Abstract:
The present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring changes in reagent concentration, and in particular, to a system and method for monitoring for changes in reagent concentrations within small volumes of liquids in contact with a biological sample (908) disposed on a substrate such as a microscope slide (906) using a refractometer based on the reflection of a laser beam (900) coupled to the sample (908) via a prism (904).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a mobile photometric measuring apparatus, comprising: at least one measuring module consisting of a light source, a detector and an optical structure comprising a lens system with integrated filter properties or a lens system and at least one filter, said components being arranged wired on a circuit board, in a housing and/or a component. The invention further relates to a mobile photometric measuring method on microtiter plates with grid sensors.
Abstract:
Nano-objects (8) with feature size smaller than the classical Abbe's diffraction limit can be optically detected via a microlens (4) array configured in a miniaturized microfluidic device. A hydrophilic microwell (3) array in a hydrophobic layer (2) is firstly fabricated by standard microfabrication processes. Dielectric microspheres (4) with high refractive index are used as microlenses and patterned inside the hydrophilic microwells (3) resulting in a microlens array format with high uniformity over a large surface area. These microlenses (4) focus the illuminating light into a region that is referred to as a photonic nanojet (6), which is characterized by a high optical intensity and sub-diffraction transverse dimension. The microlens array is integrated with a microfluidic channel (9), where a fluid medium (7) with nano-objects (8) is present. When the nano-objects (8) pass through the photonic nanojet (6), the retroreflected light from the microsphere-nano-object ensemble is highly enhanced and measured by an optical signal detection component (11) (conventional optical microscope, etc.), and the enhancement of the retroreflected light is very sensitive to the size of the nano-objects (8). Therefore, not only the existence of the nano-objects (8) can be qualitatively monitored, but also the size of these nano-objects can be quantitatively determined by the proposed technique.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for imaging a surface, including a nano-positioning device including a cantilever with an optically transparent microsphere lens coupled to the distal end of the cantilever. An optical component can focusing light on at least a portion of the surface through the microsphere lens, and focus light, if any, reflected from the surface through the microsphere lens. A control unit communicatively coupled with the nano-positioning device can be configured to position the microsphere lens at a predetermined distance above the surface.
Abstract:
Devices, methods and systems for making optical measurements of a fluid at elevated pressures and temperatures are disclosed. A cell is designed for the optical spectroscopic measurements of fluids or gas using light from ultra violet (UV) to far infrared wavelengths, among other wavelengths. A cell is described that is well suited for applications using very small fluid volumes, on the order of micro liters, such as microfluidic systems. Some described embodiments are suited for very high pressure and temperature environments (for example, 20kpsi or greater at 175 degree C or greater). Such conditions, for example, may be found in oilfield downhole environments. Some embodiments provide are inexpensive, and make use of replaceable lenses that are used as a pressure barrier and for collimation of the optical beam path for spectroscopic measurements.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus (10) for detecting and measuring the concentration of a substance in a solution, the substance having an absorption at 300 nm or less. The methods and apparatus have particular utility in detecting and measuring the concentration of proteins and nucleic acids. The light source (20) used is an ultraviolet light emitting diode which emits light having a wavelength of 300 nm or less.
Abstract:
A turbidity sensor for underwater measurements is provided with a watertight housing, a light emitting diode, a first light focusing device for focusing a light emitted from the diode and passing the focused light into to-be-measured water, a second light focusing device for collecting at least one scattered light resulted form the focused light when passing the water, a photodiode for receiving the collected light thereby generating electronic signals, and an electronic board for processing the electronic signals.
Abstract:
A laser-induced fluorescence detector comprising a means (5) for the transmission of a laser beam(8), a cell (4) fitted inside a capillary (2), whereby said cell (4) receives a solution containing at least one unknown substance which is fluorescent with respect to the wavelength of a fluorescent laser beam, illuminating means comprising a digital low aperture lens (6), a ball-shaped lens (10), and the same optical means (10,6) collecting the emitted fluorescence which is treated in order to provide the results of an analysis. The ball-shaped lens (10) converts the laser beam into a divergent beam, thereby making it possible to have a large illuminated volume in the lens (4).