Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for monitoring the respiration of a subject, the apparatus comprising a sensor for measuring the concentration of a specified gas in air exhaled by the subject and a processor configured to provide an output indicating the concentration of the specified gas in a selected portion of the exhaled air, the selected portion of the exhaled air corresponding to air from a specific part of the respiratory system of the subject.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining information from an amplification curve of a target nucleic acid sequence or sequences by defining at least one model function that describes the amplification curve and that contains at least one parameter that is related to a physical quantity that influences the signals recorded, fitting said model function to the amplification curve, and obtaining information with respect to said physical quantity by identifying the value of said parameter that results in the best fit of the model function.

Abstract: A sensor device for sensing magnetic particles, the sensor device including a substrate and a sensing unit provided on and/or in and/or near the substrate. The sensing unit is configured to sense a detection signal indicative of the presence of the magnetic particles. The sensor device further includes a magnetic field control unit which may be provided off the substrate and is configured to generate a time-dependent magnetic field for interaction with the magnetic particles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a format for storing information on an optical recording medium. According to said format the record carrier comprises a synchronization pattern, which synchronization pattern comprises an identifying part consisting of a bit sequence chosen from 100 101, 010 101, 101 001, 010 100 or 100 100.

Abstract: A sensor chip (1030) for gas has cells (200) for emitting and receiving ultrasound and is configured for a sufficiently large frequency range and for measuring concentration of at least one of the gas components based on at least two responses within the range. The frequency range can be achieved by varying the size of cell membranes (230), varying bias voltages, and/or varying air pressure for an array (205) of cMUTs or MEMS microphones. The sensor chip can be applied in, for example, capnography. A measurement air chamber (515) is implemented in the respiratory pathway (400), and it and/or the pathway may be designed to reduce turbulence in the exhaled breath (120) subject to ultrasound interrogation. The chip (1030) can be implemented as self-contained in the monitoring of parameters, obviating the need for off-chip sensors.

Abstract: A visible pattern is obtained by modulating the digital sum value. Because the digital sum value modulation allows the choice of several different channel bits groups between DC control points, the selection of a group of channel bits resulting in a change of reflection. This creation of a visible pattern is highly suitable for Blueray as the parity preserving property of the channel code guarantees disparity inversion by the DC-control bit, which keeps the DSV excursions between hard limits. As a result only small DSV deliberate variations are required to produce a grating, which will not deteriorate the bit-detection margin of the optical disc.

Abstract: A visible pattern is obtained by modulating the digital sum value. Because the digital sum value modulation allows the choice of several different channel bits groups between DC control points, the selection of a group of channel bits resulting in a change of reflection. This creation of a visible pattern is highly suitable for Blueray as the parity preserving property of the channel code guarantees disparity inversion by the DC-control bit, which keeps the DSV excursions between hard limits. As a result only small DSV deliberate variations are required to produce a visual watermark, which will not deteriorate the bit-detection margin of the optical disc.

Abstract: An apparatus generates outgoing data (OD) to be provided on an optical disk (1) in a burst cutting area (2). The burst cutting area (2) further comprises markings (3) which cause a marking frequency spectrum (MFS) when reading out the burst cutting area (2). The apparatus comprises a channel coder (4) which receives processed data (PD) and supplies the outgoing data (OD) having an outgoing data frequency spectrum (DFS) with suppressed DC-content. The apparatus further comprises a data processing device (5) which generates the processed data (PD) to obtain an outgoing frequency spectrum (DFS) wherein a frequency component causing interference with a low frequent component of the markings (3) is suppressed or not present.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an oxygen sensor comprises a giant magnetoresistance device (10), and a magnetic field generator (14, 14a, 14b) arranged to generate a magnetic field (12, 12a, 12b) overlapping the giant magnetoresistance device and an examination region (20). A component (Bx) of the magnetic field detected by the giant magnetoresistance device is dependent upon an oxygen concentration in the examination region. In an embodiment, a chip (40) includes one or more electrically conductive traces (14a, 14b) disposed on or in the chip and a giant magnetoresistance device (10) disposed on or in the chip such that electrical current flowing in the trace or traces generates a magnetic field (12a, 12b) that overlaps the magnetic field sensor, said magnetic field being perturbed (Bx) by ambient oxygen (24) such that a signal output by the magnetic field sensor indicates ambient oxygen concentration.

Abstract: A method and a device are provided for distinguishing a specific binding from a less specific binding between at least one magnetic nanoparticle and a surface of another entity by applying a magnetic field and detecting a physical parameter relating to magnetic nanoparticle rotational or motional freedom while the magnetic nanoparticle is attached to the surface. The method and device may be applied to in-vivo and in-vitro biomolecular diagnostics. The sensor combines in one sensor the detection of magnetic particles or labels and determination of the binding quality and the properties of magnetic particles or labels which are bound to the surface of another entity.

