Abstract:
A microassay card for a includes an upper layer containing wells for receiving a liquid sample. A second layer of the card, beneath the first layer, includes a supporting surface bound to a reactive species. A third layer includes a superabsorbent support impregnated with an indicator. Typically, the indicator is a substrate for an enzyme, such as a reduced dye precursor and a source of hydrogen peroxide necessary for the action of the enzyme upon the substrate to cause a spectral change in the absorbent layer. By selecting the structure of the first and second layers, the card can be formatted for a displacement assay or a competitive assay. The microassay card of the present invention is particularly useful for drug testing.
Abstract:
An optical density measuring system has a light projecting system which includes a light source and an optical fiber bundle which transmits light emitted from the light source to the specimen. The optical fiber bundle consists of first and second portions which are connected by an optical fiber connector. The connector includes a first optical fiber plug which holds the light emanating end face of the first portion of the bundle, a second optical fiber plug which holds the light incident end face of the second portion of the bundle, a plug holder which can be mated with both the first and second optical fiber plugs in such a manner that the light emanating end face of the first portion and the light incident end face of the second portion are closely opposed to each other, and an optical filter which transmits only light having a selected wavelength and is mounted on the plug holder in a position in which the optical filter is interposed between the light emanating end face of the first portion and the light incident end face of the second portion.
Abstract:
A recording apparatus has a holder for a plurality of reaction vessels including a support plate (11) having an array of holes (15) therein for receiving an array of reaction vessels (16), a housing (10) for receiving the holder and being sealed to prevent entry of stray light, an openable cover (24, 249) for the housing, a film back (12) for holding a photographic film adjacent the underside of the plate (11), and a removable shutter (13) for interposition between the film and the support plate.
Abstract:
An improved and unique liquid light tube (guide) end cap assembly particularly useful in a system for the clinical analysis of liquid biological samples for directing wavelengths of light is described. The assembly comprises a light guide having projecting at one end portion thereof a quartz member and a housing for containing the end portion of the light guide and the quartz member, thereby forming an aperture between the quartz member and the housing, the aperture having a depth of between about 0.002 and 0.007 inches.
Abstract:
Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for automated composite layup quality assurance. A method of automated composite layup inspection, comprising: receiving, by a processing device, information describing a three-dimensional point cloud of a top surface of a composite layup, the top surface comprising a region of one or more courses of composite layup material, each course comprising a plurality of composite material tapes; determining, by the processing device and based on the three-dimensional point cloud, and at least one algorithm, a presence and location of one or more flaws on the top surface; and evaluating, by the processing device and based on the one or more flaws on the top surface, whether the composite layup should be at least one of: (i) accepted as is; (ii) repaired to resolve the one or more flaws; and (iii) rejected.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method for handling harvested root crops such as potatoes. The method comprises the steps of optically imaging (i.e. by the hyper-spectral imaging system) a bulk flow of a harvested root crop to produce image data and analysing the image data to identify discrete objects within the bulk flow. Each identified object is categorised as either acceptable (44) or unacceptable (40) based on a comparison with at least one discriminator and objects classified as unacceptable are removed (by the ejector actuator 38) from the bulk flow to provide a sorted flow of the harvested root crop.
Abstract:
A fluorescence measuring apparatus is arranged to measure, substantially at the same time, a plurality of samples in a sample chamber or a plurality of points of the same sample, with the use of an excitation light source. The fluorescence measuring apparatus has a rotary sample stand (2) at the excitation light irradiation position, a plurality of through-holes (2a) are formed in the circumference of the rotary sample stand (2), and a sample placing unit (3) is insertable in each of the through-holes (2a). By moving the sample stand (2) relatively to the excitation light irradiation position, fluorescence measurement can be made on a plurality of samples without sample replacement required in a sample chamber (1).
Abstract:
An apparatus (10) for inspecting the surface of an object S moving in the direction of travel (23) relative to the apparatus comprises a modular sensing head assembly (11) including a plurality of sensing head modules (12, 13), each of which includes a number of sensing stations (16 - 21). Each sensing station includes a light source (77, 81, 84) for generating a line of light extending across substantially the width of the surface of the object and a plurality of optical detector means for detecting light scattered from the line of light by the surface of the object. The optical detectors are positioned and oriented to receive scattered light scattered along paths lying in detection planes which are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the surface of the object. Signal processing electronics are provided to convert the light received by the detectors into analog signals which are multiplexed, converted to digital signals, filtered and then compared to preselected thresholds to determine the existence of any defects in the surface.