Abstract: An optical sensor comprising a waveguide having a sensing layer which is molecularly imprinted such that it will receive and retain target entities to be sensed, the optical sensor further comprising a detection apparatus arranged to detect a change of an optical property of the waveguide which occurs when the target entities are received and retained in the sensing layer.

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor apparatus and electrochemical sensing method within an aqueous system are described, using one or more working electrodes of boron doped diamond (BDD). A cathodic reduction process provides a cathodic measurement and, substantially simultaneously, an anodic oxidation process provides an anodic measurement. A sum of a content of two equilibrium species within the aqueous system is obtained using both the cathodic measurement and the anodic measurement. One example measures total free chlorine by simultaneously measuring hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite ion (OCl?).

Abstract: An optical sensor comprising a waveguide having a sensing layer which is molecularly imprinted such that it will receive and retain target entities to be sensed, the optical sensor further comprising a detection apparatus arranged to detect a change of an optical property of the waveguide which occurs when the target entities are received and retained in the sensing layer.

Abstract: A novel single point leaky waveguide structure and its use as an optical sensor for the detection of particles is disclosed. The waveguide structure is fabricated to increase the overlap of the evanescent field extension from the sensor surface with particles in the bulk solution of a flowing system so as to place most of the volume of the particles within the evanescent field. Increasing the overlap of the evanescent field with the particles and permitting mode propagation along the direction of flow for a few millimetres provides an effective interrogation approach for multiple particle detection in a single flow channel.

Abstract: An identification apparatus comprising a chamber having one or more buffer fluid inlets and a plurality of sample fluid inlets, the chamber being configured such that the buffer fluid focuses the sample fluid into sample fluid streams, the sample fluid streams and buffer fluid being contained in a single laminar flow, wherein the apparatus is provided with means for directing optical excitation simultaneously at a plurality of the sample fluid streams to allow parallel fluorescence and/or scattering measurements.

Abstract: A method of distinguishing between fluorescent light emitted by green fluorescent protein and fluorescent light emitted by auto-fluorescent molecules, the method comprising: using plane-polarised light to illuminate a sample containing green fluorescent protein and auto-fluorescent molecules; detecting the intensity of fluorescent light that is emitted with a first polarisation from the sample; detecting the intensity of fluorescent light that is emitted with a second polarisation from the sample; and subtracting a first of said detected intensities from a second of said detected intensities to obtain a difference signal.

Abstract: A waveguide structure comprising a medium disposed of a sensing layer (21), a second layer of material (22) having a refractive index greater than that of the medium, and a substrate (24). The structure defines a waveguide capable of supporting an optical mode confined in a sensing layer. The medium is adapted for performing chemical or biological reactions within the medium which will result in a change of an optical property of the sensing layer of the waveguide. The thickness and refractive indexes of the layers are chosen such that an optical mode confined in the sensing layer will suffer substantially anti-resonant reflection as a consequence of the interface between the sensing layer and the second layer and the interface between the second layer and the substrate. Alternatively, the waveguide may comprise a low index sensing medium held between a superstrate and a substrate each of which has a refractive index higher than that of the medium.