A method of and apparatus (18) are described for assessing fat in whey in the making of a dairy product in accordance with a dairy product recipe. The method comprises the steps of: a. using one or more optical sensors (61, 62, 63, 64) to sense at least one stream (22, 24, 27, 29) of whey separated from curd in dairy product making apparatus (18) and generate one or more signals indicative of the degree of occlusion of the stream (22, 24, 27, 29) of whey; b. converting or processing one or more said signals as a measure of the specific mass of fat lost from curd in a dairy product making plant (18) in the stream of whey; c. assessing whether the value of specific mass of fat lost obtained in Step b lies within or outside a predetermined fat loss range; and d. if the said value of specific mass of fat lost is outside the predetermined range, adjusting the recipe so that the value of specific mass of fat lost lies within the predetermined range.

An optical device for illuminating a sample located in a sample volume with illumination light and for detecting scattered and/or fluorescent light from the sample includes an optical illumination assembly, an optical detection assembly and at least one attachment element. The optical illumination assembly is configured to transmit the illumination light along an illumination path into the sample volume. The optical detection assembly is configured to collect and relay the scattered and/or fluorescent light from the sample volume along a detection path. At least portions of the illumination path and/or of the detection path extend in the at least one attachment element.

Techniques for quantitative colorimetric liquid analysis with color and turbidity correction are provided. In one aspect, an optical detector includes: a vessel for containing a liquid sample; a light source on a first side of the vessel; a first sensor on a second side of the vessel opposite the first side and along a light path of the light source; and a second sensor on a third side of the vessel at an angle with respect to the light path. A method for quantitative measurement of an analyte is also provided, as is a method for color and turbidity analysis.

Various turbidimeters are described that can detect light directly in a substantially circular, e.g., encompassing, manner such that an increased amount of scattered light from a sample vial may be detected by a light detector, e.g., a photodiode or photodiode array. In an embodiment, a substantially circular photodiode array is provided to directly detect scattered light in an arc about the sample vial. In other embodiments, light guides are provided in an arc element that guides light to a detector or detectors. Other aspects are described and claimed.

A particulate matter measuring apparatus including an inlet for introducing air, a cyclone means fluidly connected to the inlet, the cyclone means adapted to remove particles of a predetermined size from the air, a particle detector to detect particulate matter in the air and a pump to move the air from the inlet, through the cyclone means and through the particle detector, wherein the particle detector has a laser diode to shine laser light through the air and a detector angled at between 115 to 140 relative to the direction of the laser light to detect an amount of laser light scattered by particulate matter in the air.

A measuring apparatus is provided with: an irradiator configured to irradiate fluid with light; a first light receiver configured to receive a forward scatter component of scattered light scattered by the fluid; a second light receiver configured to receive a backscatter component of the scattered light; a third light receiver configured to receive a side scatter component of the scattered light; and an outputting device configured to output fluid information about the fluid, which is obtained on the basis of light receiving signals of the first light receiver, the second light receiver, and the third light receiver. According to this measuring apparatus, it is possible to output accurate fluid information because of the use of the forward scatter component, the backscatter component, and the side scatter component of the scattered light.

A method for characterizing particle objects comprises generating a radiation beam, illuminating with the radiation beam an observation region transited by a particle object, collecting an interference image determined by an interference between a transmitted fraction and a part of the scattered fraction of the radiation beam that propagates around the direction of the optical axis, collecting a part of the scattered fraction that propagates at the scattering angle, and measuring at least one scattered radiation intensity value determined by the part of the scattered fraction, calculating, from the interference image, a pair of independent quantities that define the complex field of the first part of the scattered fraction, calculating, starting from the pair of independent quantities, a theoretical value of scattered radiation intensity, and comparing the measured value with the theoretical scattered radiation intensity value.

The present disclosure relates to the field of medical technology, which provides methods and apparatuses for identifying red blood cells infected by plasmodium. The methods may include: obtaining a forward-scattered light signal, a side-scattered light signal and an optional fluorescence signal from cells in a blood sample; obtaining a first two-dimensional scattergram according to the forward-scattered light signal and the side-scattered light signal, or obtaining a three-dimensional scattergram according to the forward-scattered light signal, the side-scattered light signal and the fluorescence signal; and identifying cells located in a predetermined area of the first two-dimensional scattergram or the three-dimensional scattergram as the red blood cells infected by plasmodium. The apparatuses perform the methods. The methods and apparatuses can have better identification accuracy.

The present disclosure relates to the field of medical technology, which provides methods and apparatuses for identifying red blood cells infected by plasmodium. The methods may include: obtaining a forward-scattered light signal, a side-scattered light signal and an optional fluorescence signal from cells in a blood sample; obtaining a first two-dimensional scattergram according to the forward-scattered light signal and the side-scattered light signal, or obtaining a three-dimensional scattergram according to the forward-scattered light signal, the side-scattered light signal and the fluorescence signal; and identifying cells located in a predetermined area of the first two-dimensional scattergram or the three-dimensional scattergram as the red blood cells infected by plasmodium. The apparatuses perform the methods. The methods and apparatuses can have better identification accuracy.

Systems for the monitoring of bacterial levels in samples, using spectral analysis of the light diffracted from a substrate with an ordered array of pores having diameters enabling the targets to enter them. The trapping pore array is cyclically illuminated by light of different wavelengths, and the light diffracted from the pore array is imaged by a 2-dimensional detector array, with one pixel, or a small group of pixels receiving light from each associated pore. The temporal sequence of frames provides a series of images, each from the reflection of a different wavelength. A time sequenced readout of the signal from the pixel or pixels associated with each pore region, provides a spectral plot of the reflected light from that pore region. Spectral analysis of the light intensity from this series of different wavelength enables the effective optical thickness (EOT) of each pore to be extracted.