Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and system for joining different materials is described. In a principal embodiment, two articles, for example different metals, are placed in proximity to one another with an interfacial area. One article is heated using a laser that is scanned across from a point remote from the interface to a point at or just short of the interface. In embodiments, the interfacial bond region is characterized by a homogenous mixed phase region with very low to substantially no brittle intermetallics.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and system for joining different materials is described. In a principal embodiment, two articles, for example different metals, are placed in proximity to one another with an interfacial area. One article is heated using a laser that is scanned across from a point remote from the interface to a point at or just short of the interface. In embodiments, the interfacial bond region is characterized by a homogenous mixed phase region with very low to substantially no brittle intermetallics.

Abstract: Systems and methods for cutting materials are disclosed herein In some embodiments, methods of at least partially severing a capillary vessel can include: focusing a laser on a predetermined point on the capillary vessel, said capillary vessel containing a biological sample; and cutting the capillary vessel using a laser at the predetermined point. In some embodiments, the methods further can include capturing an image of the capillary vessel and analyzing the image to determine the predetermined point. In some embodiments, a beam of the laser can be moved using one or more galvanometric mirrors. In some embodiments, the methods further can include cutting a plurality of capillary vessels using the laser. In some embodiments, the methods can include utilizing a plurality of lasers, and/or further can include rotating the capillary vessel while the laser can be cutting the capillary vessel. In some embodiments, cutting the capillary vessel can include cutting only a portion of the capillary vessel.

Abstract: A method of identifying and localizing objects belonging to one of three or more classes, includes deriving vectors, each being mapped to one of the objects, where each of the vectors is an element of an N-dimensional space. The method includes training an ensemble of binary classifiers with a CISS technique, using an ECOC technique. For each object corresponding to a class, the method includes calculating a probability that the associated vector belongs to a particular class, using an ECOC probability estimation technique. In another embodiment, increased detection accuracy is achieved by using images obtained with different contrast methods. A nonlinear dimensional reduction technique, Kernel PCA, was employed to extract features from the multi-contrast composite image. The Kernel PCA preprocessing shows improvements over traditional linear PCA preprocessing possibly due to its ability to capture high-order, nonlinear correlations in the high dimensional image space.

Abstract: Systems and methods for high-throughput radiation biodosimetry are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods for robotic transport are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, robotic systems for transporting biological samples include: a plurality of capillary vessels, in which each capillary vessel can contain a biological sample from a population; a receptacle that can contain the plurality of capillary vessels; a centrifuge; a first robotic device that can transport the receptacle between an input module and the centrifuge; a second robotic device that can transport the receptacle between the centrifuge and a sample harvest location; a cutting device that can cut each of the plurality of capillary vessels; a multi-well plate having a plurality of wells arranged in an array; and a third robotic device that can transfer at least one portion of each of the plurality of biological samples from each of the plurality of capillary vessels to a corresponding well in the array.

Abstract: Systems and methods for robotic transport are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, robotic systems for transporting biological samples include: a plurality of capillary vessels, in which each capillary vessel can contain a biological sample from a population; a receptacle that can contain the plurality of capillary vessels; a centrifuge; a first robotic device that can transport the receptacle between an input module and the centrifuge; a second robotic device that can transport the receptacle between the centrifuge and a sample harvest location; a cutting device that can cut each of the plurality of capillary vessels; a multi-well plate having a plurality of wells arranged in an array; and a third robotic device that can transfer at least one portion of each of the plurality of biological samples from each of the plurality of capillary vessels to a corresponding well in the array.

Abstract: Systems and methods for etching materials are disclosed herein. Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include methods for marking at least one capillary, including etching the at least one capillary with a laser, as well as methods for reading the resulting markings using a second laser. Further embodiments incorporate the second laser within a barcode reader. Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include capillaries having outer diameters of about 2 mm. In some embodiments, the capillary is moved while the first laser marks the capillary.

Abstract: Systems and methods for high-throughput radiation biodosimetry are disclosed herein.

Abstract: A system and method for stabilizing the cutting front temperature of a laser beam on a workpiece in order to improve the quality of the laser beam cut. The technique and system models the temperature of a virtual grid of nodes on the workpiece's surface and determines the effect of the laser beam on each node's temperature including the creation of the kerf. An optimization technique is then performed on the results from temperature model which creates a power data profile to indicate the correct level of power which the laser should be operated for every point on the laser cut. The technique and system is especially useful when boundary, turns or holes are required where the cutting conditions change creating excessive heat accumulation.