A luminometer (400) includes a light detector (630) configured to sense photons (135). The luminometer (400) includes an analog circuit (915a) configured to provide an analog signal (965) based on the photons (135) emitted from assay reactions over a time period and a counter circuit (915b) configured to provide a photon count (970) based on the photons (135) emitted from the assay reactions over the time period. The luminometer (400) includes a luminometer controller (905) configured to, in response to an analog signal value of the analog signal (965) being greater than a predetermined value, determine and report a measurement value of the photons (135) emitted from the assay reactions over the time period based on the analog signal value of the analog signal (965) and a linear function (1010). Optionally, the linear function (1010) is derived from a relationship between the analog signal (965) and the photon count (970).

A method and a device for determining a degree of thermal hair damage are provided. A method for determining a degree of thermal hair damage includes, during exposure of a hair sample of hair to UV or UV/VIS light, recording a spectrum of at least a portion of the UV or UV/VIS light that has interacted with the hair sample. Further, the method includes comparing at least a portion of the spectrum with a spectroscopic calibration model obtained using UV or UV/VIS spectra and degrees of thermal damage of a plurality of calibration hair samples. Also, the method includes determining the degree of thermal hair damage by using the comparison.

Assays (100) may be performed with a luminometer (400) having a chassis (405) that may include a reaction vessel chamber (610). The luminometer (400) may also include a light passage (640) that intersects the reaction vessel chamber (610). The luminometer (400) may also include a cap (415) that, when in a closed configuration, prevents light emitted by external sources from entering the reaction vessel chamber (610) and from entering the light passage (640). The cap (415) may provide access to the reaction vessel chamber (610) when in an open configuration. The luminometer (400) may also include a calibration light source (460) optically coupled to one end of the light passage (640) and a light detector (630) optically coupled to another end of the light passage (640). The light detector (630) may include a sensing element for receiving light from the light passage (640).

Assays (100) may be performed with a luminometer (400) having a chassis (405) that may include a reaction vessel chamber (610). The luminometer (400) may also include a light passage (640) that intersects the reaction vessel chamber (610). The luminometer (400) may also include a cap (415) that, when in a closed configuration, prevents light emitted by external sources from entering the reaction vessel chamber (610) and from entering the light passage (640). The cap (415) may provide access to the reaction vessel chamber (610) when in an open configuration. The luminometer (400) may also include a calibration light source (460) optically coupled to one end of the light passage (640) and a light detector (630) optically coupled to another end of the light passage (640). The light detector (630) may include a sensing element for receiving light from the light passage (640).

A luminometer (400) includes a light detector (630) configured to sense photons (135). The luminometer (400) includes an analog circuit (915a) configured to provide an analog signal (965) based on the photons (135) emitted from assay reactions over a time period and a counter circuit (915b) configured to provide a photon count (970) based on the photons (135) emitted from the assay reactions over the time period. The luminometer (400) includes a luminometer controller (905) configured to, in response to an analog signal value of the analog signal (965) being greater than a predetermined value, determine and report a measurement value of the photons (135) emitted from the assay reactions over the time period based on the analog signal value of the analog signal (965) and a linear function (1010). Optionally, the linear function (1010) is derived from a relationship between the analog signal (965) and the photon count (970).

Disclosed herein is a method for improving the precision of a test result from an instrument with an optical system that detects a signal. The method comprises including in the instrument a normalization target disposed directly or indirectly in the optical path of the optical system. Also disclosed are instruments comprising a normalization target, and systems comprising such an instrument and a test device that receives a sample suspected of containing an analyte.

A device may obtain a master beta coefficient of a master calibration model associated with a master instrument. The master beta coefficient may be at a grid of a target instrument. The device may perform constrained optimization of an objective function, in accordance with a set of constraints, in order to determine a pair of transferred beta coefficients. The constrained optimization may be performed based on an initial pair of transferred beta coefficients, the master beta coefficient, and spectra associated with a scouting set. The device may determine, based on the pair of transferred beta coefficients, a transferred beta coefficient. The device may determine a final transferred beta coefficient based on a set of transferred beta coefficients including the transferred beta coefficient. The final transferred beta coefficient may be associated with generating a transferred calibration model, corresponding to the master calibration model, for use by the target instrument.

A moisture content measurement method that calculates moisture content of dehydrated sludge using a calibration curve for calculating the moisture content of the dehydrated sludge, the calibration curve being obtained by performing multivariate regression analysis after first-order differential processing or an offset correction is performed on absorbance for reflected light or reflectance for infrared rays from dehydrated sludge, the absorbance or the reflectance being obtained by measuring the dehydrated sludge using an infrared measurement apparatus provided with a light-receiving unit that can receive at least infrared rays reflected from a target object to be measured and a light source that has a plurality of infrared LEDs that can emit infrared rays having respectively different wavelengths or a light source having an infrared-region tungsten lamp or halogen lamp.

Disclosed herein is a method for improving the precision of a test result from an instrument with an optical system that detects a signal. The method comprises including in the instrument a normalization target disposed directly or indirectly in the optical path of the optical system. Also disclosed are instruments comprising a normalization target, and systems comprising such an instrument and a test device that receives a sample suspected of containing an analyte.

Disclosed herein is a method for improving the precision of a test result from an instrument with an optical system that detects a signal. The method comprises including in the instrument a normalization target disposed directly or indirectly in the optical path of the optical system. Also disclosed are instruments comprising a normalization target, and systems comprising such an instrument and a test device that receives a sample suspected of containing an analyte.