The present disclosure provides a method for detection of an analyte in a sample, where the sample is introduced into an analytic chamber along with droplets of an emulsion or gel beads. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides designs for formulations of emulsion drops or gel beads such that they are useful for detection of analytes in a massively parallel manner. Formulations that contain specific combinations of fluorescent particles allow optical determination of the identity of each fluorescent particle. The combinations are based on particle fluorescence emission wavelength, fluorescence excitation wavelength, and particle count.

Methods, devices, apparatus, and systems for three-dimensional (3D) contoured scanning photoacoustic imaging and/or deep learning virtual staining.

The object of the invention relates to a method for scanning with an optical beam (50) using a first acousto-optic deflector (15, 15′) having an optical axis along a Z-axis and at least one acousto-optic crystal layer (14), involving directing the optical beam (50) in the first acousto-optic deflector (15, 15′), and deflecting the optical beam (50) along an X-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis by means of the first acousto-optic deflector (15, 15), during which generating a plurality of acoustic chirp signals (30) in the at least one acousto-optic crystal layer (14) of the acousto-optic deflector (15, 15′) by—generating a first acoustic chirp signal (30a) having a duration of τ in the acousto-optic crystal layer (14), then—generating a second acoustic chirp signal (30b) in the acousto-optic crystal layer (14) within a τ period of time counted from the start of the generation of the first acoustic chirp signal (30a).

A device and an according method for multispectral optoacoustic imaging of an object is provided comprising: an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the object with electromagnetic radiation at two or more different irradiation wavelengths the electromagnetic radiation having a time-varying intensity; a detection unit configured to detect acoustic waves generated in the object upon irradiating the object with the electromagnetic radiation at the different irradiation wavelengths; and a processing unit configured to reconstruct images of the object based on the detected acoustic waves generated in the object at each of the irradiation wavelengths and to determine a spatial distribution of at least one first concentration value, which relates to a concentration of at least one electromagnetic radiation absorber in the object.

A photoacoustic measurement device having a puncture needle, where the puncture needle 14 is a hollow needle that has an opening formed at a tip thereof. The puncture needle 14 includes a puncture needle body 31 and a light guide 32. The light guide 32 extends in a longitudinal direction of the puncture needle body. The light guide 32 emits light at least in part to the puncture needle body 31 while guiding light emitted from a light source toward the tip of the puncture needle body.

A method for high resolution photoacoustic imaging in scattering media using structured illumination may include illuminating a sample of an absorption object with structured illumination, including illuminating the sample with multiple different speckle patterns at different times. The method may also include detecting multiple photoacoustic signals generated by the absorption object in response to illumination with the different speckle patterns to generate multiple photoacoustic responses. The method may also include reconstructing an absorber distribution of the absorption object by exploiting joint sparsity of sound sources in the plurality of photoacoustic responses.

The object of the invention relates to a method for scanning with an optical beam (50) using a first acousto-optic deflector (15, 15) having an optical axis along a Z-axis and at least one acousto-optic crystal layer (14), involving directing the optical beam (50) in the first acousto-optic deflector (15, 15), and deflecting the optical beam (50) along an X-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis by means of the first acousto-optic deflector (15, 15), during which generating a plurality of acoustic chirp signals (30) in the at least one acousto-optic crystal layer (14) of the acousto-optic deflector (15, 15) bygenerating a first acoustic chirp signal (30a) having a duration of in the acousto-optic crystal layer (14), thengenerating a second acoustic chirp signal (30b) in the acousto-optic crystal layer (14) within a period of time counted from the start of the generation of the first acoustic chirp signal (30a).

A method for high resolution photoacoustic imaging in scattering media using structured illumination may include illuminating a sample of an absorption object with structured illumination, including illuminating the sample with multiple different speckle patterns at different times. The method may also include detecting multiple photoacoustic signals generated by the absorption object in response to illumination with the different speckle patterns to generate multiple photoacoustic responses. The method may also include reconstructing an absorber distribution of the absorption object by exploiting joint sparsity of sound sources in the plurality of photoacoustic responses.

For determining a molecule position of a singularized fluorophore molecule, a light beam including fluorescence excitation light and fluorescence influencing light is shaped and focused such as to form a light intensity distribution having a central intensity minimum of the fluorescence influencing light. The central intensity minimum is continuously moved along a track repeatedly extending around an estimated position. Individual photons of fluorescence light emitted by the fluorophore molecule due to excitation by the fluorescence excitation light are registered; and an intensity minimum position of the intensity minimum is recorded for the excitation of each individual photon registered. In response, the estimated position around which the track extends is updated on basis of the recorded intensity minimum position, and extensions of the track around the estimated position are reduced and an effectiveness of the fluorescence influencing light is increased.

Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for label-free, image-encoded, microfluidics-based cell sorting. In some aspects, an image-based particle sorting system includes an optical imaging system; a data processing system to process the image data obtained by the optical imaging device and determine one or more properties associated with the individual particles flowing in the carrier fluid and to produce a control command based on a comparison of the determined one or more properties with a sorting criteria; and a particle sorting system including a particle flow device that comprises a substrate including the particle-flow channel and a plurality of output channels branching from the particle-flow channel to receive, in one output channel of the plurality of output channels, sorted particles directed by an actuator device based on the control command.