A detection apparatus includes: a substrate; a metal nanostructure on a surface of the substrate and on which immobilized antibodies having a property of binding with a detection object substance are immobilized, the metal microstructure generating a surface plasmon by being irradiated with excitation light; an introducer that introduces labeled antibodies having a property of binding with the detection object substance and labeled with a fluorescent material, and a test solution containing the detection object substance into the metal nanostructure; a light source that irradiates the metal nanostructure with the excitation light from the back surface side of the substrate; and a photodetector that detects the detection object substance based on fluorescence generated from the fluorescent material in response to irradiation of the excitation light. The metal nanostructure includes a light transmissive portion that transmits, to the surface side of the substrate, the excitation light emitted from the back surface side thereof.

A biosensing device for continuous monitoring of an analyte in a fluid matrix includes an electromagnetic excitation element [402], a biosensing surface [406], an opposing surface [410], a separation component [420,422], light collection optics [412], a light sensor [414], an image recording and analysis system [416], and an excitation control system [400]. The separation component is connected to the biosensing surface and to the opposing surface, forming a concave gap region [408] between the biosensing surface and the opposing surface. The biosensing surface comprises biosensing particles sensitive to electromagnetic signals from the electromagnetic excitation element, where an optical response of the biosensing particles to the electromagnetic signals is adapted to change in the presence of an analyte in the gap region. The light collection optics couple light emitted from the biosensing particles on the biosensing surface to the light sensor. The image recording and analysis system is connected to the light sensor and processes light signals from the biosensing particles to determine presence or absence or concentration of the analyte in the fluid matrix.

The present disclosure in some aspects provides methods for the controlled merging of emulsion droplets, which can be used to assemble useful compositions such as droplets (e.g., stabilized micelles) containing a precise combination of analytes and/or analytical reagents. In some embodiments, disclosed herein is a method, e.g., for detecting the presence/absence, a level or amount, and/or an activity of an analyte in a sample, comprising merging two or more emulsion droplets such that an interaction between an analyte and an analyte-interacting reagent occurs in the merged droplet. The two or more emulsion droplets may be merged using a method for the controlled merging of emulsion droplets disclosed herein.

A method for modulating the piasmonic resonance of a noble metal nanoparticle to enhance the luminescence of an oxygen sensitive dye; an oxygen sensitive composition that includes a nanostructure comprising a noble metal particle and an oxygen sensitive dye: a substrate having a surface coated with the oxygen sensitive composition; methods and sensors for determining oxygen concentration using the oxygen sensitive composition.

Systems, methods, and devices are described herein for detecting and/or monitoring target extracellular vesicles (“EVs”), e.g., to detect and/or monitor cancer treatment, such as breast cancer, in a subject. The methods can include obtaining a nano-plasmonic array including nanostructures configured to amplify one or more specific wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, flowing a liquid sample over the nano-plasmonic array, optionally labeling target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array with one or more reporter groups, projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the labeled target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array, and capturing an image of the target EVs by receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted, scattered, or reflected by the labeled target EVs or by reporter groups on the labeled target EVs.

A detection method uses a reaction vessel including a container including a housing part having a first opening opened at an upper portion and a second opening opened at a side portion, and a side wall member fixed to the container so that a capturing region on a metal film is exposed in the second opening. First, a liquid containing a specimen is provided to the housing part. Next, the liquid in the housing part is stirred to capture, into the capturing region, a substance to be detected in the liquid. Next, the metal film is irradiated with light so that surface plasmon resonance occurs in the metal film, and light emitted from the reaction vessel and having a light amount changing depending on the amount of the substance to be detected captured in the capturing region is detected. In the step of providing the liquid to the housing part, an amount of liquid in which the liquid is not in contact with the capturing region when the liquid in the housing part is left still, and the liquid is in contact with the capturing region when the liquid in the housing part is stirred is provided to the housing part.

A microscope system has an illumination optical system comprising a multi-mode optical fibre having an egress for emitting a laser beam. The egress is located in a plane that is conjugate to the microscope sample plane. The illumination optical system is configured such that the laser beam is incident at the objective lens laterally displaced from the principal optical axis of the objective lens in order that the objective lens delivers the laser beam to the sample plane at an angle that is oblique to the principal optical axis. Utilization of a multi-mode optical fibre for laser delivery in oblique illumination microscopy, such as TIRF microscopy, solves problems associated with using single-mode optical fibres such as alignment and uniformity of illumination.

An analysis method for detecting an amount of a substance by irradiating an analysis chip containing the substance and detecting a quantity of light output from the analysis chip. The analysis method including irradiating an incident surface of the analysis chip and another surface adjacent to the incident surface with detection light while changing a relative position of the detection light with respect to the analysis chip, detecting reflected light from the incident surface of the analysis chip, and acquiring information on a position of the analysis chip from a relationship between a quantity of the reflected light detected and the relative position. The analysis method determines if the analysis chip is abnormal when a quantity of target reflected light is equal to or lower than a predetermined light quantity.

Aspects of the technology described herein relate to improved semiconductor-based image sensor designs. In some aspects, an integrated circuit described herein may include a first pixel and a second pixel, wherein the first pixel is proximate the second pixel in a mirrored configuration. In some aspects, an integrated circuit described herein may include a first pixel and a second pixel that is proximate to the first pixel along a row direction, and a conductive line extending along a column direction that intersects with the row direction, wherein the conductive line is in electrical communication with a first component of the first pixel and a second component of the second pixel.

Systems, methods, and device can be used to detect target extracellular vesicles (“EVs”). One example of a method includes obtaining a nano-plasmonic array including nanostructures configured to amplify one or more specific wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, flowing a liquid sample over the nano-plasmonic array, optionally labeling target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array with one or more reporter groups, projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the labeled target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array, and capturing an image of the target EVs by receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted, scattered, or reflected by the EVs or by reporter groups on the labeled target EVs.