An object of the present invention is to improve the quality level discrimination accuracy of the grain G by a grain quality level discrimination device. The device includes an optical unit 3 that emits light to the grain G, receives reflected and/or transmitted light from the grain G by a photosensor, and obtains information for discrimination of the quality level of the grain G from the upper and lower surface side of the grain G, and a quality level discrimination unit 7 that discriminates the quality level of the grain G on the basis of the information. The information on the upper and lower surface sides can be acquired by one optical unit at the same time so that the divergence therebetween due to the displacement or variation of the attitude of the grain G can be avoided. The reference plate for the correction of the information is placed outside of the moving path of the grain G to prevent it from soiling or damaging. Thus the deterioration of information can be avoided. Further, a reference plate especially for the information to be obtained from the side surface of the grain G may be provided for enhancing the accuracy of the side surface information. Thus the quality level discrimination accuracy can be improved further.

Reusable network of spatially-multiplexed microfliuidic channels each including an inlet, an outlet, and a cuvette in-between. Individual channels may operationally share a main or common output channel defining the network output and optionally leading to a disposable storage volume. Alternatively, multiple channels are structured to individually lead to the storage volume. An individual cuvette is dimensioned to substantially prevent the formation of air-bubbles during the fluid sample flow through the cuvette and, therefore, to be fully filled and fully emptied. The overall channel network is configured to spatially lock the fluidic sample by pressing such sample with a second fluid against a closed to substantially immobilize it to prevent drifting due to the change in ambient conditions during the measurement. Thereafter, the fluidic sample is flushed through the now-opened valve with continually-applied pressure of the second fluid. System and method for photometric measurements of multiple fluid samples employing such network of channels.

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system for detecting antimicrobial resistance of a bacteria in a biological sample. In some embodiments, the system can include a plurality of containers, a detecting agent in each of the plurality of containers, and an antimicrobial agent in at least a portion of the plurality of containers. The antimicrobial agent is disposed in at least one of the plurality of containers. Each of the containers can contain at least a portion of the biological sample. The detecting agent can be configured to produce optically detectable changes responsive to bacterial respiration or growth, directly from patient samples of from patient sample cultures.

An automatic analysis device has a plurality of types of photometers having different quantitative ranges, and an analysis control unit for quantifying the desired component in specimens based on measurement values of one or more photometers selected from among the plurality of types of photometers. The analysis control unit: sets a switching region in an overlap region of respective quantitative ranges of the plurality of types of photometers, said switching region having a greater width than does the variation in quantitative values of the desired component based on the measurement values of photometers having the same specimen; compares the quantitative value of a quantitative range portion that corresponds to the switching region and the quantitative values of the desired component based on the measurement values of the photometers; and selects a photometer to be used in quantitative output of the desired component from among the plurality of types of photometers.

A tip for use in an optical detection system to analyze an analyte in a fluid sample drawn into the tip, using light reflected from a detection surface inside the tip that the analyte binds to, comprising a first detection surface and a second detection surface located in a same flow path with no controllable valve separating them, wherein the first and second detection surfaces have different surface chemistries.

Optics collection and detection systems are provided for measuring optical signals from an array of optical sources over time. Methods of using the optics collection and detection systems are also described.

The present disclosure provides an automated sample analyzer having a continuous scanning optical assembly for performing an assay. The optical assembly allows for robust detection of light emitted from a reaction mixture in a dynamically changing environment, such as detection of light from a reaction mixture that is being rotated about an axis at high rotational velocity.

Disclosed herein are multiwell plates suitable for spectrophotometry for low-volume liquid samples. For the multiwell plates, the bottom of at least one well has a layer of porous matrix disposed thereon, or is comprised of a layer of porous matrix. The layer of porous matrix permits a low-volume liquid sample to distribute evenly across the porous matrix. Also disclosed herein are methods of performing a photometric or spectrophotometric measurement on a liquid sample having a small volume, by using a multiwell plate comprising a layer of porous matrix.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for microscopy (100) of a plurality of samples (102), wherein the device comprises:—a first optical detector (106, 108), which is designed to consecutively adopt a plurality of measuring positions and to detect first image data (200) of a sample (104) with a first spatial resolution at each measuring position;—an image data analyser device which is designed to determine for each sample (202) a region (204) of the sample to be examined represented within the first image data (200) in each case;—a second optical detector (110, 112), which is coupled to the first optical detector (106, 108) in such a manner that the second optical detector (110, 112) tracks the first optical detector (106, 108) and therefore the second optical detector (110, 112) adopts measuring positions which the first optical detector (106, 108) had previously adopted. The second optical detector (110, 112) is designed to detect for each sample (202) respective second image data (300) from the region (204) to be examined in the sample (202) concerned, with a spatial resolution that is higher than the first spatial resolution.

A spectral reflectance imaging device for detecting nanoparticle exosome biomarker targets includes an illumination source that illuminates a substrate with a plurality of separate wavelengths of incoherent light. The substrate includes an oxide layer and a binding agent to selectively bind nanoparticle exosome biomarker targets to the substrate. An imaging device bindings the light reflected from or transmitted through the substrate and an image processing system detects the nanoparticle exosome biomarker targets a function of the change in reflective properties of the substrate.