Abstract: A system for monitoring low dynamic pressures in confined spaces, such system comprising a catheter, a multilayered corrugated membrane of diameter less than 2 mm with a reflective inner layer mounted within said catheter; a set of optical fibers comprising one or more illuminating fibers and two or more detecting fibers which are contained within said catheter and whose ends are set at differing distances from the membrane; an illuminating system coupled to said illuminating fibers; and a detection system coupled to said illuminating fibers.

Abstract: A method of measuring oscillatory motion of a sample is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of illuminating a sample with an illuminating optical fiber; detecting backscattered light from the sample with a plurality of detecting optical fibers; coupling each optical fiber of the plurality of detecting optical fibers with a modulating optical fiber; and generating measurements of the oscillatory motion of the sample. An apparatus for measuring oscillatory motion of a sample is also disclosed. The apparatus comprises a light source; an illuminating optical fiber coupled to the light source; and a plurality of optical fibers positioned around the illuminating optical fiber and coupled to receive backscattered light from the sample.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for screening a compound by monitoring its interactions with a specimen having fluorophore loaded target cells. The apparatus comprises an optical illumination unit comprising a light source wherein light from the light source is directed to illuminate the specimen; a fluorescence discrimination unit which is coupled to receive emitted light from the specimen and separate at least three emitted wavelengths of light from said emitted light; and a fluorescence detection unit which is coupled to the fluorescence discrimination unit counts photons emitted by the wavelengths of emitted light. A method of screening a compound by monitoring its interactions with a specimen having fluorophore loaded target cells is also described. The method comprises the steps of coupling a light source to the specimen to illuminate the specimen; separating at least three wavelengths of light emitted by the specimen, and detecting photon counts from the three emitted wavelengths of light.