Abstract: An apparatus generates outgoing data (OD) to be provided on an optical disk (1) in a burst cutting area (2). The burst cutting area (2) further comprises markings (3) which cause a marking frequency spectrum (MFS) when reading out the burst cutting area (2). The apparatus comprises a channel coder (4) which receives processed data (PD) and supplies the outgoing data (OD) having an outgoing data frequency spectrum (DFS) with suppressed DC-content. The apparatus further comprises a data processing device (5) which generates the processed data (PD) to obtain an outgoing frequency spectrum (DFS) wherein a frequency component causing interference with a low frequent component of the markings (3) is suppressed or not present.

Abstract: The invention relates to a digital image processing architecture, particularly for processing digital images provided by a camera (101) of a biosensor reader (100). The architecture comprises a pixel processing unit (112) for evaluating a stream of image values (I(x,y,t)) with respect to a given set of processing spots (PSi(t) in the image area, thus determining characteristic parameters like the integral (Ei(t) of pixel values in the processing spots (PSi(t). The pixel processing unit (112) communicates with a higher-level digital control unit (130) that sets the processing spots (PSi(t) to be evaluated and that reads out and post-processes the results of the pixel processing unit (112).

Abstract: A biosensing device for sensing brightness of a bio sample from frames of a video signal, has circuitry (40) arranged to receive the video signal and determine a brightness of a given area (110) of one or more of the frames in real time. A controller (50) adjusts boundaries of the given area, and uses the measures of brightness for different boundaries, to determine location of edges of the sample, then sets the boundaries according to the edges for subsequent measurements of brightness. By determining the brightness in real time, the given area can be adjusted in real time. By adjusting the given area based on real time assessments of brightness, various common errors or tolerances in sample shapes and locations can be compensated without the need for the software to carry out operations at pixel rates.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method for determining the relative position of at least two magnetic actuator coils (2,3,3?) in a sensor, said coils being arranged on substantially opposite sides of a sensor cartridge (1). By measuring the electromagnetic induction of one of the coils, the relative positions of the coils in the sensor device is determined. Based on the determined relative positions, these positions may be adjusted. Alternatively, the actuation currents in the magnetic coils may be adjusted based on the determined relative positions. Furthermore, a sensor device comprising a sensor cartridge, at least two magnetic coils arranged on substantially opposite sides of the sensor cartridge, and measuring means for determining the electromagnetic induction is provided.

Abstract: A sensor device (50) for sensing magnetic particles (15), the sensor device (50) comprising a substrate (25) and a sensing unit (11, 20) provided on and/or in and/or near the substrate (25) and being adapted for sensing a detection signal indicative of the presence of the magnetic particles (15), and a magnetic field control unit (30 to 34) provided off the substrate (25) and being adapted for generating a time-dependent magnetic field for interaction with the magnetic particles (15).

Abstract: A coder is fed with pre-coded data such that the absolute value of the RDS of the code words as produced by the coder is limited. This is achieved by ensuring that in a group of 2 code words the RDS of the first code word is compensated by the RDS of the second conde word. The RDS at the end of the second code word is then zero and the excursions of the RDS from the start of the first code word until the end of the second code word are limited because there are only a limited number of bits that can contribute to an increase of the absolute value of the RDS. This principle can easily be applied to the 17PP coder.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for controlling actuation of label particles in a biosensor device, in particular a biosensor device using frustrated total internal reflection. By applying a predetermined actuation force on the label particles and determining the effect of the applied actuation force in a binding volume or surface of a sensor cartridge of the biosensor device, a feedback control of the actuation force is applied. Furthermore, a biosensor device is provided which is adapted for forming the method according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides an FTIR system comprising a first light source emitting light of a first wavelength, a sample volume with an adjacent sensor surface, a detector for detecting light reflected at said sensor surface. The sensor surface is illuminated by said first light source fulfilling the condition of total internal reflection and generating an evanescent field with a decay length within the sample volume. The system further comprises means for changing the decay length of the evanescent field and means for correlating the detected signals with the change of the decay length of the evanescent field.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microelectronic sensor device for the examination of target particles (1) that are bound to binding sites (3) at the binding surface (12) of a carrier (11). In a preferred embodiment, an input light beam (L1) is transmitted into the carrier (11), where a frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) takes place at the binding surface (12). The amount of light in a resulting output light beam (L2) is detected by a light detector (31) and provides information about the presence of target particles at the binding surface. Moreover, an actuation unit (50) induces movements of the bound target particles (1) by an interaction with a magnetic field (B) or an electric field, particularly with a given modulation frequency (COIn), such that by a demodulation of the detector signal (S) effects of the target particles can be distinguished from background.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microelectronic magnetic sensor device that comprises at least one sensor unit (10) with a magnetic field generator (11, 13) and a magnetic sensor element (12) that are coupled to a power supply unit (20) via only two common connecting terminals (x, y). In this way, the number of bonding pins on the associated microelectronic chip can be reduced to a minimum. The sensor units (10) may preferably comprise magnetic excitation wires (11, 13) as field generator and a GMR resistance (12) as sensor element that are connected (optionally via a capacitor (14)) in parallel to the connecting terminals (x, y). The power supply unit (20) preferably supplies a driving current with two frequency components such that the information of interest can be separated in the frequency domain of the measurement signal.