A system may include a light source, to generate a probe signal, comprising incident radiation; an optical probe, to direct the incident radiation through a fluid sample; a motor, to move the optical probe along a probe axis, to change a path length of the incident radiation through the fluid sample; and a detector, to receive the incident radiation as attenuated radiation after passing through the fluid sample. The system may include a control system, arranged to: initiate an absorbance measurement by directing movement of the optical probe along the probe axis; direct the light source to emit the incident radiation; and automatically adjust at least one measurement parameter of a set of measurement parameters for the sample measurement, based upon a slope parameter m, wherein m is derived from a rate of change in an intensity of the attenuated radiation with a change in the path length.

The invention relates to an image acquisition system (1) for acquiring an image of a liquid sample (2), comprising a well (3) that stores liquid sample (2), an image acquisition device (4) for acquiring an image of the liquid sample (2) in the well (3), a lid device (5) for covering the well (3) wherein the lid device (5) comprises a lid (6) having a lid part (7) and a lid extension (8) that extends from the lid part (7) into the well (3). The image acquisition system is characterized in that at least one part of the lid extension (8) is in physical contact with the liquid sample (2) when an image is acquired by means of the image acquisition device (4) and a light beam passes through the part of the lid extension (8) that is in physical contact with the liquid sample (2) before it is received by the image acquisition device (4).

A gas sampling assembly comprising an insert and a cuvette, and an insert for use in a cuvette, suitable for sampling respiratory gases of paediatric patients, the insert comprising a unitary insert having a hub and at least two extending members extending outwardly from the hub, the at least two extending members defining a void therebetween and the insert being located, in use, at least partially within the sampling channel, and the gas sampling cell assembly being configured such that light passing through the optical window passes into the sampling channel and through the void between the two extending members.

A cartridge for storing an un-labelled tissue to be imaged by an optical imaging system may include: a container to store the un-labelled tissue, and to interface with the optical imaging system; an optical substrate, provided on a bottom surface of the container, through which the optical imaging system is configured to image the un-labelled tissue to generate a virtually-stained histological image of the un-labelled tissue; and a lid, provided on a top surface of the container, including a membrane to compress the un-labelled tissue against the optical substrate such that an entire margin of the un-labelled tissue is flat against the optical substrate.

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.