99results about How to "Detection is limited" patented technology

Self-encoding microspheres having distinct characteristic optical response signatures to specific target analytes may be mixed together while the ability is retained to identify the sensor type and location of each sensor in a random dispersion of large numbers of such sensors in a sensor array using an optically interrogatable encoding scheme, resulting in a microsphere-based analytic chemistry system. Individual microsphere sensors are disposed in microwells at a distal end of a fiber bundle and are optically coupled to discrete fibers or groups of fibers within the bundle to form an optical fiber bundle sensor. The identities of the individual sensors in the array are self-encoded by exposing the array to a reference analyte while illuminating the array with excitation light energy. A single sensor array may carry thousands of discrete sensing elements whose combined signal provides for substantial improvements in sensor detection limits, response times and signal-to-noise ratios.

The integrity of control signals used to control a wafer handling robot is monitored by a monitor connected to various points of the robotic control system. The monitor includes a memory for storing data sets representing correct, reference characteristics of the control signals. The monitor samples control signals at various points in the control system and compares these sampled signals with the stored reference characteristics in order to determine whether a signal disparity exists. If a disparity exists, the monitor generates an error.

The invention provides compositions and methods for the detection and / or quantification of biological targets (e.g., nucleic acids and proteins) by the nucleic acid-templated creation of one or more reaction products, for example, epitopes, enzyme substrates, enzyme activators, and ligands. The reaction products can be detected and / or quantitated after signal amplification using an amplification system.

Methods and apparatus for analyzing bioprocess fluids are provided. A plurality of particles coated with a plurality of capture agents having an affinity for one or more biological markers is combined with bioprocess fluid to form a plurality of analyte-particle complexes. The system also includes a transport arrangement for transporting the sample to a sensor surface, and optionally a magnetic field inducing structure constructed and arranged to establish a magnetic field at and adjacent to the sensor surface. The resonant sensor produces a signal corresponding to an amount of analyte-particle complexes that are bound to the sensor surface.

The invention relates to methods and devices for assessing one or more blood components in an animal. The present invention permits non-invasive assessment of blood components in a body structure containing blood and other tissue types by assessing multiple regions of a tissue surface for an optical characteristic of blood and separately assessing one or more optical (e.g., Raman or NIR) characteristics of the blood component for one or more regions that exhibit the optical characteristic of blood.

A method for automatically assessing medical ultrasound (US) image usability, includes extracting one or more features from at least one part of a medical ultrasound image, calculating for each feature a feature score for each pixel of the at least one part of the ultrasound image, and classifying one or more image pixels of the at least one part as either usable or unusable, based on a combination of feature scores for each pixel, where usable pixels have intensity values substantially representative of one or more anatomical structures.

The invention relates to a method for identifying organic or biochemical substances and for determining their concentration in a fluid medium using a nanogap sensor that comprises at least two electrodes. The invention is characterized in that: a nanogap sensor) with electrodes of different materials is used, a respective probe molecule is bonded to each surface of the two electrodes of the sensor and the free remainder of the probe molecules have at least one bondable group with specificity for bonding to a sought substance or to an analyte molecule in the fluid medium. The analyte molecule has at least two binding sites and passes selectively out of the fluid medium in which it is contained, binds to the free ends of the probe molecules, forming a bridge with the probe molecule, and modifies the resulting impedance between the electrodes. The concentration of the substance in the fluid medium can be determined as a result of the modification.

The invention relates to methods and devices for assessing one or more blood components in an animal. The present invention permits non-invasive assessment of blood components in a body structure containing blood and other tissue types by assessing multiple regions of a tissue surface for an optical characteristic of blood and separately assessing one or more optical (e.g., Raman or NIR) characteristics of the blood component for one or more regions that exhibit the optical characteristic of blood.

Methods for detecting analytes in a sample are provided. A plurality of particles, each of which is coated with a capture agent having an affinity for the analyte, is combined with the sample to form a plurality of analyte-particle complexes. The system also includes a transport arrangement for transporting the sample to the sensor surface, and a magnetic field inducing structure constructed and arranged to establish a magnetic field at and adjacent to the sensor surface. The resonant sensor produces a signal corresponding to an amount of analyte-particle complexes that are bound to the sensor surface.

Methods and systems for improved detection and classification of defects of interest (DOI) on semiconductor wafers based on three-dimensional images are described herein. Three dimensional imaging of volumes of thick, layered structures enables accurate defect detection and estimation of defect location in three dimensions at high throughput. A series of images are acquired at a number of different wafer depths. A three dimensional image of a thick semiconductor structure is generated from the series of images. Defects are identified and classified based on an analysis of the three dimensional image of the thick semiconductor structure. In some examples, the three-dimensional image stack is visualized by contour plots or cross-sectional plots to identify a characteristic defect response. In some examples, the three-dimensional image is processed algorithmically to identify and classify defects. In another aspect, the location of a defect is estimated in three dimensions based on the three dimensional image.

