A method and system for analyzing a sample potentially comprising a target, comprising: (i) activating one or more components of the sample analysis system in preparation for a sample, wherein the sample analysis system comprises a heating element, a centrifuge, a thermocycler, an imager, a user interface, and a processor; (ii) obtaining a sample potentially comprising a target; (iii) adding the obtained sample to a sample preparation receptacle, the sample preparation receptacle comprising one or more reagents configured to maximize success of the sample analysis; (iv) heating the sample preparation receptacle, with the added sample, in the heating element of the sample analysis system at a first temperature for a first heating period of time; (v) centrifuging the sample preparation receptacle, after heating, for a first period of time using the centrifuge of the sample analysis system; (vi) transferring at least a portion of the sample, after centrifugation, from the sample preparation receptacle to a sample analysis receptacle, the sample analysis receptacle comprising one or more reagents configured for a qPCR reaction specific to a selected target; (vii) obtaining, via the thermocycler and imager of the sample analysis system, a fluorescence curve during a qPCR reaction; (viii) analyzing, by the process of the sample analysis system, the obtained fluorescence curve to determine a presence or absence of the selected target in the sample; and (ix) reporting, to a user by the user interface of the sample analysis system, the presence or absence of the selected target in the sample; wherein one or more steps of the method are guided by interactive instructions provided by the sample analysis system.

Disclosed are methods, materials and devices for approximation of blood volume in a fluid, such as in a biological fluid collected during a surgical procedure. The method and devices may include the use of an RBC flocculant, for example polyDADMAC, and an approximate blood hematocrit from the type of animal blood being evaluated, as well as a calculated RBC packing ratio corresponding to the collection device being used. Also provided is a Blood Indicator Panel (BIP), comprising a series of markings calculated from an observed red blood settlement volume, the average animal blood hematocrit, and a calculated RBC packing ratio “n” value for the collection device. A collection device with a BIP is disclosed. Pediatric (about 200 ml or 250 ml size container), adult human (about 1,000 ml -1,500 ml) and veterinary (about 500 ml - 2,500 ml) collection containers are also disclosed, that include a RBC flocculant, for use in approximating blood volume in a fluid.

Two methods for quantifying fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (“FDP”) in a blood sample. The first method features obtaining a blood sample from a non-human animal, centrifuging the blood sample to obtain a first supernatant and collecting the first supernatant, centrifuging the first supernatant to obtain a second supernatant and collecting the second supernatant, diluting the second supernatant, contacting the diluted second supernatant with a reagent that contains antibodies specifically binding to FDP, and detecting an amount of antibodies specifically bound to FDP, thereby quantifying FDP in the blood sample. The second method requires subjecting the diluted second supernatant to a quantitative immunoassay that specifically detects FDP to quantify the amount of FDP in the non-human blood sample.

The invention pertains to the use of a specific biomarker of elastin degradation (desmosine) that measures the extent and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition to potentially serving as a screening procedure for COPD, it provides a real-time measure of COPD drug efficacy and may therefore supersede the use of less sensitive tests such as pulmonary function studies and computed tomography. Equally important, the current invention constitutes a marked improvement for measuring desmosine in tissues and body fluids by greatly shortening the time for detection of this molecule in liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) assays that are the gold standard for such measurements. Unlike previous methods, the invention allows for the use of LC-MS-MS without modification, so the method can be applied to any laboratory that uses this equipment for other measurements. This would include forensic facilities that need to determine if undiagnosed COPD played a role in the loss of life.

Disclosed are methods, materials and devices for approximation of blood volume in a fluid, such as in a biological fluid collected during a surgical procedure. The method and devices include the use of a RBC flocculant, such as polyDADMAC, and an approximate blood hematocrit for the type of animal, as well as a calculated RBC packing ratio corresponding to the collection device being used. Also provided is a Blood Indicator Panel (BIP), comprising a series of markings calculated from an observed red blood settlement volume, the average animal type hematocrit, and a calculated RBC packing ratio “η” value for the collection device. Pediatric (about 200 ml or 250 ml size container), adult human (about 1,000 ml-1,500 ml) and veterinary (about 500 ml-2,500 ml) collection containers are also disclosed, that include a RBC flocculant, for use in approximating blood volume in a fluid.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate, a urine pretreatment method, and a method for providing information required for cancer diagnosis through urine metabolite analysis using same.

A biological material measuring instrument is described. The biological material measuring instrument includes a rotating body and a main body. The rotating body includes one or more cartridge holders having cuvettes in which a reagent and an analyte in a sample react. The main body includes a pair of light-emitting parts and light-receiving parts to optically measure the analyte in the sample. The rotating body further includes a light-emitting optical waveguide for guiding the light of the light-emitting parts to the cuvette, and a light-receiving optical waveguide for guiding.

Oscillating angularly rotating a container containing a material may cause the material to be separate. Denser or heavier material may unexpectedly tend to collected relatively close to the axis of rotation, while less dense or light material may tend to collect relatively away from the axis of rotation. Oscillation along an arcuate path provides high lysing efficiency. Alternatively, a micromotor may drive an impeller removably received in a container. Lysing may be implemented in batch mode, flow-through stop or semi-batch mode, or flow-through continuous mode. Lysing particulate material may exceed material to be lysed or lysed material and/or air may be essentially eliminated from a chamber to increase lysing efficiency.

The disclosure describes methods and devices with which to process and analyze difficult chemical, biological, environmental samples including but not limited to those containing bulk solids or particulates. The disclosure includes a cartridge which contains a separation tube as well as one or more valves and cavities for receiving raw sample materials and for directing and containing various fluids or samples. The cartridge may contain a separation fluid or density medium of defined density, and structures which direct particulates toward defined regions of the cartridge. Embodiments can include a rotational device for rotating the cartridge at defined rotational rates for defined time intervals. Embodiments allowing multiple assays from a single sample are also disclosed. In some embodiments, this device is used for direct processing and chemical analysis of food, soil, blood, stool, motor oil, semen, and other samples of interest.

The invention provides a device and method for the real-time detection of aeropathogens. The device includes an aerosampler having an air inlet and at least one collector tube, a microfluidic system which includes a container, piping, a micro pump for flowing a liquid and a viral detection chamber. The viral detection chamber has an electrode which may be equipped with functionalized bio sensors, a counter electrode, an electronic detection system connectable to the electrodes of the viral detection chamber, and an embedded electronic processing system for processing data from the electronic detection system.