Abstract: A fluidic circuit for receiving a fluid and separating a component of a fluid from the fluid comprises a separation chamber for receiving the fluid, an air chamber in fluid communication with the separation chamber, and a return channel in fluid communication with the separation chamber. In an advantageous embodiment, the fluidic circuit is subjected to a force, such as a centrifugal force, so that substantially all of the component of the fluid is moved to the return channel while substantially all remaining portions of the fluid are moved to the separation chamber.

Abstract: A fluidic circuit for receiving a fluid and separating a component of a fluid from the fluid comprises a separation chamber for receiving the fluid, an air chamber in fluid communication with the separation chamber, and a return channel in fluid communication with the separation chamber. In an advantageous embodiment, the fluidic circuit is subjected to a force, such as a centrifugal force, so that substantially all of the component of the fluid is moved to the return channel while substantially all remaining portions of the fluid are moved to the separation chamber.

Abstract: A method for determining whether a target agent is present in a biological sample includes mixing magnetic capture beads, each having at least one transport probe affixed thereto, reporter beads, each bead having at least one signal probe affixed thereto, and a biological sample, under binding conditions which permit formation of a dual bead complex if the target agent is present in the sample, wherein the dual bead complex comprises the reporter bead bound to the target agent which is in turn bound to the magnetic capture bead; isolating the dual bead complex from the mixture by subjecting the mixture to a magnetic field; loading the isolate into an optical disc, the optical disc having an capture layer having affixed thereto, within a capture field, a capture agent that binds to the dual bead complex specifically; and detecting the presence of the dual bead complex in the optical disc, the presence of the dual bead complex indicating that the target agent is present in the sample.

Abstract: An optical scanning device is described which can scan a record carrier by a radiation beam. A dividing element directs radiation reflected from the record carrier to a detection system. The detection system includes at least three detectors. The dividing element has at least three gratings, each forming a sub-beam directed to one of the detectors. The longest dimension of each detector is substantially perpendicular to the bisector of the appertaining sector.

Abstract: A description is given of an reversible optical information medium comprising a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a phase-change recording layer on the basis of Ge--Sb--Te, a second dielectric layer, and a metal mirror layer. The recording layer comprises an alloy having the composition Ge.sub.50x Sb.sub.40-40x Te.sub.60-10x in atom %, wherein0.166.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.444and wherein the layer thickness d.sub.3 of said recording layer ranges between 25 and 35 nm. Such a medium is suitable for high speed recording (i.e. at least twice the CD-speed), and has a large cyclability of at least 10.sup.5 direct overwrite cycles.

Abstract: A description is given of an reversible optical information medium comprising a substrate (1), a first dielectric layer (2), a phase-change recording layer on the basis of Ge-Sb-Te (3), a second dielectric layer (4), and a metal mirror layer (5). The recording layer (3) comprises an alloy having the composition Ge.sub.50x Sb.sub.40-40x Te.sub.60-10x, in atom %, wherein0.166.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.444and wherein the layer thickness d.sub.3 of said recording layer (3) ranges between 25 and 35 nm. Such a medium is suitable for high speed recording (i.e. at least twice the CD-speed), and has a large cyclability of at least 10.sup.5 direct overwrite cycles.

Abstract: A method is described for recording an optical information carrier, in which marks representing recorded data are written at different writing speeds by radiation pulse of equal length and power, independent of the writing speed. The number of pulses per unit length of the written mark is a constant independent of the writing speed.

Abstract: An optical scanning device can scan two types of record carriers each having a transparent layer with a different thickness, in which a radiation beam scans an information layer of the record carrier through the transparent layer. When scanning a first type of record carrier the best focus of a scanning radiation beam is positioned on the information layer and when scanning a second type of record carrier the paraxial focus of the radiation beam is positioned on the information layer.

Abstract: A description is given of an optical information carrier comprising a substrate (1), a thin reflective layer (5), a dielectric layer (7), a phase-change recording layer on the basis of GeTeSe (9), a dielectric layer (11), an opaque metal reflective layer (13) and a protective layer (15). The information carrier can be inscribed, erased and read by means of a laser-light beam a and, in the inscribed state, complies with the CD-industrial standard. The recording layer (9) comprises an alloy having the composition Ge.sub.x Te.sub.y Se.sub.z, in atom %, wherein47.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.5317.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.4112.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.30andx+y+z.gtoreq.96 and, preferably, equal to 100.

Abstract: Information storage system, device and record carriers for improved erasing of information written on a record carrier. A radiation beam is focused on a recording layer of a record carrier containing phase-change material. Crystalline information areas are written on initially amorphous portions of the recording layer by means of the radiation beam having its intensity modulated in accordance with write pulses. The information areas are erased (and changed back into amorphous portions) by means of the radiation beam having its intensity modulated in accordance with erase pulses.

Abstract: An optical record carrier with a substrate (1) having thereon a stack (3) of a reflection layer (4), an interference layer (5) and a phase-change recording-layer (6) in that order, the incident radiation being first incident on the reflection layer. Due to this structure of the stack a high contrast between the inscribed and uninscribed areas of the recording layer, and/or a high reflection, is obtained.

Abstract: Information storage system, device and record carrier for improved erasing of information written on the record carrier. A radiation beam is focused on a recording layer of the record carrier containing phase-change material. Crystalline information areas are written on initially amorphous portions of the recording layer by means of the radiation beam having its intensity modulated in accordance with write pulses. The information areas are erased by means of the radiation beam having its intensity modulated in accordance with erase pulses.

Abstract: The disclosed information reading system comprises a record carrier (1) having at least two parallel tracks (2a, 2b) whose mutual distance is so small that the radiation beam (10) is modulated by the information patterns of the two tracks (2a, 2b) when the tracks are scanned by a focused radiation beam (10) along a line (18) indicating the center between the tracks (2a, 2b). The tracks comprise elementary areas, with the positions of the boundaries (80) of the elementary areas of the two tracks, viewed in the track direction, corresponding to each other. The information patterns in the tracks comprise elementary areas occupied by a mark and unoccupied elementary areas. The occupied elementary areas have a different influence on the radiation than the unoccupied elementary areas. When the two tracks (2a, 2b) are scanned, the center (17) of the scanning spot (14) is directed onto a line (18) which is located centrally between the tracks (2a, 2b).