Abstract: The invention relates to a lid element which is placed on cell culture vessels in which cells contained in a liquid medium are accommodated. The lid element according to the invention is intended to allow determination of metabolism activities of cells which are contained in the cell culture vessels, by means of optical measurement methods, which can be carried out with simple handling by means of laboratory personnel. Light-guiding elements are provided on the lid element which can be fitted to the cell culture vessel and, when the lid element is fitted, project into the interior of cavities in the cell vessel. At least one optically sensitive layer is formed on one end surface and/or on the outer envelope surface of the light-guiding elements, which are preferably optical waveguides in the form of rods, for detection of chemical substance concentrations which change within the cavities.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring metabolic activity of cells in liquid media, to an appropriate vessel and to a device for implementing said method. The invention aimes at enhancing measuring accuracy and reducing the costs involved in monitoring oxygen consumption and thus metabolic activity in culture cells. To this end, oxygen concentration is optically determined with the aid of sensor membranes in a liquid medium located in partially oxygen permeable vessels. Then, the measured oxygen concentrations in the vessels containing culture cells in a liquid medium are compared with the measured oxygen concentration in a vessel containing only such a liquid medium without cells and/or with an oxygen concentration calculated using the measured values of other parameters.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device and a method for carrying out fluorescence immunoassays, wherein from at least one light source light is directed onto a surface at one end of a light waveguide and with the light coupled into the light waveguide by evanescent field excitation at the surface of the light waveguide fluorescence of at least one labelling substance bound to a chemical or biochemical partner of a general receptor-ligand system is excited. The solution according to the invention is here to provide a possible way of carrying out fluorescence immunoassays with high accuracy of measurement at low cost and within a short time. To achieve this object, the fluorescent light is decoupled from the light waveguide and directed via an optical system onto an optical detector with which the intensity of the fluorescent light is measured.