Apparatus for performing multiple different measurements on a small specimen sample, enabling testing and diagnoses in real time at the point of care are described. The core of the apparatus includes an ultrasonic resonator cavity where acoustic resonances are used to determine the speed of sound and sound attenuation in a single droplet. Acoustic measurements are made in the reflection mode using electrical impedance of a small piezoelectric crystal transducer that operates in the thickness longitudinal mode. Combination of this technology with electromagnetic, electrical, and magnetic fields permits multiple types of measurements to be made using the same resonator cavity.

An apparatus (10) for analyzing a material (12) comprising at least one analyte, said apparatus comprising a measurement body (16) having a contact surface (14) suitable to be brought in thermal contact or pressure-transmitting contact with said material (12), an excitation radiation source (26) configured for irradiating excitation radiation (18) into the material (12) to be absorbed therein, and a detection device for detecting a physical response of the measurement body to heat or a pressure wave received from said material (12) upon absorption of said excitation radiation (18) and for generating a response signal indicative of the degree of absorption of excitation radiation, wherein a protrusion (80) is provided, said protrusion having a front surface (82) facing said material (12) and being in contact with the material when the material is brought in contact with the contact surface, and wherein said excitation radiation (18) is irradiated into the material (12) through said front surface (82) of said protrusion (80), wherein said protrusion (80) is formed on said contact surface (14) of said measurement body (16), or wherein said measurement body (16) forms said protrusion or a part of said protrusion, in which said contact surface (14) of said measurement body (16) forms at least a part of said front surface of said protrusion and is elevated with respect to a surrounding structure.

Provided are an optical sensor device using surface acoustic waves and an optical sensor device package. The optical sensor device includes: a substrate including a first light sensing area and a temperature sensing area and including a piezo electric material; a first input electrode and a first output electrode which are disposed in the first light sensing area and are apart from each other with a first delay gap therebetween; a first sensing film overlapping the first delay gap and configured to cover at least some portions of the first input electrode and the first output electrode; and a second input electrode and a second output electrode which are disposed in the temperature sensing area and are apart from each other with a second delay gap therebetween. The second delay gap is exposed to air.

An object information acquiring apparatus comprises a light irradiation unit that irradiates an object with pulsed light; a probe that converts an acoustic wave generated in the object due to first pulsed light into an acoustic wave signal; a photo-detection unit that converts second pulsed light propagated through the object into an optical signal; a frequency analysis unit that acquires a background optical coefficient with respect to the inside of the object on the basis of a predetermined frequency component of the optical signal; a light intensity acquiring unit that acquires a distribution of light intensity of the first pulsed light reaching the inside of the object using the background optical coefficient; and an information acquiring unit that acquires object information, using the acoustic wave signal and the distribution of light intensity.

A method for detecting of components in a fluid includes emitting a modulated light beam from a modulated light source to the fluid in a chamber, wherein the fluid comprises a liquid and a component in the liquid. The method includes producing an acoustic signal in response to the emitted modulated light beam and detecting the acoustic signal via a pressure sensor disposed in the chamber. The method in one example also includes transmitting the acoustic signal from the pressure sensor to a processor based module and determining at least one of a component and a concentration of the component in the fluid via the processor based module, based on the acoustic signal.

A photoacoustic apparatus includes a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate a subject with light a plurality of times; a driving unit configured to move a supporting member so that relative positions of the supporting member and the subject differ at each of the plurality of times; a plurality of transducers configured to receive acoustic waves generated through the plurality of times of irradiation and output a plurality of groups of reception signals corresponding to the plurality of times of irradiation; the supporting member configured to support the transducers such that directional axes of at least some of the transducers converge; a first memory configured to store the groups of reception signals; and a processing unit configured to obtain subject information at a target position by assigning, to each of the groups of reception signals, a weight corresponding to relative positions of the supporting member and the target position.

A photoacoustic gas sensor device for deter-mining a value indicative of a presence or a concentration of a component in a gas comprises a substrate and a measurement cell body, the substrate and the measurement cell body defining a measurement cell enclosing a measurement volume. A reflective shield divides the measurement volume into a first volume and a second volume. An opening in the measurement cell is provided for a gas to enter the measurement volume. In the first volume and on a front side of the substrate are arranged: An electromagnetic radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation through an aperture in the reflective shield into the second volume; and a pressure transducer communicatively coupled to the second volume for measuring a sound wave generated by the component in response to an absorption of electromagnetic radiation by the component. At least a portion of a surface of the reflective shield facing the second volume is made of a material reflecting electromagnetic radiation.

Provided are an optical sensor device using surface acoustic waves and an optical sensor device package. The optical sensor device includes: a substrate including a first light sensing area and a temperature sensing area and including a piezo electric material; a first input electrode and a first output electrode which are disposed in the first light sensing area and are apart from each other with a first delay gap therebetween; a first sensing film overlapping the first delay gap and configured to cover at least some portions of the first input electrode and the first output electrode; and a second input electrode and a second output electrode which are disposed in the temperature sensing area and are apart from each other with a second delay gap therebetween. The second delay gap is exposed to air.

A photoacoustic gas sensor device is proposed for determining a value indicative of a presence or a concentration of a component in a gas. The photoacoustic gas sensor device comprises a substrate, and a measurement cell body arranged on a first side of the substrate. The substrate and the measurement cell body define a measurement cell enclosing a measurement volume. The measurement cell comprises an aperture for a gas to enter the measurement volume. The device further comprises an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation, and a microphone for measuring a sound wave generated by the component in response to an absorption of electromagnetic radiation by the component. The electromagnetic radiation source and the microphone are arranged on the first side of the substrate and in the measurement volume. The microphone has a bottom port facing the substrate, and the measurement volume is communicatively coupled to the bottom port.

A transparent ultrasound transducer has a transparent substrate and a transparent transducer structure. The transducer structure has a bottom electrode, a top electrode electrically insulated from the bottom electrode, and an array of acoustically active elements within a separating layer between the top electrode and the bottom electrode. The top electrode and bottom electrode have a conductive transparent material. One or both of the top electrode and the bottom electrode have a composite layer made from the conductive transparent material and a supplemental material that has a greater conductivity of the conductive transparent material. A majority of an area of the composite layer comprises the conductive transparent material.