Abstract: Flexibly deployable, discrete, target-analyte sensitive particulate probes and methods of manufacturing and using. The probes each comprise a porous scaffold particle coated with an optically-active, target-analyte sensitive material. The scaffold particle has at least one of (i) a volume of 0.5 to 500 mm3, and (ii) a largest dimension of 2 to 20 mm.

Abstract: A self-contained, remotely interrogatable, autonomously positionable, pressure probe and methods of manufacturing and using. The probe (10) includes (i) a hermetically sealed, flexible, gas impermeable sachet (50) capable of equilibriating to a surrounding pressure, (ii) an optically-active, target-analyte partial pressure sensitive material (20) within the sachet, and (iii) a gaseous headspace (58) within the sachet containing a known concentration of the target-analyte (A).

Abstract: Device (10) for rapid detection of biological oxygen consumption and method of classifying biological samples (e.g., positive and negative samples) (5) by detecting biological oxygen consumption. Each well (29) on a multi-well plate (20, 30) is hermetically sealed from the surrounding environment and other wells after deposit of a biological sample within the well by a cover plate (30) and an adherent gasket (40) sandwiched between the plates.

Abstract: A reference vessel and a method of validating operational integrity of an analytical instrument using the reference vessel. The reference vessel has certain design features that render it particularly suited for interrogation by a specific analytical instrument, and is equipped with a surrogate probe that generates a perceptible signal of known value when interrogated by that instrument regardless of the actual value of the variable in communication with the surrogate probe.

Abstract: Method of detecting the presence of thermoduric microorganisms in a product that includes the steps of (i) placing an aliquot A of a product into a vessel 10 equipped with a probe 30 sensitive to a thermoduric microorganism metabolite, (ii) pasteurizing the aliquot A within the vessel 10, (iii) incubating the pasteurized aliquot A within the vessel 10 for an incubation period, and (iv) periodically interrogating the probe 30 during the incubation period.

Abstract: A calibration tool for use in combination with a photoluminescent oxygen-sensitive working probe and an analytical instrument capable of reading the working probe. The calibration tool is effective for achieving two-point calibration of the analytical instrument, and includes at least first and second solid state compositions having different sensitivities to oxygen. The first composition is an oxygen-sensitive photoluminescent dye that is the same as that in the working probe, embedded within an oxygen-permeable carrier matrix that is the same as that in the working probe. The second composition is an oxygen-sensitive photoluminescent dye that is the same as that in the first composition, embedded within a carrier matrix that is different from that in the first composition. The oxygen sensitivity of the second composition is less than the oxygen sensitivity of the first composition.