A detection apparatus having a read head including a plurality of microfluorometers positioned to simultaneously acquire a plurality of the wide-field images in a common plane; and (b) a translation stage configured to move the read head along a substrate that is in the common plane. The substrate can be a flow cell that is included in a cartridge, the cartridge also including a housing for (i) a sample reservoir; (ii) a fluidic line between the sample reservoir and the flow cell; (iii) several reagent reservoirs in fluid communication with the flow cell, (iv) at least one valve configured to mediate fluid communication between the reservoirs and the flow cell; and (v) at least one pressure source configured to move liquids from the reservoirs to the flow cell. The detection apparatus and cartridge can be used together or independent of each other.

An integrated optofluidic device to illuminate, along an irradiation direction, a fluidic sample containing an object to be analysed, the device comprising: a substrate comprising an entry surface and being made of a material transparent to a light beam incident through the entry surface along the irradiation direction; a microfluidic channel formed in the substrate and having a channel portion intercepting the irradiation direction and extending along a longitudinal axis transverse to the irradiation direction, the microfluidic channel comprising a first flow inlet port for loading a fluidic sample therein, and an elongated lens cavity for an optofluidic cylindrical lens, the cavity being formed in the substrate and being arranged along the beam irradiation direction between the entry surface and the microfluidic channel, wherein the lens cavity is in fluid communication with a lens inlet port for loading a lens fluid.

Disclosed is a micro-lens imaging multi-well test plate which comprises: a transparent plate of 3-5 mm in thickness with one or more trapezoidal wells locating in the middle of the plate, each of the wells is of an underside of 2-4 mm in diameter, 0.2-0.5 mm in thickness, a trapezoidal dip angle of 60-75, and has a micro-lens which upper half is hemispherical, lower half is a cylinder, with radius of 0.11.0 mm, height of 0.22.5 mm, molded on the bottom of the well. The micro-lens imaging multi-well test plate is made of homogeneous optical transparent materials. When the trapezoidal concave wells of the test plate are filled with fluid to immerse the micro-lens, under parallel light illumination, due to the refraction effect of light, the image of micro-lens is a round one with an outer edge that is a black ring. The outer radius R of the black ring is the radius of the micro-lens, the inner radius r of the black ring is a function of the refractive index n.sub.1 of the immersion liquid, the refractive index n.sub.2 of the micro-lens and the height h of the micro-lens, so the refractive index of the sample fluid can be determined by monitoring the value of the inner radius r of the black ring with known values of R, n.sub.2 and h. By using a multi-well test plate for imaging, the individual refractive indices of different sample fluids in all the wells can be determined simultaneously in one measurement.

A sample testing apparatus is disclosed for use in optical transmission analysis of fluid samples such as oils or engine oils. The apparatus comprises a transmission cell comprising first and second fixed walls (1,2) and a movable window (3) that is moved with respect to the first and second walls in and out of a test region (6). When the movable window (3) is moved into the test region (6) an optical path through a fluid sample in the cell is defined, the optical path through the sample comprising a portion extending through the or each gap (L.sub.1,L.sub.2) between a one of the first and second fixed walls (1,2) and the at least a portion of the first movable window (3). Also disclosed are methods of using the sample testing apparatus and methods of performing a measurement for use in optical transmission analysis of a fluid sample.

A method of referencing in optical absorption spectroscopy using broadband light sources for determining the concentration of substances in gaseous or fluid media through and to a device for measuring the concentration of substances in gaseous or fluid media within the measurement path of a measurement cell using absorption spectroscopy of light emitted from broadband light sources via light guiding optics.

The apparatus and method for testing the ability of materials to protect photolabile materials provides an accurate measurement by directly observing the degradation level in a photolabile material. The apparatus is an assembly having primary and secondary cells and a light source. The primary and secondary cells are arranged in different configurations with respect to one another such that any light that reaches the photolabile materials must first go through the protective material under test. The method includes placing a protective material under test in the primary cell; placing a photolabile material in the secondary cell; subjecting the assembly to a light source for a predetermined amount of time; and removing and testing the photolabile material for degradation.

The present invention relates to a pillar structure for a biochip and includes a substrate which has a plate-shaped structure, and pillar members, each of which has one side detachably coupled to the substrate and the other side on which a sample is disposed.

Disclosed is a micro-lens imaging multi-well test plate which comprises: a transparent plate of 3-5 mm in thickness with one or more trapezoidal wells locating in the middle of the plate, each of the wells is of an underside of 2-4 mm in diameter, 0.2-0.5 mm in thickness, a trapezoidal dip angle of 60-75, and has a micro-lens which upper half is hemispherical, lower half is a cylinder, with radius of 0.11.0 mm, height of 0.22.5 mm, molded on the bottom of the well. The micro-lens imaging multi-well test plate is made of homogeneous optical transparent materials. When the trapezoidal concave wells of the test plate are filled with fluid to immerse the micro-lens, under parallel light illumination, due to the refraction effect of light, the image of micro-lens is a round one with an outer edge that is a black ring. The outer radius R of the black ring is the radius of the micro-lens, the inner radius r of the black ring is a function of the refractive index n.sub.1 of the immersion liquid, the refractive index n.sub.2 of the micro-lens and the height h of the micro-lens, so the refractive index of the sample fluid can be determined by monitoring the value of the inner radius r of the black ring with known values of R, n.sub.2 and h. By using a multi-well test plate for imaging, the individual refractive indices of different sample fluids in all the wells can be determined simultaneously in one measurement.

Cuvette, comprising at least one measuring area on each one of two arms that are pivotally connected to each other such that from a swung-apart condition, they can be swung together into a measuring position in which the two measuring areas have a distance for positioning a sample between the measuring areas, and means for positioning the two arms in a measuring position in a cuvette shaft of an optical measuring device with a sample between the two measuring areas in a beam path of the optical measuring device that crosses the cuvette shaft.

Described herein is a receptacle for holding a sample under spectrophotometer analysis comprising: a body, first and second opposing windows separated by a gap to provide a volume for a sample, wherein at least the first opposing window is supported by a first compliant member, and wherein under a force, the first compliant member allows positioning of the first opposing window relative to a first datum to set a desired: a) gap between the first and second opposing windows, and/or b) relative orientation of the first and second opposing windows.