Abstract: A biological sample is analyzed for presence of a causing agent such as a virus, bacteria or cancer which generates a series of different states in the sample. The sample is separated into sub-samples where at least some of the sub-samples include portions of the sample at different states. Electromagnetic radiation interacts with the samples to obtain a spectrum of sub-sample properties which is compared with a plurality of reference spectra obtained from testing a plurality of sub-samples in respective ones of the different states to calculate a population distribution of the states of the sub-samples to obtain information about the causing agent. The population distribution can be analyzed at a single time or temporally over time to generate data relating to an effect of the causing agent. The population distribution is compared with a plurality of reference population distributions to generate data identifying the causing agent.

Abstract: A flow through photochemistry apparatus and methods of use are disclosed in the present application. One or more reactant materials are passed through a reaction chamber and are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The reaction chamber has reflective walls arranged to reflect electromagnetic radiation across the volume of the chamber a plurality of times, thereby increasing the probability of the electromagnetic radiation interacting with the reactive materials. The reaction chamber may be used for sterilization and photochemistry applications.

Abstract: A flow through photochemistry apparatus and methods of use are disclosed in the present application. One or more reactant materials are passed through a reaction chamber and are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The reaction chamber has reflective walls arranged to reflect electromagnetic radiation across the volume of the chamber a plurality of times, thereby increasing the probability of the electromagnetic radiation interacting with the reactive materials. The reaction chamber may be used for sterilization and photochemistry applications.

Abstract: A flow through photochemistry apparatus and methods of use are disclosed in the present application. One or more reactant materials are passed through a reaction chamber and are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The reaction chamber has reflective walls arranged to reflect electromagnetic radiation across the volume of the chamber a plurality of times, thereby increasing the probability of the electromagnetic radiation interacting with the reactive materials. The reaction chamber may be used for sterilization and photochemistry applications.

Abstract: A method for regulating flow of electromagnetic radiation into a volume such as a duct includes defining on a reflective surface an array of two or more ridges which are arranged side by side and projecting toward the source. Each ridge is formed by reflective ridge surfaces converging toward an apex so that the reflection directions of the surfaces are different. The ridges are arranged relative to the source so that first reflective ridge surface reflects primarily toward the upstream location and second reflective ridge surface reflects onto the first reflective ridge surface of a next adjacent ridge and thereby primarily toward the upstream location so that the array of ridges acts to form a restriction to flow of radiation toward the downstream location. This can increase an amount of the radiation within the duct by reflecting the radiation back into the duct and to reduce an amount of radiation escaping the duct.

Abstract: A method for dynamically generating or interacting with an electromagnetic field includes providing a spatial array of conductive segments, a switching device operable on each of the conductive segments to either allow or block transmission of an electrical signal and a control device operable on the switching device. A sequence of the conductive segments are connected to form a conductive path where each segments intersects with at least two different ones of the conductive segments at a node. The switching device operates to connect a selected first one of the conductive segments with a selected second one of the conductive segments to form the sequence according to a logic signal from the control device. Power is supplied to the conductive path to produce an electromagnetic field which depends at least in part on the spatial arrangement of the connected sequence of the conductive segments.

Abstract: A method to increase a probability of interaction of one molecule with a second molecule includes applying a sequence of temporally varying perturbations by acoustic forces and/or by electromagnetic fields or any combination thereof in at least two non-aligned directions to a volume containing the molecules. The sequence of temporally varying perturbations is chosen to produce a sequence of perturbed molecular configurations for the molecule in the volume and the sequence of perturbations is selected so as to cause the increase in probability. Initially data is obtained relating to orientations of the molecules and the sequence is selected based on the data. The data can be obtained by observation or by creating a known orientation using selected fields.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation is applied to reactive materials in a reaction chamber including side by side volumes where the probability of interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the reactant materials is increased by using multiple reflections and where the reaction chamber includes a plurality of pairs of opposed reflective surfaces. At least 50% and more preferably at least 80% or 90% of the reflections from the reflective surfaces are specular reflections and one or both of the reflective surfaces of each pair is a concave mirror. The pairs are arranged side by side so that radiation escaping through a side of one volume enters a side of a next adjacent volume.

Abstract: A method for measuring optical properties of a sample fluid to obtain at least one property of the sample fluid includes adding a volume of a sample fluid to an enclosure. directing a plurality of electromagnetic radiation wavebands through the volume of sample fluid within the enclosure along a plurality of different paths to generate an interaction radiation for each waveband, measuring the amplitude of each interaction radiation and statistically analyzing the interaction radiation amplitudes to obtain at least one property of the sample fluid. In this method at least two different paths of the plurality of paths have different path lengths selected so that the absorption is between 0.1 and 1.0 absorbance units. Optionally at least one radiation waveband is linearly or circularly polarized and the amplitude measurement includes a polarization analyzer.

Abstract: A method is provided for configuring fluid in a programable fluid array which includes applying a sequence of magnetic fields to a movable fluidic network component; which includes a magnetic object to produce a force on the component. In one arrangement the fluid array includes a plurality of pre-formed channels and at least one property of at least one of said pre-formed channels is changed by the movable fluidic network component in another arrangement the fluid array comprises an injection molding system where the programmable fluid array is used to improve the speed and accuracy of the injection molding process and/or to additionally modify the shape and form of a molded object. In this arrangement the fluidic network component follows a path through the mold cavity determined at least in part by a sequence of magnetic fields and exerts a force on molding material therein.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for feeding magnetic objects in a stream which are singulated each from the next in a supply path where there is provided a series of electromagnets which provides a sequence of magnetic fields along the supply path to direct the magnetic objects by the series of electromagnets in a required direction toward a required location. The method can be used for carrying out an operation on a workpiece by interaction of the objects as individual tools with the workpiece including sorting, shaping, material removal, physical modification, chemical modification, addition of material cutting, polishing, abrading peening and addition of energy. A lubricant/purge material is supplied to the workpiece to arrive at different times relative to the tools.