A method of improving the detection limits of a mass spectrometer by: generating sample ions from an ion source; storing the sample ions in a first ion storage device; ejecting the stored ions into an ion selection device; selecting and ejecting ions of a chosen mass to charge ratio out of the ion selection device; storing the ions ejected from the ion selection device in a second ion storage device without passing them back through the ion selection device; repeating the preceding steps so as to augment the ions of the said chosen mass to charge ratio stored in the second ion storage device; and transferring the augmented ions of the said chosen mass to charge ratio back to the first ion storage device for subsequent analysis.

A method for automatically assessing medical ultrasound (US) image usability, includes extracting one or more features from at least one part of a medical ultrasound image, calculating for each feature a feature score for each pixel of the at least one part of the ultrasound image, and classifying one or more image pixels of the at least one part as either usable or unusable, based on a combination of feature scores for each pixel, where usable pixels have intensity values substantially representative of one or more anatomical structures.

A passenger detection system for detecting a sitting of a passenger on a seat of a vehicle has a capacitive passenger detection electrode which is embedded in the seat to detect the sitting, a surface unit attached to an upper surface of the seat, a driving unit which applies a voltage between the passenger detection electrode and a vehicle GND, and a detection unit for detecting a capacitance between the passenger detection electrode and the vehicle GND. At least a covering portion of the surface unit is rendered electrically conductive. The passenger detection electrode is covered with the covering portion. Thus, a sitting of the seat can be substantially detected by the passenger detection system.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for detecting cells or tissue comprising a peptide antigen presented in the context of an MHC or HLA complex. The invention has a wide range of applications including providing a highly sensitive method for detecting cancer cells.

Methods for detecting analytes in a sample are provided. A plurality of particles, each of which is coated with a capture agent having an affinity for the analyte, is combined with the sample to form a plurality of analyte-particle complexes. The system also includes a transport arrangement for transporting the sample to the sensor surface, and a magnetic field inducing structure constructed and arranged to establish a magnetic field at and adjacent to the sensor surface. The resonant sensor produces a signal corresponding to an amount of analyte-particle complexes that are bound to the sensor surface.

Sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene which demonstrate extreme sensitivity as reflected in their electrical conductivity to gaseous molecules, such as NO, NO2 and NH3, when exposed to in situ ultraviolet (UV) illumination during measurement of the analytes are disclosed. The sensors are capable of detection limits of NO down to almost 150 parts-per-quadrillion (“ppq”), detection limits of NO2 to 2 parts-per-trillion (“ppt”), and detection limits of NH3 of 33 ppt.

Methods for therapeutic drug monitoring are provided. A plurality of particles, each of which is coated with a capture agent capable of binding a therapeutic drug of choice is combined with the sample to form a plurality of therapeutic drug-particle complexes. The system also includes a transport arrangement for transporting the sample and / or particles to the sensor surface, and optionally a magnetic field inducing structure constructed and arranged to establish a magnetic field at and adjacent to the sensor surface. The resonant sensor produces a signal corresponding to an amount of therapeutic drug-particle complexes that are bound to the sensor surface.

A passenger detection system for detecting a sitting of a passenger on a seat of a vehicle has a capacitive passenger detection electrode which is embedded in the seat to detect the sitting, a surface unit attached to an upper surface of the seat, a driving unit which applies a voltage between the passenger detection electrode and a vehicle GND, and a detection unit for detecting a capacitance between the passenger detection electrode and the vehicle GND. At least a covering portion of the surface unit is rendered electrically conductive. The passenger detection electrode is covered with the covering portion. Thus, a sitting of the seat can be substantially detected by the passenger detection system.

Disclosed is a device and method for a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD), for low-cost and user-friendly analytical devices capable of use for disease screening, point-of-care pathogen and biomarker detection, food and water quality testing. A microfluidic paper-based analytical device is further produced by chemical vapor deposition for multiplex heavy metal detection in water. Assay demonstrations proved that the immobilization of functional groups and multiplex heavy metal detection is suitable for real-world applications and established the approach for DNA analysis. The disclosed invention comprises multilayer capability, including the ability for various biomolecules to be immobilized with charge interaction.

A radiation-monitoring diagnostic hodoscope system for producing an approximate image of radiation-detecting components within or external to a pressure vessel of an operating, damaged, or shutdown nuclear-power plant.

The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element 106 including image pickup pixels photoelectrically converting an object image formed by a light flux from an image pickup optical system 202 and focus detection pixels photoelectrically converting two images formed by two divided light fluxes of the light flux from the image pickup optical system. The apparatus further includes an image generator 112 generating an image based on first pixel signals, a focus controller 112 performing focus control for the image pickup optical system based on second pixel signals. A signal processor 112 outputs signals read out from the image pickup pixels after each charge accumulation operation of the image pickup pixels for a predetermined time period as the first pixel signals, and outputs signals obtained by plural charge accumulation operations of the focus detection pixels as the second pixel signals.

