Apparatus for reading a test region (6, 7) of an assay, e.g. on a lateral flow test strip (5), the apparatus comprising: an optical detector (2, 4; FIG. 1c), comprising an optical input for receiving light emitted from the test region (6, 7) of the assay and an electrical output; an electrical signal processor, electrically coupled to the electrical output; and a plurality of spectral filters (FIG. 1b) substantially transparent to a plurality of different wavelengths.

This detection device has a holder and a heating unit. The holder holds a detection chip that has the following: a prism that has an incidence surface and a film-formation surface; a metal film formed on said film-formation surface; trapping bodies laid out on the surface of said metal film; and a substrate that is laid out on the surface of the metal film, and together with the metal film, forms a liquid collection section in which a liquid is collected. The heating unit heats at least one of the substrate, the prism, and the metal film either while in contact therewith or without contacting same. Also, the heating unit is positioned so as to avoid the path that excitation light takes from an excitation-light emission unit to the abovementioned incidence surface.

A target measurement method for measuring a target contained in a sample, includes, when a solution containing a light-absorbing substance that absorbs excitation light that excites a fluorescent molecule or fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent molecule is in contact with a solid-phase surface of a substrate that is provided with a bound product of the target and a capture molecule specifically binding to the target which is modified with a fluorescent molecule, measuring a fluorescence obtained by irradiation of the excitation light from an opposite side to the solid-phase surface of the substrate from the opposite side to the solid-phase surface of the substrate.

An optical cell for performing light spectroscopy (including absorbance, fluorescence and scattering measurements) on a liquid sample in microfluidic devices is disclosed. The optical cell comprises an inlaid sheet having an opaque material inlaid in a clear material, and a sensing channel that crosses the clear material and the opaque material provides a fluidic path for the liquid sample and an optical path for probe light. Integral optical windows crossing a clear-opaque material interface permit light coupling into and out of the sensing channel, and thus light transmission through the sensing channel is almost entirely isolated from background light interference. A microfluidic chip comprising one or more optical cells is also disclosed. The optical cells may have different lengths of sensing channels, and may be optically and fluidly coupled. A method of manufacturing an optical cell in a microfluidic chip is also disclosed.

A spectroscopic assembly may include a spectrometer. The spectrometer may include an illumination source to generate a light to illuminate a sample. The spectrometer may include a sensor to obtain a spectroscopic measurement based on light, reflected by the sample, from the light illuminating the sample. The spectroscopic assembly may include a light pipe to transfer the light reflected from the sample. The light pipe may include a first opening to receive the spectrometer. The light pipe may include a second opening to receive the sample, such that the sample is enclosed by the light pipe and a base surface when the sample is received at the second opening. The light pipe may be associated with aligning the illumination source and the sensor with the sample.

An optical sensor includes a light emitting unit configured to emit and output light. a light receiving unit configured to receive light, a substrate on which the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are mounted, an electrically conductive pattern including a land to be electrically connected to an electrode of the light emitting unit, a resist arranged as a layer above the electrically conductive pattern or the substrate, a light shielding layer provided as a layer above the resist, and a light shielding region formed by a portion of the land and a portion of the light shielding layer overlapping in the direction of the normal of a mounting surface of the substrate, to shield stray light directed towards the substrate from the light emitting unit, the light shielding region.

A spectroscopic assembly may include a spectrometer. The spectrometer may include an illumination source to generate a light to illuminate a sample. The spectrometer may include a sensor to obtain a spectroscopic measurement based on light, reflected by the sample, from the light illuminating the sample. The spectroscopic assembly may include a light pipe to transfer the light reflected from the sample. The light pipe may include a first opening to receive the spectrometer. The light pipe may include a second opening to receive the sample, such that the sample is enclosed by the light pipe and a base surface when the sample is received at the second opening. The light pipe may be associated with aligning the illumination source and the sensor with the sample.

A system and method to calibrate an uncollimated laser diode for three-dimensional imaging applications. A method includes providing an optical comparator having an uncollimated laser diode as a light source to generate a shadow with sharp boundaries when used to illuminate an opaque occluder, wherein a two lines source model of light propagation is used to describe a behavior of the uncollimated laser diode, the two lines source model defined by two three-dimensional (3D) lines as model parameters, the uncollimated laser diode calibrated by estimating the two lines as a function of a sample of a ray field emitted by the uncollimated laser diode.

This invention is capable of improving performance of a biochemical analyzer and facilitating the maintenance. A light source includes: a first LED that emits ultraviolet light and a second LED that has a light emission spectrum different from that of the first LED, the first LED and the second LED being disposed in parallel; a reflection surface that is opposite to the first LED and reflects light of the first LED; and a dichroic surface that is opposite to the second LED, reflects light of the first LED, and allows light of the second LED to penetrate. When an optical member including the dichroic surface is made to be the dichroic prism, the reflection surface reflects light of the first LED to the second LED side, and by using light source of a configuration having a light shielding unit between a light emission surface of the second LED and a dichroic prism, entering of a light emitted from the plural LEDs as a one light beam (beam) to an optical system of latter stage of the biochemical analyzer is enabled.

A cuvette includes a first body portion and a second body portion. The first body portion and the second body portion may be connected by a hinge. The cuvette may include a first slide and a second slide.