The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods relate to ATPA technology that provides a method for the real-time assessment of the polymerization of a sample, e.g., whole blood or blood plasma coagulation, by a non-contact acoustic tweezing device. The acoustic tweezing technology integrates photo-optical tests used in plasma coagulation assays with mechanical (viscoelastic) tests used in whole blood analysis. Its key disruptive features are the increased reliability and accuracy due to non-contact measurement, low sample volume requirement, relatively short procedure time (less than 10 minutes), and the ability to assess the level of Factor XIII function from measurements of the fibrin network formation time.

The invention optically analyzes a component in a sample having a material suspended. An optical analysis system that irradiates a liquid sample with light and analyzes a component of the sample using transmitted light transmitted through the sample includes a container accommodating the sample and an ultrasonic irradiation unit irradiating an ultrasonic wave for exciting the sample. The container includes a pair of light transmission wall portions between which the sample is disposed and which has light transmissivity, and one of the light transmission wall portions and the other of the light transmission wall portions are disposed to be separated from each other at a distance shorter than a wavelength of the ultrasonic wave.

The invention relates to an acoustic-optical imaging method and system of a zone for observing an environment. The system includes an acquisition device comprising, a network of transducers for generating a plurality of non-focussed sound waves, a light-emitting device for emitting an incident light wave and generating marked light waves comprising an acoustic-optical component that is shifted in frequency by the non-focussed sound waves, and a detector for acquiring measurement signals. The system also comprises a processing device for determining a light intensity in the observation zone from the measurement signals.

The invention optically analyzes a component in a sample having a material suspended. An optical analysis system that irradiates a liquid sample with light and analyzes a component of the sample using transmitted light transmitted through the sample includes a container accommodating the sample and an ultrasonic irradiation unit irradiating an ultrasonic wave for exciting the sample. The container includes a pair of light transmission wall portions between which the sample is disposed and which has light transmissivity, and one of the light transmission wall portions and the other of the light transmission wall portions are disposed to be separated from each other at a distance shorter than a wavelength of the ultrasonic wave.

The invention is a method for characterizing a liquid sample, said liquid sample containing particles, the method comprising the following steps: a) illuminating said sample using a light source that is able to emit an incident light wave towards the sample; b) detecting, using a photodetector, a light wave transmitted by the sample thus illuminated; c) characterizing the sample depending on an intensity of the light wave detected by the photodetector. The method comprises, prior to step c), applying an acoustic wave to the sample, said acoustic wave forming pressure nodes and pressure antinodes in the sample, so as to separate, in the latter, a poor portion, poor in particles, and rich portion, rich in particles, such that, in step c), the sample is characterized: either on the basis of the intensity of the light wave transmitted by the poor portion; or on the basis of the intensity of the light wave transmitted by the rich portion.

The present invention is directed to devices and systems for rapidly producing high resolution images of magnetic fields in a sample. The devices and systems employ diamond chips with color centers that fluoresce in the presence of magnetic fields. The high resolution is due to the use of one of three excitation methods. The first method employs modulation of an acoustic surface wave, which increases/decreases the sensitivity of the color centers to magnetic fields. The second and third methods employ arrays of magnetic field coils and electrode pairs, respectively, which again increase/decrease the sensitivity of the color centers to magnetic fields. The color centers are preferably nitrogen vacancies in the diamond chips.

A monitoring device of biological cells including: a fluidic channel in which a fluid including biological cells is made to flow, including a first and second glass walls placed in parallel and a reflective surface adjoined to the second wall; and a piezoelectric transducer, the piezoelectric transducer emitting acoustic waves creating a force acting on the biological cells, making them flow substantially along a single motion plane. The external interface between the first wall and the exterior of the fluidic channel and the reflective surface are configured to function as a Fabry-Perot interferometer, such that the motion planes sensibly perpendicular to the optical axis of the Fabry-Perot interferometer. The finesse of the interferometer is lower than 10. The monitoring device further includes a detecting unit detecting a fringe pattern stemming from the Fabry-Perot interferometer and an analysing device, analysing the fringe pattern and configured to output data on physical properties of the cells based on the pattern.