Abstract: This invention relates to a method for analyzing gas samples, particularly with the aid of lanthanide(III) ions and ligands. The invention relates also to a kit for analyzing gas samples utilizing the properties of lanthanide(III) chelates.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for examining optically a sample carried in a plurality of wells. A holder is adapted to receive and hold in place a sample carrier. A plurality of excitation means selectively introduce excitation towards a spatially limited portion of a sample carrier held in place by said holder. Detecting means receive and detect emission radiation coupled out from a light output window of a sample carrier held in place by said holder. Said detecting means is common to said excitation means and is configured to receive emission radiation from a plurality of different spatially limited portions of a sample carrier held in place by said holder.

Abstract: A device is provided for holding a sample for optical examination. The device comprises a body that defines a plurality of spots or wells. One or more non-specific interacting surfaces in the spots or wells are capable of non-specific binding of a said sample, a luminophore label, or their combination. A light conducting layer comprises material that is essentially non-transparent to optical excitation radiation and essentially transparent to optical luminescent radiation. A light input window couples luminescent light into said light conducting layer, and a light output window couples light out from said light conducting layer.

Abstract: A device for holding a sample for optical fingerprinting analysis comprises a carrier, and a distribution of non-specific interacting surfaces extending across said carrier. At least one fluidic channel allows a fluid sample to flow through at least a part of said carrier to get in touch with one or more of said non-specific interacting surfaces. One or more optical windows adjacent to said non-specific interacting surfaces enable optical analysis of results of said sample getting in touch with said non-specific interacting surfaces at multiple locations of the carrier.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for examining optically a sample carried in a plurality of wells. A holder is adapted to receive and hold in place a sample carrier. A plurality of excitation means selectively introduce excitation towards a spatially limited portion of a sample carrier held in place by said holder. Detecting means receive and detect emission radiation coupled out from a light output window of a sample carrier held in place by said holder. Said detecting means is common to said excitation means and is configured to receive emission radiation from a plurality of different spatially limited portions of a sample carrier held in place by said holder.

Abstract: Characterizing and/or determining a sample employs an array of at least two of different interacting surfaces, at least one of which comprises a non-specific interacting material non-specifically interacting said sample, at least one labelling reactant, and/or combination of the sample and at least one labelling reactant. The sample and at least one labelling reactant is introduced to interact with said interacting surfaces of said array, wherein said labelling reactant is adapted to change at least one electromagnetically readable property of at least one interacting surface of said array.

Abstract: A method for measuring the end point and for monitoring the real time kinetics of a bioaffinity reaction in biological fluids and suspensions, employing microparticles as bioaffinity binding solid phase, biospecific reagent labelled with a fluorescent label and a fluorescence detection system which is based on two-photon fluorescence excitation, contacting the analyte, the labelled reagent and the solid phase simultaneously, focusing a two-photon exciting laser beam into the reaction suspension and measuring the fluorescence signal emitted by the microparticles from one particle at a time when they randomly float through the focal volume of the laser beam. In this method the signal is monitored kinetically to obtain information about the analyte concentration before the reaction approaches the highest point of the response. Since the growth rate of the signal intensity is directly proportional to the analyte concentration, the analyte concentration can be predicted in the initial phase of the reaction.

Abstract: A homogeneous biospecific assay method for an analyte in solution or in a biological suspension, in which a biospecific reagent competitively binding an analyte and a ligand labeled with a fluorescent molecule, is reacted with and bound to a solid phase, and in which the free labeled ligand is extracted is excited with two-photon excitation by focusing a laser beam suitable for two-photon excitation into the sample volume; and the concentration of the analyte is calculated based on the photon emission contributed by the free labeled ligand.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively measuring nucleic acid amplification reactions, especially the polymerase chain reaction, employing microparticles as hybridization solid phase, a probe sequence labeled with a fluorescent label and a fluorescence detection system which is based on two-photon fluorescence excitation, contacting all the amplification reaction components and the solid phase simultaneously in a closed cuvette, performing the amplification reactions in the same cuvette, focusing a two-photon exciting laser beam into the cuvette during the amplification cycles and measuring the fluorescence signal emitted by the microparticles from one particle at a time when they randomly float through the focal volume of the laser beam. The features of this invention allow a method and device for performing a fast quantitative nucleic acid amplification assay of single or multiple target sequences in a very small closed sample volume.

Abstract: This invention is thus related to a biospecific multiparameter assay employing single molecule detection. In particular, this invention is related to a new method for determination of several different biomolecules simultaneously in the same reaction solution. The method uses a fluorescent label for labelling biospecific primary probes and a combination of other labels, bound to secondary probes. Complexes are formed comprising primary probes, analyte molecules and secondary probes in the biospecific reaction. These single molecule complexes are counted selectively while discriminating the signals from other fluorescent molecules using confocal fluorometry or two-photon excitation fluorometry including an auto- and cross-correlator for the signals obtained from said fluorescent labels.

Abstract: The object of this invention is an improved method for biospecific multiparameter assay method based on the use of different categories of microparticles as solid support for different bioaffinity reagents. This invention allows the use of microparticles of small size and with very moderate monodispersity and conventional short decay time fluorescent labels for labelling the biospecific reactants. The high sensitivity of this method is based on the use of confocal excitation and detection, or alternatively, two-photon excitation for measurement of the biospecific reaction. The identification of the category of the microparticle is based on the use of fluorescent or Raman scattering indicators associated with the microparticles representing different analytes.

Abstract: The description relates to a process for luminescence scanning microscopy with two-photon excitation, especially for examining biological objects (5). A laser pulse excites luminescent, especially fluorescing molecules and the luminescence emitted by the object (5) is measured and evaluated. In the process, the luminescent molecules in the object (5) are excited by laser pulses of over 10.sup.-12 second duration. A luminescence scanning microscope for implementing the process has a detector (2), a filter (7, 8) for separating the light emitted by the sample from the laser light (4) and a laser light source which is a laser (1) emitting pulsed or continuous radiation.

Abstract: A method for the two-photon excitation of long-lived fluorescent or phosphorescent dyes with long low-power pulses. In the method time-resolved detection is used to detect long-lived dyes. In the method long-lived dyes are excited to the excited state with light pulses of long duration via double-photon absorption. In the two-photon absorption process the chromophor of the dye molecule is excited through the summation of the energies of two or more photons when they are simultaneously absorbed. As the method is based on the use of pulses of long duration and on time-resolved detection the peak power of the pulses may be kept low. Long pulses of low power can be produced with a great variety of low-power light sources. The light source may in this case be e.g. a semiconductor laser. The excitation technique according to the invention may exploit the doubling or multiplication of the excitation wavelength or the nonlinearity of the two-photon absorption process.