A method to monitor and control the temperature of a sample holder of a laboratory instrument during execution of a temperature profile on the sample holder is presented. The laboratory instrument comprises a sample holder with high temperature uniformity and at least three identical temperature sensors. The measured actual temperatures of the sample holder are processed in order to determine if the execution of the temperature profile should be continued or aborted. Furthermore, temperature sensors which measure actual temperatures that do not fulfil certain requirements are excluded from further monitoring and controlling the temperature of a sample holder.

The present invention discloses a system and a method for detecting different developmental stages of fungi life cycle in postharvest crops. More particularly, the system comprises a measuring transducer, such as a CMOS photodetector and immobilized fungal nucleic acid strands. RNA from the tested postharvest produce sample is loaded onto the system of the present invention, and specific fungal mRNA transcripts anneal to the immobilized strands. A reporter strand conjugated to a signal-generating component further binds the mRNA transcripts, and when a detectable reaction is produced post binding, the transducer captures said reaction and converts it to measurable values, indicating the quantity, presence and the developmental stage of the fungus.

The current invention generally relates to apparatus and method to analyze and separate biological entities, including cells, bacteria and molecules from human blood, body tissue, body fluid and other human related biological samples. The claimed apparatus and method analyze, or detect, biological entities based on optical signals received from said entities by using optical detectors. The claimed apparatus and method further separate biological entities with using micro-actuator activated sorting devices.

A microfluidic chip orients and isolates components in a sample fluid mixture by two step focusing, where sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a sample input channel in one direction, such that the sample fluid mixture becomes a narrower stream bounded by the sheath fluids, and by having the sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a second direction further downstream, such that the components are compressed and oriented in a selected direction to pass through an interrogation chamber in single file formation for identification and separation by various methods. The isolation mechanism utilizes external, stacked piezoelectric actuator assemblies disposed on a microfluidic chip holder, or piezoelectric actuator assemblies on-chip, so that the actuator assemblies are triggered by an electronic signal to actuate jet chambers on either side of the sample input channel, to jet selected components in the sample input channel into one of the output channels.

A dispenser for taking up and discharging fluid volumes which has an exchangeable piston-cylinder unit. The dispenser has a housing and a device for incremental distance measurement that, when there is relative movement between the piston and the cylinder, the distance traveled by the piston relative to the housing can be determined incrementally. The dispenser has a piston actuation member which can be releasably connected to the piston moving the piston in order to take up and/or discharge fluid volumes. The dispenser has a position determining device which has a first position element and a second position element. The first position element is fixed in or on the housing of the dispenser. The second position element is coupled so as to be able to move with the piston actuation member. The position determining device is for continuously sensing the position of the second position element.

An all-in-one self test kit includes: a test tool having a reagent container adapted to store a diagnosis reagent therein and a diagnosis kit with a casing constituted of a first body and a second body and a diagnosis strip disposed inside the casing and having a sucking part for sucking the diagnosis reagent and a diagnosis part reacting to the diagnosis reagent sucked to the sucking part; a sub-body having a container insertion portion for inserting the reagent container thereinto and a kit insertion portion for inserting the diagnosis kit thereinto; a main body for inserting the sub-body thereinto; and a cap fastened and unfastened with an entrance of the main body to open and close the main body.

A system, configured to facilitate processing and detection of nucleic acids, the system comprising a process fluid container and a cartridge comprising: a top layer, a set of sample port-reagent port pairs, a shared fluid port, a vent region, a heating region, and a set of detection chambers; an intermediate substrate, coupled to the top layer comprising a waste chamber; an elastomeric layer, partially situated on the intermediate substrate; and a set of fluidic pathways, each formed by at least a portion of the top layer and a portion of the elastomeric layer, wherein each fluidic pathway is fluidically coupled to a sample port-reagent port pair, the shared fluid port, and a detection chamber, comprises a portion passing through the heating region, and is configured to be occluded upon deformation of the elastomeric layer, to transfer a waste fluid to the waste chamber, and to pass through the vent region.

A female urinary diagnostic device including a urine stream collection container having a discharge opening and a stream collection opening, the stream collection opening being configured to surround and isolate a urethral opening, a probe guide passage configured for interior engagement with a vaginal opening for placement of the stream collection opening relative to the urethral opening, and an internal baffle that defines an interior wall of the urine stream collection container that provides a spillway from the stream collection opening to the discharge opening and cooperates with at least a urine sensing device, where the spillway provides urine passage to the urine sensing device and a collection tank, wherein the internal baffle forms at least a portion of the probe guide passage and defines a sounding probe guide surface that positions a sounding probe within the vaginal opening.

A device and system for detecting aldehydes or ketones and, more particularly, a device and system, for detecting aldehydes or ketones, utilized in a rotating platform are provided.

The invention relates to a particle detection device and a method for detecting particles in a fluid by means of separation. A channel structure is arranged for separating an incoming flow into a major flow comprising a minor portion of particles above the first predetermined size and a minor flow comprising a major portion of particles above the predetermined size. One or more detectors are arranged for detecting particles in the major flow and minor flow. The channel structure further comprises a choked flow restriction arranged for enabling a constant flow independent of pressure conditions.