Abstract: A method for dynamically generating or interacting with an electromagnetic field includes providing a spatial array of conductive segments, a switching device operable on each of the conductive segments to either allow or block transmission of an electrical signal and a control device operable on the switching device. A sequence of the conductive segments are connected to form a conductive path where each segments intersects with at least two different ones of the conductive segments at a node. The switching device operates to connect a selected first one of the conductive segments with a selected second one of the conductive segments to form the sequence according to a logic signal from the control device. Power is supplied to the conductive path to produce an electromagnetic field which depends at least in part on the spatial arrangement of the connected sequence of the conductive segments.

Abstract: A method for dynamically generating or interacting with an electromagnetic field includes providing a spatial array of conductive segments, a switching device operable on each of the conductive segments to either allow or block transmission of an electrical signal and a control device operable on the switching device. A sequence of the conductive segments are connected to form a conductive path where each segments intersects with at least two different ones of the conductive segments at a node. The switching device operates to connect a selected first one of the conductive segments with a selected second one of the conductive segments to form the sequence according to a logic signal from the control device. Power is supplied to the conductive path to produce an electromagnetic field which depends at least in part on the spatial arrangement of the connected sequence of the conductive segments.

Abstract: A flow through photochemistry apparatus and methods of use are disclosed in the present application. One or more reactant materials are passed through a reaction chamber and are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The reaction chamber has reflective walls arranged to reflect electromagnetic radiation across the volume of the chamber a plurality of times, thereby increasing the probability of the electromagnetic radiation interacting with the reactive materials. The reaction chamber may be used for sterilization and photochemistry applications.

Abstract: An optically thin sample of a sample material is analyzed by propagating probe electromagnetic radiation from a beam source along a plurality of different ray paths, directing each ray so that each ray path intersects upon the sample at a plurality of different locations where the rays interact with the sample material to cause a modification of the ray. The rays received at each of a plurality of detection spatial region are measured separately and the measurements analyzed to provide information about at least one property of the sample material at each interaction location. An analysis is carried out to trace the path of probe radiation from a location at the probe beam source to the detection spatial region on the detection surface so as to identify the interaction locations so as to provide information about the presence of target material at each interaction location.

Abstract: A method for measuring a property of radiation from different sources such as moving particles or different spatial locations on each particle includes providing a spatial modulator common to all of the sources having a sequence of configurations, each of which configurations causes the radiation flux to pass along paths to respective modulation ports and cycling the common spatial modulator past each of the modulation ports so that the sequence of configurations is applied to each modulation port. The sequence of configurations comprises an ordered array of optical elements on a substrate. In one embodiment, the modulator is arranged in a circle around an axis of rotation of a rotating singulation disk. At least one source is a reference source which has not interacted with the source to be analyzed and the sample and reference sources are compared.

Abstract: Information relating to a target molecule in a sample volume containing sample molecules is obtained by applying a sequence of temporally varying fields in a field direction to the sample volume caused by acoustic forces and/or by electromagnetic fields where the sequence of temporally varying fields is chosen to produce a sequence of at least two different perturbed molecular configurations for said target molecule in the sample and where the perturbed molecular configurations are at least in part correlated with the direction of said applied fields. A sequence of probe radiation is applied on the sample molecules and interaction radiation is collected for measuring amplitudes of the interaction radiation collected for a plurality of directions and/or polarizations which are related to the field direction. Where reference spectra are available from previous experiments, the method can be used for identifying a target molecule in the sample volume.

Abstract: An optically thin sample of a sample material is analyzed by propagating probe electromagnetic radiation from a beam source along a plurality of different ray paths, directing each ray so that each ray path intersects upon the sample at a plurality of different locations where the rays interact with the sample material to cause a modification of the ray. The rays received at each of a plurality of detection spatial region are measured separately and the measurements analyzed to provide information about at least one property of the sample material at each interaction location. An analysis is carried out to trace the path of probe radiation from a location at the probe beam source to the detection spatial region on the detection surface so as to identify the interaction locations so as to provide information about the presence of target material at each interaction location.

Abstract: A biological sample is analyzed for presence of a causing agent such as a virus, bacteria or cancer which generates a series of different states in the sample. The sample is separated into sub-samples where at least some of the sub-samples include portions of the sample at different states. Electromagnetic radiation interacts with the samples to obtain a spectrum of sub-sample properties which is compared with a plurality of reference spectra obtained from testing a plurality of sub-samples in respective ones of the different states to calculate a population distribution of the states of the sub-samples to obtain information about the causing agent. The population distribution can be analyzed at a single time or temporally over time to generate data relating to an effect of the causing agent. The population distribution is compared with a plurality of reference population distributions to generate data identifying the causing agent.

Abstract: A method for measuring a property of radiation from different sources such as moving particles or different spatial locations on each particle includes providing a spatial modulator common to all of the sources having a sequence of configurations, each of which configurations causes the radiation flux to pass along paths to respective modulation ports and cycling the common spatial modulator past each of the modulation ports so that the sequence of configurations is applied to each modulation port. The sequence of configurations comprises an ordered array of optical elements on a substrate. In one embodiment, the modulator is arranged in a circle around an axis of rotation of a rotating singulation disk. At least one source is a reference source which has not interacted with the source to be analyzed and the sample and reference sources are compared.