A method for automated alignment of electronic components with respect to one or more inspection devices for inspecting the electronic components, each electronic component having a plurality of side surfaces. The method comprises: positioning each electronic component relative to an imaging device; determining, by the imaging device, an angular offset and a linear offset between each side surface of the electronic component and the one or more inspection devices; positioning each electronic component relative to the inspection devices; effecting alignment between each side surface and the one or more inspection devices in accordance with the respective angular and linear offsets; and inspecting each side surface after effecting alignment between the side surface and the inspection devices.

A device for optical inspection of a component located on a fixture. The fixture picks up the component at a delivery point, conveys it along a conveying path to a deposit point, and deposits it there. A light source delivers light at a first acute angle to the optical axis of an imaging sensor onto a first end face of the component when the component located at the holder is oriented with its end face at least normal to the optical axis of the imaging sensor. The latter inspects at least one side surface of the component and/or an area inside the component near a second of the end surfaces and near respective ones of the side surfaces. The imaging sensor detects light emerging from the first end face to signal a distribution of the intensity of the emerging light to an evaluation device.

A method for continuously collecting fluorescence data of a microfluidic chip is provided. In the method, an optical path system emits a light perpendicular to the microfluidic chip, such that a center of a light spot formed by the optical path system on the microfluidic chip is located on a circle formed by centers of all reaction cells. The microfluidic chip is rotated around a center of the circle formed by centers of all the reaction cells. Fluorescence signal values are collected by using the optical path system along a rotation direction of the microfluidic chip. The collected fluorescence signal values are processed to obtain effective fluorescence data of all the reaction cells.

A system including an optical signal detector and a controller operatively coupled to the optical signal detector and configured to determine an operational performance status of the optical signal detector. The optical signal detector includes a detection channel having a light source and a sensor, where the detection channel is configured to emit and focus light generated by the light source at a detection zone and to receive and focus light on the sensor. The optical performance status of the optical signal detector is based on a measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a non-fluorescent surface is in the detection zone and/or a measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a void is in the detection zone.

Sample analyzers and a method for controlling the sample analyzer are provided. The sample analyzer includes a reaction device, a detection device, a processor and a display. The reaction device is configured to obtain a reaction product. Multiple types of emitting lights are emitted after the irradiation light from the detection device irradiates the reaction product. An optical signal acquisition component is configured to acquire, in each light acquiring period, optical signals corresponding to a detection wavelength and at least one wavelength other than the detection wavelength for at least one type of emitting light. The processor is configured to calculate, for the at least one type of emitting light, optical data corresponding to the detection wavelength and the at least one wavelength other than the detection wavelength in each light acquiring period. The display is configured to display the optical data in multiple light acquiring periods.

A sample holder (100) for an apparatus (300) configured to perform an assay at a plurality of sample sites (130) is disclosed, wherein each sample site comprises a concatemer. The sample holder comprises a rotatable body (110), a matrix layer (120) and a liquid layer arranged on the matrix layer. The plurality of samples sites are distributed in the matrix layer in both a lateral direction and a thickness direction of the matrix layer, and the rotatable body is configured to be arranged in the apparatus to be rotatable around an axis (A) while the assay is performed at the plurality of sample sites. A corresponding method (200) and apparatus (300) are also disclosed.

The analysis device includes processing circuitry configured to measure absorbances at multiple measurement positions from one end to the other end in the width direction of a cuvette which is open at one end in the height direction; acquire blank data measured by the processing circuitry in a state where a blank liquid is placed in the cuvette, and sample data measured by the processing circuitry in a state where a reaction liquid in which a sample and a reagent are reacted is placed in the cuvette; and perform correction to align measurement positions of the blank data and the sample data based on correlation processing of the measurement positions of the blank data and the sample data.

A high-speed, 3-D method and system for optically inspecting parts are provided. The system includes a part transfer subsystem including a transfer mechanism adapted to support a part at a loading station and transfer the supported part from the loading station to an inspection station at which the part has a predetermined position and orientation for inspection. The system also includes an illumination assembly to simultaneously illuminate an end surface of the part and a peripheral surface of the part. The system further includes a lens and detector assembly to form an optical image of the illuminated end surface and an optical image of the illuminated peripheral surface of the part and to detect the optical images. The system still further includes a processor to process the detected optical images to obtain an end view of the part and a 3-D panoramic view of the peripheral surface of the part.

A method of determining the presence or amount of a target nucleic acid in each of a plurality of reaction mixtures. In the method, a first plurality of reaction mixtures are provided to a heater and subjected to conditions for performing a first amplification reaction. The presence or amount of a first target nucleic acid in each of the first plurality of reaction mixtures is determined during the first amplification reaction. During the first amplification reaction, a second plurality of reaction mixtures are provided to the heater and subjected to conditions for performing a second amplification reaction. The presence or amount of a second target nucleic acid in each of the second plurality of reaction mixtures is determined during the second amplification reaction. At least a portion of the second plurality of reaction mixtures are removed from the heater during the second amplification reaction.

A system for measuring optical signal detector performance includes an optical signal detector comprising a first detection channel having a first light source and a first sensor. The first detection channel is configured to emit and focus light generated by the first light source at a first detection zone, and to receive and focus light on the first sensor. The system also includes a controller operatively coupled to the optical signal detector and configured to determine an operational performance status of the optical signal detector based on at least one of (i) a first measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a first non-fluorescent surface portion is in the first detection zone and (ii) a second measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a void is in the first detection zone. The optical signal detector can be a fluorometer.