A system for detecting leaks of petroleum and other non-petroleum based products in an environment includes a sensor package comprising at least one LED and an optical photo-detector. The emitter transmits an excitation signal with an excitation wavelength, and the detector is tuned to the emission wavelengths of a fluorescing mixture, such as a petroleum based product, in a space where detection is sought. An alarm system coupled to the detector may be used for notifying users in case of a leak.

There is provided a fluorescent X-ray analysis apparatus in which a detection lower limit has been improved by reducing an X-ray generating subsidiarily and detected. The fluorescent X-ray analysis apparatus is one which possesses an X-ray source irradiating a primary X-ray, and a detector in which a collimator having a through-hole in its center part has been placed in a front face, and in which, by the detector, there is detected a primary fluorescent X-ray which generates from a sample by irradiating the primary X-ray to a sample, and passes through the through-hole of the collimator. The X-ray source and the detector are disposed while adjoining the sample, and an irradiated face of the X-ray source or the detector, to which a primary scattered ray having generated by the fact that the primary X-ray scatters in the sample and the primary fluorescent X-ray having generated from the sample are irradiated, is covered by a secondary X-ray reduction layer reducing a secondary scattered ray and a secondary fluorescent X-ray, which generate by irradiations of the primary scattered ray and the primary fluorescent X-ray.

A electrochemical biosensor based on an aptamer / nano silver probe and an EXO I enzyme. Nano silver nanoparticles having the functions of identifying a target object and generating electrochemical signals and modified by an aptamer are used as a biological probe for detecting target biomolecules, under the initiation of the target object and the assistance of a complementary probe and the EXO I enzyme cyclic shear amplification, and by means of the DNA complementary pairing principle, the probe can be gathered on the surface of a gold electrode, the larger the concentration of the target biomolecules is, the larger the gathering degree of the induced aptamer / nano silver probe is, and meanwhile an EXO I exonuclease target cyclic amplification strategy is introduced in the identification process of the target object, so that the electrochemical biosensor can sensitively and efficiently detect target biological substances.

A test subject, which is filled with test gas, is placed in a testing chamber, which can be evacuated. A carrier gas is conducted into the testing chamber, so that a gas mixture made of carrier gas and test gas forms therein. The gas mixture is suctioned out of the testing chamber by a compressor pump. A testing gas sensor is connected to the outlet of the compressor pump. The test gas is contained in the compressed gas mixture at a partial pressure which is increased by the compression ratio. In this manner, the sensitivity of the test gas recognition is increased and / or the time constant of the measurement is shortened.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for signal spectrometry using an improved apodization function. Such method and apparatus involve (i) obtaining sample and reference time domain waveforms; (ii) applying sample and reference apodization waveforms to the sample and reference time domain waveforms, such that substantially same weight is applied to corresponding substantially coextensive regions of the sample and reference time domain waveforms, (iii) transforming the sample and reference apodized waveforms from the time domain into the frequency domain; and (iv) generating referenced spectral analysis waveform for signal analysis from a ratio of the transformed sample and reference frequency spectra, the spectral analysis waveform substantially excluding frequencies associated with the corresponding substantially coextensive regions of the apodized sample and reference time domain waveforms.

The present invention discloses a self-referencing fiber-optic localized plasmon resonance sensing device and a system thereof. The self-referencing fiber-optic localized plasmon resonance sensing device comprises a reference optical fiber, a sensing optical fiber and a carrier. The reference optical fiber is modified with a first noble metal nanoparticle layer, and receives an incident light to generate a first localized plasmon resonance sensor signal. The sensing optical fiber is modified with a second noble metal nanoparticle layer. The second noble metal nanoparticle layer is further modified with a molecular or biological recognition unit, and receives the incident light to generate a second localized plasmon resonance sensor signal. The carrier is used for placement of the reference optical fiber and the sensing optical fiber. A processing unit is allowed to perform referencing on the second localized plasmon resonance sensor signal based on the first localized plasmon resonance sensor signal.

A state-of-eye distinguishing means calculates a feature value that represents a state of an eye, for an eye-area based on pixel data of pixels that constitute the eye-area. A threshold value setting means calculates a first threshold value representing a feature value at a first transition point from an open state to a closed state and a second threshold value representing a feature value at a second transition point from the closed state to the open state, based on a feature value calculated for a targeted eye when the targeted eye is open. A blinking state detection means detects the blinking state of the eye corresponding to the eye-area, by sequentially comparing feature values which are sequentially calculated for a series of frame images by the state-of-eye distinguishing means with one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

A kit for dot immunogold directed filtration assay including a dot immunogold directed filtration card, a detection probe labeled by nano colloidal gold or latex beads, a negative standard, a positive standard, and a cleaning solution.