A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

Methods and apparatus for inferring protein binding based on rotational diffusion of a collection of fluorophores. One example of a method includes applying a first light pulse to excite a plurality of fluorophores in the collection of fluorophores to produce a plurality of excited fluorophores, the first light pulse having a first polarization and the plurality of excited fluorophores having a component of their orientation aligned with the first polarization, applying a second light pulse to stimulate emission by the plurality of excited fluorophores, the second light pulse having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, after a time delay following application of the second light pulse, applying a third light pulse of the second polarization to further stimulate emission by the plurality of excited fluorophores, detecting polarized emissions from the plurality of excited fluorophores, and inferring the rate of rotational diffusion of the collection of fluorophores based on the detected polarized emissions.

A system for analysis of a fluid sample has a carrier with a channel. A plug with a sensor can be inserted into a socket arranged on the carrier in such a way that the sensor is in contact with an interior volume of the channel. The sensor can be an optical sensor, in particular based on fluorescence. Optical fibres may be connected to the plug. A camera (8) may be provided to record an image of the plug. The carrier may in particular be a microfluidic chip and the channel a microfluidic channel.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a structure includes: a substrate having a patterned surface of one or more binding sites; and a molecular shape made by a polynucleotide platform having a shape corresponding to a shape of a binding site of the one or more binding sites, the molecular shape being bound to one of the one or more binding sites.

An image reconstruction method includes capturing a reference image of the specimen and capturing a set of original images based on the reference image. The method includes generating a set of analyzed images based on the set of original images by determining an intensity distribution for each pixel of each original image of the set of original images and combining the intensity distribution at each pixel location across the set of original images into an intermediate image. The method includes, identifying an object in the intermediate image. In response to identifying the object in the intermediate image, determining an intensity value of the object in each original image of the set of original images and generating an improved image of the object based on the determined intensity value of the object. The method includes generating a final image including the improved image of the object and displaying the final image.

A method for determining the concentration of an analyte in a sample liquid, in which a) by means of a radiation source (3, 10, 17, 25, 31), excitation radiation is directed onto a carrier unit (5, 13, 20, 26, 33) which is in contact with the sample liquid and which has immobilized molecules of a sensor dye that is sensitive to the analyte, b) a portion of luminescence radiation of the sensor dye, this radiation is induced by the excitation radiation, is applied to a radiation detector (4, 14, 21, 28, 34,35) in order to generate an output signal therefrom, and c) an evaluation routine ascertains the analyte concentration from the detector output signal, wherein a dependence of a property of the luminescence radiation on the concentration of the analyte in the sample liquid is used, characterized in that d) dependence of the examined property of the luminescence radiation on an exchange interaction between the individual molecules of the sensor dye is used to ascertain analyte concentration, wherein the exchange interaction takes place when the molecules of the sensor dye interact with the particles of the analyte. An optode designed to carry out the method is also proposed.

At least one embodiment relates to an apparatus for super-resolution fluorescence-microscopy imaging of a sample. The apparatus includes an objective lens having a forward field of view, the objective lens being configured to collect light. The apparatus may also include a processing arrangement configured to perform super-resolution fluorescence-microscopy imaging of the sample with the collected light. Further, the apparatus includes a waveguide component located forward of the objective lens and configured to (i) receive light from outside the forward field of view, and (ii) use total internal reflection within the waveguide component to direct excitation light. In addition, the apparatus includes an electronic optical-path control system configured to cause input light of a first wavelength to follow a first optical path corresponding to a first optical mode and also configured to cause input light of the first wavelength to follow a second optical path corresponding to a second optical mode.

A sample detection device includes a first polarizer configured to allow part of incident light to pass therethrough by polarizing the incident light, a stage disposed on a path of light having passed the first polarizer, the stage allowing a sample to be seated thereon, a second polarizer configured to polarize light and a detection unit configured to detect light having passed the second polarizer and to generate a detection signal. The first polarizer allows first polarized light oscillating in a first direction to proceed toward the sample when the incident light reaches the first polarizer. Emission light is emitted by an excitation of the sample when the first polarized light reaches the sample. The second polarizer allows second polarized light oscillating in a second direction to proceed toward the detection unit when the emission light reaches the second polarizer.

The invention generally relates to methods for quantifying an amount of enzyme molecules. Systems and methods of the invention are provided for measuring an amount of target by forming a plurality of fluid partitions, a subset of which include the target, performing an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the subset, and detecting the number of partitions in the subset. The amount of target can be determined based on the detected number.

A fluorescent image analyzer stores a reference fluorescent-sample image and a subject fluorescent-sample image. The reference fluorescent-sample image is an image obtained by illuminating a reference fluorescent sample about which relation of in-plane fluorescence intensities is known with linearly polarized light and capturing a first specific polarization component of fluorescence from the reference fluorescent sample. The subject fluorescent-sample image is an image obtained by illuminating a subject fluorescent sample with linearly polarized light and capturing a second specific polarization component of fluorescence from the subject fluorescent sample. The fluorescent image analyzer is configured to determine correction coefficients to correct non-uniformity in measurement of light intensities among pixels of a captured image based on the reference fluorescent-sample image, and correct light intensities of the pixels of the subject fluorescent-sample image based on the correction coefficients.