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.

Provided is a sample manufacturing method that includes: a step of forming a hanging drop consisting of a liquid drop of a medium solution in a hanging state while causing at least one cell aggregate to be encapsulated in the liquid drop of the medium solution, the medium solution becoming substantially transparent upon gelling or solidifying; and a step of causing the hanging drop to gel or solidify by causing a promoting factor that promotes gelling or solidification of the medium solution to act on the hanging drop.

Cuvette, comprising a first flat plate (1) and a second flat plate (2), both of which in a closed state of the cuvette are positioned so as to be situated opposite parallel to each other and at which there is at least one transparent first measuring surface (1.1) and at least one transparent second measuring surface (2.1), which define in pairs a measuring space (3), in which a liquid sample solution having a drop volume can be held by means of its surface tension and capillary forces. At least the second measuring surface (2.1) of each one of the measuring spaces (3) is a stepped surface, which has at least two plane-parallel partial measuring surfaces (2.1.1, 2.1.2), which are connected to each other by means of a setting surface (2.1.0), so that the partial measuring surfaces (2.1.1, 2.1.2) exhibit different vertical distances (b.sub.1, b.sub.2) from the first measuring surface (1.1).

Among other things, the present invention is related to devices and methods for improving optical analysis of a thin layer of a sample sandwiched between containing between two plates.

An opto chip for detecting a physical parameter of a liquid sample, comprising an optical structure monolithically integrated with a substrate layer and a functional layer, wherein the substrate layer is light-transmissive and configured to have an upper surface for receiving a droplet of the liquid sample and a lower surface bonded to the functional layer; and the functional layer comprises a light-emitting region and a light-detecting region with the light-emitting region being configured to emit measurement light. The light-detecting region is configured to receive reflected light derived from the measurement light and a signal reflecting the change in intensity thereof is converted into a photocurrent signal. A viscometer and detection method operated using the same opto chip technique. The need for complex external optical calibration is thus eliminated, making the viscometer easier to operate and reducing the overall size of the device.

A method for analyzing droplets is described. The droplets can be received on an outer surface region of a sampler surface disposed on a substrate, wherein the sampler surface is increasingly less hydrophobic along a radial direction toward the center of the sampler surface. Next, the droplets can be aggregated and moved toward the center of the sampler surface. The droplets can then be received at an inner surface region of the sampler surface. Next, the droplets can be analyzed using an analysis mechanism in an area in the inner surface region.

An embodiment of a path length calibration system is described that comprises a swing arm coupled to a first surface; a base coupled to a second surface configured to receive the sample; a position sensor system comprising a first component coupled to the swing arm and a second component coupled to the base, wherein the position sensor system is configured to provide an output voltage when the swing arm is in a down position; and a processor configured to calibrate a zero path length using the output voltage.

This invention relates to the use of thermodynamically incompatible surfaces in agglutination assays for the express purpose of using the sample as a key component of the detection instrument. Specifically, the invention relates to formation of a lense and a virtual container for rapid mixing via thermal energy by a sample liquid disposed on a superhydrophobic surfaces, and a subsequent specific analyte or overall protein concentration assay using particles agglutination for use in the industrial, environmental, and clinical laboratory test fields.

The invention relates to a device (1) for the light spectroscopic analysis of a small amount of a liquid sample, comprising a receiving point (3) for receiving small amounts of the liquid sample, and light conductors (5, 6) which guide light of a light source to the sample and guide signal light from the sample in the direction of a detector, and is characterised in that an illumination source (7) is arranged below the receiving point (3), and a region (8) below the receiving point (3) which is permeable for the light of the illumination source (7), is provided such that the illumination light illuminates the receiving point (3).

An apparatus includes a first pedestal surface coupled to i) a swing arm and to ii) a light source. The apparatus further includes a magnet, a base plate, a mechanical stop coupled to the base plate, and a second pedestal surface mechanically coupled to said base plate and configured to receive a liquid sample, said second pedestal surface being coupled to a spectrometer. The apparatus further includes a magnetic flux sensor located between north and south magnetic flux fields of the magnet such that the magnetic flux reaching the sensor while the mechanical stop is in physical contact with the swing arm provides a linear range of output of the magnetic flux sensor, and a processor adapted to calibrate the point for minimum optical path length using a threshold magnetic flux field emitted from the magnet and detected by the magnetic flux sensor.