) for sensing a flow of fluid through the passageway (14) along an axis (20) which is substantially parallel thereto.

There is provided a method for determining material properties in an active acoustic spectroscopy system, the method comprising: acquiring a multidimensional acoustic spectrum from a material in a container using acoustic spectroscopy; reducing the dimensionality of the acoustic spectrum using a mathematical dimensionality reduction method, thereby forming a reduced acoustic spectrum describing a material state; and determining if the material state belongs to a predetermined material state cluster. There is also provided a system for performing the described method.

A system and method are provided for loading a sample into an analytical instrument using acoustic droplet ejection (“ADE”) in combination with a continuous flow sampling probe. An acoustic droplet ejector is used to eject small droplets of a fluid sample containing an analyte into the sampling tip of a continuous flow sampling probe, where the acoustically ejected droplet combines with a continuous, circulating flow stream of solvent within the flow probe. Fluid circulation within the probe transports the sample through a sample transport capillary to an outlet that directs the analyte away from the probe to an analytical instrument, e.g., a device that detects the presence, concentration quantity, and/or identity of the analyte. When the analytical instrument is a mass spectrometer or other type of device requiring the analyte to be in ionized form, the exiting droplets pass through an ionization region, e.g., an electrospray ion source, prior to entering the mass spectrometer or other analytical instrument. The method employs active flow control and enables real-time kinetic measurements.