A method for observing biological species on a culture medium contained in a container having at least one translucent face, the method including the steps of: a) directing a light beam onto one portion of the translucent face, so as to define at least one illuminated region and at least one non-illuminated region of the face; and b) acquiring an image of a portion of the surface of the culture medium illuminated by the light beam, the acquisition being carried out through at least one of the non-illuminated regions of the translucent face and along an optical acquisition axis forming a non-zero angle (a) with the direction of propagation of the light beam.

A consumable container for filling with a fluid in a bioprocessing process. The container comprises one or more sealable, removable portions, such that one or more samples of the fluid may be taken by sealing and removing one or more of said portions.

A particle detection method in which particles in a sample are detected includes: a mounting step of mounting, on a stage portion, a fluid device including a channel through which the particles can move; an irradiation step of irradiating the channel with illumination light; and a detection step of detecting scattered light generated from the particles by irradiation with the illumination light. In the irradiation step, the illumination light is converged such as to enter the channel by passing through, among side surfaces of the channel, only the first side surface that faces an illumination light incident direction.

Provided is a particle quantifying device in which there is a wider range of the number of particles that can be accurately recognized in a particulate sample. An observation device 1 comprises an imaging camera 107 that acquires a sample image representing a particulate sample and a computer 108 that performs a computation process relating to the sample image. The computer 108 acquires a frequency domain representation of the sample image, separates the frequency domain representation into a high-frequency component and a low-frequency component, acquires a high-frequency image as a spatial domain representation of the high-frequency component, acquires a low-frequency image as a spatial domain representation of the low-frequency component, and recognizes or quantifies the particulate sample on the basis of the high-frequency image and the low-frequency image.

An image processing device comprises pixel group setting part that sets plurality of pixel groups including first and second pixel groups, which are not connected to each other, based on image data of first image which shows target object including linear portion; pair setting part that performs setting pair of first and second pixel groups including pixel within predetermined range from first pixel group to calculate connecting degree of second pixel group with respect to first pixel group; and calculation part that calculates connecting degree of pair, wherein predetermined range is search range set based on first distance between first and second pixel groups, or search range set on based on first angle formed between first line segment corresponding to first pixel group and second line segment corresponding to second pixel group, and calculation part calculates first distance or first angle using first distance or first angle.

An image processing device includes first image processing part, and first image processing part includes first pixel group setting part that sets plurality of first pixel groups which is set to correspond to first pixel, and which is disposed along in plurality of directions that form plurality of angles different from each other with respect to predetermined direction in first image or which is disposed along in predetermined direction in each of plurality of images obtained by moving first image by plurality of angles different from each other with respect to predetermined direction, first calculation part configured to calculate plurality of first candidate pixel values based on size of pixel value of pixel included in each of plurality of first pixel groups, and first pixel value setting part that sets pixel value of second pixel of second image based on plurality of first candidate pixel values.

An observation apparatus includes a casing, an imaging unit, a driving mechanism and a processor. The casing includes a transparent plate and is configured to hold a sample placed on the transparent plate. The imaging unit is provided inside the casing and generates image data by taking an image through the transparent plate. The driving mechanism is provided inside the casing and moves the imaging unit. The processor assists control of sample imaging, based on image data which the imaging unit generates by imaging a code.

A cell observation device is cell observation device for observing a cell held by a microplate having a well holding a sample including the cell and includes a microplate holder for holding the microplate thereon, an electrical stimulation unit including an electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode, and a position controller for controlling a position of the electrical stimulation unit in a state in which the first electrode is disposed closer to the center of the well than the second electrode when the electrode pair is disposed in the well of the microplate. The tip of the first electrode extends more than the tip of the second electrode.

The invention relates to an apparatus (200) for incubation of a viable biological material (2); said apparatus comprises: a housing (4) having an extension in a longitudinal direction X, in a transversal direction Y, and in a direction Z perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transversal direction; said housing comprising: two or more culture dish compartments (6), each being adapted to accommodate, one or more culture dishes (8) comprising a biological material (2); wherein said apparatus comprises an image capturing device (10); wherein said apparatus comprises a control unit (12) for controlling the operation thereof; wherein at least part of said image capturing device is being configured to be movable in relation to the two or more culture dish compartments (6), thereby allowing capture of images of one or more of said biological materials (2) accommodated in said one or more culture dishes (8); and wherein said apparatus comprises a FLIM unit (11) (fluorescent lifetime imaging microscope); wherein at least part of said FLIM unit (11) is being configured to be movable in relation to the two or more culture dish compartments (6), thereby allowing capture of FLIM spectra of one or more of said biological materials (2) accommodated in said one or more culture dishes (8).

A method for detecting inoculation in order to detect inoculation with a sample of a solid culture medium (21) present in a layer on a culture plate (20), said culture plate (20) being positioned on a support (2), said method comprising a step of projecting an incident light flux towards said support (2) in order to allow oblique illumination of the surface referred to as the inoculation surface (22) of said culture medium (21) of the culture plate (20) when the culture plate (20) is provided in the disposed state on said support (2), a step of displaying, on a display area (41) of a display screen (4), a two-dimensional image of the incident light flux reflected by the inoculation surface (22) of the culture plate (20) in the illuminated state illuminated by the means (3) for projecting a light flux, and a step of photographing the display area (41) of the screen (4).