The present invention includes: a cell holding body that holds a measurement cell housing a measurement sample and a dispersion medium; a cover attached to the cell holding body so as to cover the measurement cell; a rotation section that rotates the cell holding body and applies centrifugal force to the measurement cell; a light source that is provided on one side of a rotation passage region of the measurement cell and irradiates the cell with light; a photodetector that is provided on another side of the rotation passage region of the measurement cell and detects light transmitted through the cell; and a particle diameter distribution arithmetic section that acquires a light intensity signal from the photodetector and calculates a particle diameter distribution. The rotation passage region of the cover is located inside an optical path of light passing between the light source and the photodetector.

A particle size tracking system for providing predictive maintenance and battery tuning of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration, featuring a control having a signal processor configured to: receive signaling containing information about particle sizes of material flowing in pipes of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration, based upon the signaling received. The signal processor may be configured to provide the corresponding signal as control signaling to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration.

A cell culture apparatus includes a flow passage in which cell suspension containing at least one of cells or cell masses as granular bodies is to flow, and an imaging unit that is provided in a middle of the flow passage and continuously images the plurality of granular bodies contained in the cell suspension to acquire a plurality of images while the cell suspension flows in the flow passage.

A centrifugal field-flow fractionation device is provided with a controller for controlling introduction of a liquid sample by a sample introduction part and rotation of the rotor by a motor. The controller rotates the rotor at a first rotational speed when introducing the liquid sample into a flow path. The first rotational speed is faster than a second rotational speed. Therefore, when a liquid sample is introduced into the flow path, high centrifugal force can be applied to the liquid sample, which can suppress the variation of the particles in the liquid sample introduced to the flow path. The controller rotates the rotor at the second rotational speed slower than the first rotational speed with the liquid sample flow in the flow path stopped. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the constant application of high centrifugal force to the liquid sample, thereby suppressing the increase in the length of time required for analysis.

Provided is a flow analyzer and a flow analysis method each of which makes it possible to stably and continuously measure a sample. The flow analyzer and the flow analysis method each include: a marker introducing device (2) which is for introducing a marker into a tube (3); and a marker detecting device (5) which detects the marker and outputs a detection signal to an analyzing device (4), the analyzing device (4) acquiring analysis data on the basis of the detection signal.

A method for monitoring a property of nanoparticles in a flowing suspension comprises providing a sample comprising a flowing suspension. The method further comprises non-invasively monitoring a size distribution of nanoparticles of the flowing suspension using Fourier domain low-coherence interferometry, FDLCI, wherein the monitoring comprises deriving a time and optical path length resolved LCI light scattering signal l(t,z) from time resolved LCI wavelength spectra of interference and deriving information indicative of the size of the particles in the sample based on said time and optical path length resolved LCI light scattering signal using optical path length resolved temporal autocorrelation functions or optical path length resolved frequency power spectra of the spatiotemporal FDLCI signal.

The invention relates to a method, to a device, and to a system for the automated determination of optical densities or of the change in optical densities of reaction mixtures in shaken reactors during shaking operation. Methods and devices currently used therefor are often unreliable, are susceptible to environmental and process factors, or require interruptions to the shaking operation that impair the process control. The problem addressed by the invention is that of specifying a method and a device for the automated determination of optical densities or of the change in optical densities of reaction mixtures in shaken reactors during shaking operation that operate reliably under various environmental and process conditions. This problem is solved by means of a new measurement method, wherein the reaction mixture distribution, which periodically fluctuates because of the shaking action, is used to record measurement points (20/21) of transmission/scattered-light measurements, which measurement points fluctuate periodically as a result of shaking. All measurement points (20/21) of a measurement operation are combined into a measurement series (34), from which the optical density and/or the change in the optical density, and other process parameters, can be determined with high reliability by means of suitable mathematical methods. The invention is suitable in particular for biotechnological, pharmaceutical, chemical, and biochemical screening and optimization and process-monitoring applications.

The present invention provides a characterization system (100) for performing optical characterization of a liquid sample in a process plant, comprising a sample section (103) for holding the liquid sample, an inlet comprising an inlet valve (121) adapted to control a flow of the liquid sample into the sample section (103), an outlet comprising an outlet valve (122) adapted to control a flow of the liquid sample out of the sample section (103), a pressurizer (130) adapted to pressurize the sample section (103), an agitator (140, 800) adapted to agitate at least a part of the liquid sample inside the sample section (103) when the sample section (103) is pressurized by the pressurizer (130), a measuring device (150) adapted to perform optical characterization of the liquid sample inside the sample section (103) while the liquid sample is pressurized and agitated during or after agitation by the agitator, wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are connected to a line pipe (202) and the characterization system is adapted to receive the liquid sample from the line pipe through the inlet valve, characterize the liquid sample in the sample section (103), and optionally return at least a part of the liquid sample to the line pipe through the outlet valve.

Disclosed are devices and methods for performing biological and chemical assays, such as immunoassays and nucleic acid assays, more particularly a homogeneous assay that does not use a wash step by using the aggregation and de-aggregation processes of microparticles or nanoparticles.

A process for optically sorting a plurality of particles includes: providing a particle receiver; producing particles; receiving the particles by the particle receiver; receiving a light by the particle receiver; producing a standing wave optical interference pattern in an optical interference site of the particle receiver from the light; subjecting the particles to an optical gradient force from the standing wave optical interference pattern; deflecting the particles into a plurality of deflected paths to form the sorted particles from the particles; and propagating the sorted particles from the optical interference site through the deflected paths to optically sort the particles