Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described herein for disease detection using an analyte-agnostic approach. Such systems, apparatuses, and methods can include using an array with hydrogels disposed on a substrate, where the hydrogels include one or more polymerized monomers and one or more photoinitiators or photocleavage products thereof. One or more samples including one or more unlabeled analytes can be contacted with an array of polymers. The samples disposed on the array can be incubated for a first predetermined period of time, and heated at a predetermined temperature for a second predetermined period of time. An imaging device (e.g., flatbed scanner) can be used to measure an amount of one or more colorimetric or luminescence signals produced by the array after the incubating and heating. A neural network trained using the samples can then be used to predict a diagnostic or disease class for the sample.

An observation device includes an illumination optical system provided on a lower side of an installation position of a multi-well plate, a reflector that reflects light emitted from the illumination optical system, the reflector being provided on an upper side of the installation position, and an observation optical system that condenses the light reflected by the reflector, the observation optical system being provided on the lower side of the installation position. The reflector includes a plurality of curved surfaces where the light emitted from the illumination optical system enters. Each of the plurality of curved surfaces corresponds to one or more wells included in the multi-well plate, has positive power in a first direction in which the illumination optical system and the observation optical system are aligned, and has a center of curvature at a position deviating from a central axis of a well of the multi-well plate.

The invention relates to a device for a light-spectroscopic analysis of a, for example, liquid sample. In particular, light should be guided through a sample and then detected and/or analyzed photometrically, spectrophotometrically, fluorometrically, spectrofluorometrically and/or by means of phosphorescence or luminescence.

An optical imaging system includes a light source, a light detector and an aperture plate. The light source includes a plurality of light emitting devices which emit light that is directed toward an object to be illuminated. The light detector is positioned to view the object illuminated by the light source. The aperture plate is positioned relative to the light source to block a first portion of the light emitted by the light source and to allow a second portion of the light emitted by the light source to pass therethrough to illuminate a pre-defined area of the object. The aperture plate includes a plurality of spaced apart apertures formed through the thickness thereof. Each aperture corresponds to a respective light emitting device. Each aperture of the aperture plate is defined by a first opening formed in the thickness of the aperture plate and a second opening formed in the thickness of the aperture plate. The second opening partially overlaps the first opening and is partially offset from the first opening. The first and second openings' planar shapes match the shape of the desired illumination area, with the first openings being smaller than the second openings. A method for illuminating a defined area of an object includes the steps of energizing one or more light emitting devices of a light source in an optical imaging system, which energized light emitting device or devices emit light that is directed toward the object to be illuminated. The light is passed through particularly-shaped apertures, such as described above, formed in an aperture plate positioned between the light source and the object to be illuminated. The apertures in the plate only allow light passing therethrough to impinge on the object at a pre-defined area thereof.

A method for assessing an assessment target according to an embodiment includes: a step of acquiring statistical information based on at least one color feature quantity with respect to each of a plurality of assessment regions in a plate image corresponding to an image of an assessment plate that holds an assessment target in a plurality of wells provided in the plate; and a step of determining a color of the plurality of assessment regions by using the statistical information. The assessment target includes a tester, the plurality of wells include a test substance well holding the assessment target that further includes a test substance, the plate image includes a plurality of well images corresponding to the plurality of wells, and each of the plurality of assessment regions includes at least one well image corresponding to at least one of the wells.

An automatic analysis apparatus comprises: a light source generating light having a center wavelength equal to or shorter than 340 nm; a fluorescent substance excited by the light source light, and generates light together with transmitted light from the light source, having a wavelength of 340 nm to 800 nm; a condenser lens; at least one slit; a reaction cell holding a reaction solution where a specimen and reagent are mixed, and that the light source light and the light from the fluorescent substance enter; and a detector that detects light transmitted through the reaction cell. The light source, fluorescent substance, condenser lens, and slit are provided along a straight light corresponding to the optical axis. The width of the slit's opening is equal to or narrower than the width of a ray forming an image of the light source at the position of the slit.

The invention provides devices that improve tests for detecting specific cellular, viral, and molecular targets in clinical, industrial, or environmental samples. The invention permits efficient detection of individual microscopic targets at low magnification for highly sensitive testing. The invention does not require washing steps and thus allows sensitive and specific detection while simplifying manual operation and lowering costs and complexity in automated operation. In short, the invention provides devices that can deliver rapid, accurate, and quantitative, easy-to-use, and cost-effective tests.

A system for testing biological samples includes a frame having first and second sides and an aperture extending through the frame from the first side to the second side. First and second covers are attached to the first and second sides of the frame to form a well bounded by the frame, the first cover, and the second cover. An electromagnetic imaging device is used to image the biological sample through the first cover. A method is also conceived, wherein a first fluid is supplied to the well, the first fluid including live cells. A biofilm is grown from the live cells. A second fluid is supplied to the well and the biofilm is imaged using the electromagnetic imaging device.

Method includes positioning a first carrier assembly on a system stage. The carrier assembly includes a support frame having an inner frame edge that defines a window of the support frame. The first carrier assembly includes a first substrate that is positioned within the window and surrounded by the inner frame edge. The first substrate has a sample thereon. The method includes detecting optical signals from the sample of the first substrate. The method also includes replacing the first carrier assembly on the system stage with a second carrier assembly on the system stage. The second carrier assembly includes the support frame and an adapter plate held by the support frame. The second carrier assembly has a second substrate held by the adapter plate that has a sample thereon. The method also includes detecting optical signals from the sample of the second substrate.

Provided herein are methods for capturing extracellular vesicles from a biological sample for quantification and/or characterization (e.g., size and/or shape discrimination) using an SP-IRIS system. Also provided herein are methods of detecting a biomarker on captured extracellular vesicles or inside the captured vesicles (e.g., intra-vesicular or intra-exosomal biomarkers).