A quantitative method for diagnosing an autoimmune disease or an infectious disease comprising performing an automated diagnostic assay, comprising: incubating a capture reagent with a streptavidin-coated medium to form a solid phase complex, wherein the capture reagent is a biotinylated autoantigen or infectious disease antigen; washing the solid phase complex to remove excess capture reagent; incubating the solid phase complex with a serum sample to form an immune complex; washing the immune complex to remove any unbound sample; incubating the immune complex with a conjugate to create an immune-conjugate complex; washing the immune-conjugate complex to remove any unbound conjugate; introducing a substrate capable of generating a quantifiable response; and calibrating the response generated from introducing the substrate.

A quantitative method for performing an automated diagnostic assay, comprising: incubating a capture reagent with a streptavidin-coated medium to form a solid phase complex; washing the solid phase complex to remove excess capture reagent; incubating the solid phase complex with a serum sample to form an immune complex; washing the immune complex to remove any unbound sample; incubating the immune complex with a conjugate to create an immune-conjugate complex; washing the immune-conjugate complex to remove any unbound conjugate; introducing a substrate capable of generating a quantifiable response; and calibrating the response generated from introducing the substrate.

A quantitative method for diagnosing an autoimmune disease or an infectious disease comprising performing an automated diagnostic assay, comprising: incubating a capture reagent with a streptavidin-coated medium to form a solid phase complex, wherein the capture reagent is a biotinylated autoantigen or infectious disease antigen; washing the solid phase complex to remove excess capture reagent; incubating the solid phase complex with a serum sample to form an immune complex; washing the immune complex to remove any unbound sample; incubating the immune complex with a conjugate to create an immune-conjugate complex; washing the immune-conjugate complex to remove any unbound conjugate; introducing a substrate capable of generating a quantifiable response; and calibrating the response generated from introducing the substrate.

A quantitative method for performing an automated diagnostic assay, comprising: incubating a capture reagent with a streptavidin-coated medium to form a solid phase complex; washing the solid phase complex to remove excess capture reagent; incubating the solid phase complex with a serum sample to form an immune complex; washing the immune complex to remove any unbound sample; incubating the immune complex with a conjugate to create an immune-conjugate complex; washing the immune-conjugate complex to remove any unbound conjugate; introducing a substrate capable of generating a quantifiable response; and calibrating the response generated from introducing the substrate.

A quantitative method for diagnosing an autoimmune disease or an infectious disease comprising performing an automated diagnostic assay, comprising: incubating a capture reagent with a streptavidin-coated medium to form a solid phase complex, wherein the capture reagent is a biotinylated autoantigen or infectious disease antigen; washing the solid phase complex to remove excess capture reagent; incubating the solid phase complex with a serum sample to form an immune complex; washing the immune complex to remove any unbound sample; incubating the immune complex with a conjugate to create an immune-conjugate complex; washing the immune-conjugate complex to remove any unbound conjugate; introducing a substrate capable of generating a quantifiable response; and calibrating the response generated from introducing the substrate.

A quantitative method for diagnosing an autoimmune disease or an infectious disease comprising performing an automated diagnostic assay, comprising: incubating a capture reagent with a streptavidin-coated medium to form a solid phase complex, wherein the capture reagent is a biotinylated autoantigen or infectious disease antigen; washing the solid phase complex to remove excess capture reagent; incubating the solid phase complex with a serum sample to form an immune complex; washing the immune complex to remove any unbound sample; incubating the immune complex with a conjugate to create an immune-conjugate complex; washing the immune-conjugate complex to remove any unbound conjugate; introducing a substrate capable of generating a quantifiable response; and calibrating the response generated from introducing the substrate.

The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector for mating a first group of one or more optical fibers (102) with one or more corresponding optical fibers in a second group of one or more optical fibers (103). The optical fiber connector in dudes a shutter (105), which prevents the ingress of debris into the connector, and provides an optical reference surface with which to calibrate optical fibers that are inserted into the connector. The optical fiber connector finds application in the general optical fiber field, and more particularly finds application in the medical field in which it may be used to connect optical fibers in a photonic needle application.

A clam-shell luminometer that, when closed, completely encloses an assay reaction mixture-containing reaction vessel and some portion of a reaction carousel or ring. The luminometer includes first and second portions that are coupled to each other, a photomultiplier tube, and plural fiber optic bundles that are optically coupled to the photomultiplier tube. First ends of the fiber optic bundles are disposed adjacent to the reaction vessel in the second portion so that the fiber optic bundles completely surround the perimeter or periphery of the reaction vessel.

The present invention relates to an all-optical sensor utilizing effective index modulation of a waveguide and detection of a wavelength shift of reflected light and a force sensing system accommodating said optical sensor. One embodiment of the invention relates to a sensor system comprising at least one multimode light source, one or more optical sensors comprising a multimode sensor optical waveguide accommodating a distributed Bragg reflector, at least one transmitting optical waveguide for guiding light from said at least one light source to said one or more multimode sensor optical waveguides, a detector for measuring light reflected from said Bragg reflector in said one or more multimode sensor optical waveguides, and a data processor adapted for analyzing variations in the Bragg wavelength of at least one higher order mode of the reflected light.

Systems and methods for determining properties of an object are disclosed. A system includes a gripping element and at least one waveguide coupled to the gripping element. The waveguide is configured to transport a light signal through the gripping element and to transmit the light signal, at least a portion of the light signal illuminating the object. A detector is configured to detect at least a portion of the light signal and sense a curvature of the gripping element. A probe element coupled to the gripping element is configured to collect light reflected from the object. A spectrometer is configured to generate spectral data using the reflected light collected. A processor is configured to calibrate the spectral data based on the curvature and to determine properties of the object based on the curvature and the spectral data. The system enables recognition and profiling of objects based on spectroscopy and curvature.