Abstract: In needle-based dispensing systems, the target amount of liquid to be dispensed is in many cases very well controlled. However, the amount of liquid that is actually reaching the receiving well may show a discrepancy, because part of the liquid leaving the inner needle space remains on the outer surface of the dispense needle, and so a small amount of liquid is “lost” in the dispensing act. A sensor arrangement according to the present invention is suitable for detecting the presence of any liquid from the aspiration reservoir that is left behind on the outside of the dispense needle, before the dispense step is actually started. The “lost” volume can also be measured very accurately by inserting the tip of a dispense needle into a hollow metallic cylinder, forming a capacitor, whereby the capacitance value depends on the volume of the “lost” dispense volume.

Abstract: An acoustic detector based on rupture event scanning (“REVS”) with a detection setup allowing the monitoring of REVS signals near the driving frequency and with optimized impedance matching between the REVS crystal and the front-end of the detection circuitry for use in detecting the presence of particles such as bacteria, viruses, or other particulates in liquid samples with extreme high sensitivity.

Abstract: An acoustic detector based on rupture event scanning (“REVS”) with a detection setup allowing the monitoring of REVS signals near the driving frequency and with optimized impedance matching between the REVS crystal and the front-end of the detection circuitry for use in detecting the presence of particles such as bacteria, viruses, or other particulates in liquid samples with extreme high sensitivity.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to an optical switch which in particular, is able to present a high-resolution color display. The aim of the invention is to produce an optical switch which has a simpler design than known constructive solutions and has a high degree of luminous efficiency and low parallax. The optical switch should also be guaranteed to function at approx. 550° C. The inventive e.g., LCD-type optical switch is characterized in that at least one of the support plates consists of color-structured dichroic polarization glass which is impressed with dichroic color filters, in that the dichroic color filters are situated within an orthogonal matrix in color filter layers and in that the color filter layers of the support plate, starting form the surface of the support plate, extend into the same to a depth of a few &mgr;m. Once the glass support plates have been structured, the color patterns remain stable to approx. 550° C.

Abstract: Unit with a game block comprising at least one pluggable head (10) bearing on a neck (24). The insertable head (10) is comprised of a cylindrical medial part (11) and of two truncated terminal parts (12, 13) projecting from the medial part (11) and which extend on either side of the medial part in the longitudinal direction of the insertable head (10). A terminal part (12) is connected to the neck (24) of a diameter smaller than that of the terminal part (12). In the longitudinal cross-section, the insertable head (10) is octagonal. It may be inserted into a recess (3) of another game block. The recess (3) has the shape of a notch and extends in straight line in its longitudinal direction. It is laterally and upwardly open. Inside the recess (3) there are provided two segments (8,9) wherein the insertable head may be clamped at different depths of the game block. The outer segment is formed so as to enable the clamping of the insertable head ( 10) in different angular positions.