Abstract: This invention relates to a liquid measurement cell for micromechanical sensors, so-called cantilever sensors. These sensors are e.g. used for the detection of biomolecules without the need for fluorescent or radioactive labelling. These measurements are usually carried out in liquids, where air or gas bubbles present in the analyte inside the measurement cell can significantly affect measurement results or even destroy the sensor. In a measurement cell according to this invention, a closed gas volume is present above the liquid level. Consequently, gas or air bubble can be constantly absorbed by the gas volume and do not come in contact with the cantilever sensors. The measurement cell is further characterised by a very low volume in the order of microliters and can be combined with various optical or piezoelectrical/piezoresistive read-out methods.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of frequency measuring, in particular to extremely accurate difference frequency measuring as it is used in the area of measuring instruments, e.g. in scanning atomic force microscopes or other scanning probe microscopes, or in the area of thermogravimetry for determining extremely small masses in the ng-range. The invention relates in particular to the principle of such a hybrid frequency measuring device or frequency detector, i.e. a frequency measuring device or frequency detector comprising both digital and analog components or groups of components. The invention also relates to an advantageous use of such a frequency detector for evaluation of the frequency measurements of a scanning probe microscope. A frequency measuring arrangement can be at least partly integrated in a measuring head of a scanning probe microscope, thus enabling a robust, and at the same time sensitive, measuring arrangement.