The invention provides devices and methods for linked multimodal measurements of individual particles using a mass sensor and an additional sensor.

The disclosure features systems and methods for measuring and diagnosing target constituents bound to labeling particles in a sample. The systems include a radiation source, a sample holder, a detector configured to obtain one or more diffraction patterns of the sample each including information corresponding to optical properties of sample constituents, and an electronic processor configured to, for each of the one or more diffraction patterns: (a) analyze the diffraction pattern to obtain amplitude information and phase information corresponding to the sample constituents; (b) identify one or more particle-bound target sample constituents based on at least one of the amplitude information and the phase information; and (c) determine an amount of at least one of the particle-bound target sample constituents in the sample based on at least one of the amplitude information and the phase information.

A method for operating a blast furnace with which, even in the case where there is an increase in the powder ratio of coke to be charged into the blast furnace, it is possible to achieve the stabilization of blast furnace operation. The method includes blowing air through a tuyere disposed in a lower part of the blast furnace, successively measuring a particle size distribution of coke transported to the blast furnace, and adjusting at least one of a blast volume and a coke ratio in accordance with an index derived from the particle size distribution.

A method includes illuminating a drop with a pulse of light from a light source. A duration of the pulse of light is from about 0.0001 seconds to about 0.1 seconds. The method also includes capturing an image, video, or both of the drop. The method also includes detecting the drop in the image, the video, or both. The method also includes characterizing the drop after the drop is detected. Characterizing the drop includes determining a size of the drop, a location of the drop, or both in the image, the video, or both.

A system for characterizing at least one particle from a fluid sample is disclosed. The system includes a filter disposed upstream of an outlet, and a luminaire configured to illuminate the at least one particle at an oblique angle. An imaging device is configured to capture and process images of the illuminated at least one particle as it rests on the filter for characterizing the at least one particle. A system for characterizing at least one particle using bright field illumination is also disclosed. A method for characterizing particulates in a fluid sample using at least one of oblique angle and bright field illumination is also disclosed.

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for estimating oocyte quality. A machine learning algorithm accesses oocyte training data for a mammalian species (e.g., humans) and trains a neural network to estimate oocyte quality for the mammalian species based on the oocyte training data. The neural network accesses a microscopic image of an oocyte and identifies oocyte features of the oocyte. Based on the identified oocyte features, the neural network estimates oocyte quality, including: (a) predicting a probability of a corresponding embryo maintaining sufficient developmental competence until a specified time after fertilization and (b) predicting another probability of the corresponding embryo reaching a specific embryonic stage after fertilization. An oocyte is selected, from among a plurality of human oocytes including the human oocyte, for a potential recipient based at least in part on the oocyte quality, including based on the probability and the other probability.

A portable air quality monitoring device is disclosed that can identify the type of particles in the air. This device takes images of particles in the air and compares them with a library of particles in its memory to identify the type of particles. The device has a housing that draws ambient air into the system and takes microscopic images of the flowing particles and droplets using flash photography. The device can be stand alone or can connect to the back of a mobile phone and use the mobile phone camera and light. People can upload their local air quality data online for all to see the local air quality.

A fluorescence image analyzer has an imaging unit for capturing a first image containing at least a part of a region of a cell as an imaging target for a plurality of cells in a sample in which a target site on a chromosome is labeled with a fluorescent dye, and a second image including fluorescence generated from a fluorescent dye labeling the target site of the cell of the first image. The processing unit selects a plurality of test cells having specific morphological characteristics to be tested from a plurality of cells based on at least the first image, and extracts the bright spots of fluorescence generated from the fluorescent dye. The processing unit identifies cells with chromosomal abnormalities and/or cells without chromosomal abnormalities based on the extracted bright spots, and generates information related to the ratio of cells with chromosomal abnormalities relative to the test cells.

Provided is a particle measurement device in which irradiation light emitted by a light source is expanded by an expander in a shape satisfying the requirements of a diffractive optical element, converted into parallel light, and made to enter the diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element shapes the irradiation light entering therein into a flat top beam in which the cross section in the focal position thereof has an elongate rectangle shape. The intensity distribution of light can be made substantially uniform in a detection area formed by the shaped irradiation light.

A flow passage is irradiated with irradiation light, and light scattered from a particle contained in a sample passing through a detection region that is formed in a prescribed section is condensed at a position obtained by extending the prescribed section in a flow direction of the sample and captured at a prescribed frame rate. Then movement amount of the particle due to Brownian motion in directions perpendicular to the flow direction on the basis of captured plural frame images. Furthermore, a particle size of the particle is determined by correcting the movement amount using correction values that were obtained in advance corresponding to each of defocus positions for correcting errors of movement amount in the images caused by magnification.