Abstract:
A method and an instrument for determining a nutritional state of a plant with respect to one or more nutrients is provided. The method comprises the steps of recording a time series of a fluorescence induction signal of a tissue sample of the plant using a fluorometer device to obtain signal data, wherein the time series at least comprises signal data within the rising portion of the fluorescence induction signal, and determining the nutritional state from an empirical model applied to the signal data, wherein the empirical model is based on pre-recorded reference data and relates nutritional states to shape-related features in the progression of the fluorescence induction signal.
Abstract:
A system (102) for determining properties of a sample (114) comprises a LIBS detector (104,106) and an infra-red absorption detector (108,110) for interrogating a sample (114) to generate LIBS spectral data and infra-red absorption spectral data respectively; and a data processor (112) adapted to apply at least one chemometric prediction model, each constructed to link, preferably quantitatively link, features of both LIBS and absorption spectral data to a different specific property of the sample, to a combined dataset derived from at least portions of both the LIBS and the absorption data to generate therefrom a determination, preferably a quantitative determination, of the specific property linked by that model.
Abstract:
A microfluidic impedance flow cytometer ('MIC') device (2) comprises a substrate (4) in which is formed at least one flow channel (6) for leading through a particle (22) containing fluidic sample. The flow channel (6) is formed with a focusing zone (12) and a measurement zone (14) located downstream of the focusing zone (12) in the direction of through flow and provided with an electrode arrangement (18) for characterising particles (22) in the flowing fluidic sample by means of electrical impedance wherein an acoustophoretic particle focusing arrangement (20) is provided in acoustic coupling to the flow channel (6) in the focusing zone (12) to induce acoustic forces in fluid in the flow channel (6) so as to effect a lateral and/or vertical focusing of particles before flowing to the measurement zone (14).
Abstract:
A method of controlling a production process including a process step for the morphological modification of a bio-material matrix comprises obtaining digital input data acquired during each of a plurality of production runs of the process, which input data includes information from radiation within a portion of the electromagnetic or acoustic spectrum having interacted with the matrix at one or more locations within the process together with a process control parameter and production event data for the associated production run; generating in a computer a prediction model from a multivariate analysis of the digital input data, which model links the information directly with one or more of process control parameters, production run events and process control settings; and applying in the computer the prediction model to interacted information obtained from a new production run to generate as an output one or more of a process control parameter a process control event and a predicted production run event for the new production run for use in controlling the production process.
Abstract:
A method of compensating for frequency drift of a reference energy source in an FT interferometer based spectrometer instrument having an arithmetic unit into which has been obtained data representing a reference interferogram (40) collected in response to a trigger signal having been generated in dependence on the emission frequency of the reference energy source and data representing a target interferogram (42) recorded by the FT interferometer in response to a trigger signal also having been generated in dependence on the emission frequency of the reference energy source in the same manner. The method further comprises the comparing in the arithmetic unit the data representing the reference interferogram (40) and the data representing the target interferogram (42) to determining a phase shift (d) between the interferograms in a window W in at least one region (36) away from center-burst (44) and generating in the arithmetic unit a mathematical transform dependent on the determined shift or shifts (d) to be subsequently applied to control the operation of the spectrometer instrument in order to generate data representing a frequency stabilized interferogram of an unknown sample recorded by the FT interferometer.
Abstract:
A spectrometric instrument (38) comprising: a scanning interferometer (40,42,44) having a beamsplitter (40) for dividing incident optical radiation into a reflected beam, following a reflected beam path and a transmitted beam following a transmitted beam path; a monochromatic optical radiation source (52) for launching a reference beam into the interferometer (40,42,44) along a first propagation path (62) to be initially incident on a first face (40') of the beamsplitter (40); an observation optical radiation source (46) for launching a divergent observation beam (64) into the interferometer (4,6,8) along a second propagation path (66) to be initially incident on the first face (40') of beamsplitter (40) and overlap the reference beam at the first face (40'); wherein the radiation sources (52;46) cooperate to generate a first angle (θ) between the directions of propagation of the two beams along respective first (62) and second (66) propagation paths when initially and simultaneously incident at the first face (40') which is larger than a divergence half-angle (α) of the observation beam 64.
Abstract:
A system for the measurement of free and bound SO 2 in a liquid beverage product sample comprising a sample container (10) having a volume sufficient to provide a headspace (14) above the sample (12) into which a gas can pass; a gas flow system (6) adapted to extract gas from the headspace (14) and recirculating it back into the liquid volume (12); a measurement system (4) configured to monitor a time dependent evolution of SO 2 in gas from the gas flow system (6); and a dosing apparatus (8) fluidly connected to the container (10) to supply an hydrolysis reagent thereto. A heater unit (3) is provided for supplying thermal radiation into the container (10) to elevate the temperature of sample therein sufficient to facilitate the hydrolysis reaction and a signal processor (30) operates to deconvolute the monitored evolution to generate an indication of the concentration of each of the free SO 2 and the total SO 2 content of the sample.
Abstract:
A method for determining a degree of infection comprising the steps of i) preparing an un-isolated sample by adding a differentiating marker, suitably a meta-chromatic stain such as, for example, acridine orange to mammalian milk in an amount sufficient to provide a differentiation between cell types; ii) measuring a differential somatic cell count on the sample by means of a cytometer having a detection system sensitive to differences in the differentiating marker resulting from the marker becoming differently associated with different cell types in the sample; and iii) determining an indication of a degree of infection dependent on the measured differential cell count.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for manipulation of particles (30) in a sample liquid (32) said device comprising a source of ultrasound (16) capable of emitting ultrasound with a given wavelength, an inlet for a sample liquid (2), one or more outlets (4, 5, 6) and a compartment (14), being dimensioned to support a standing ultrasonic wave (40) of said wavelength, characterised in that the device further comprises an inlet for sheath liquid (1, 3) configured to direct a sheath liquid (34) to extend substantially in parallel to an anti-node plane (46) of the ultrasonic standing wave (40) proximate to a sheathed compartment wall. Specifically the device may be used in combination with a particle enumeration device for enumeration of somatic cells in milk.
Abstract:
A biotechnological process for conversion of a raw material (100, 200) to a desired product (130, 230) by means of one or more biological or biochemical agents (102, 104, 202) such as microorganisms and/or enzymes characterised in that the amount of one or more of said biological or biochemical agents (102, 104, 202) is controllable by a process control algorithm (124,224) dependent on one or more values of interest related to a process stream. A specific aspect of the invention is the use of a process control algorithm for controlling enzyme addition in biofuel production by fermentation of biomass to alcohols.