1. A method, comprising:
determining a total time of flight that indicates an at least one applied duration and an at least one induced duration, wherein the at least one applied duration describes the time for an at least some pulse-type input energy to be applied from a transmission location to an at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual, and wherein the at least one induced duration describes the time for an at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon, to travel from the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual to a location where the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon is received at least partially by a detecting the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon; and
determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual based at least partially on the total time of flight.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising X-ray fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or information providing at least partially in response to the determining the location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the total time of flight further indicates an at least one fluorescence duration that describes the time for an at least one target atom to undergo fluorescence within the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual to create the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a total time of flight is at least partially in response to an inducing the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon at an at least one X-ray fluorescing event within the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual responsive to an at least some pulse-type input energy being applied to the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining an energy level of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining an energy level of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon, and wherein the determining location information indicates at least some matter composition of the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining location information is performed on a position-by-position basis within the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some pulse-type input energy comprises at least some energy from an at least some pulse-type energy group, the at least some pulse-type energy group includes at least some X-rays, at least some gamma rays, at least some electrons, or at least some ions.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining location information occurs at least partially through to a prescribed fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or information providing depth within the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining location information occurs at least partially within a range of fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or information providing depths within the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one individual includes at least one from a group of individuals, the group of individuals includes an at least one human, an at least one animal, an at least one organism, andor an at least one plant.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual at least partially includes a group of matter, the group of matter includes at least one from at least one tissue, at least one bodily fluid, at least a portion of a bone, at least a boney portion, or at least one bone portion or bone fragment, at least a tooth or a portion thereof, or an at least one implant.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon has an energy of greater than or equal to at least one from an energy level group, the energy level group includes at least one from 1 KVolt, 10 Kvolts, or 100 KVolt.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising X-ray fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or providing information at least partially in response to the determining the location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual, and wherein the X-ray fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or providing information includes anatomically X-ray fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or providing information.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising X-ray fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or providing information at least partially in response to the determining the location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual, and wherein the X-ray fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or providing information includes functionally X-ray fluorescence visualizing, imaging, or providing information.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of a source location of, and direction of application of, the at least some pulse-type input energy, in combination with a location of detection of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of a source location of the at least some pulse-type input energy, a received location of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon, in combination with a direction of detection of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of a source direction of the at least some pulse-type input energy, a received location of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon, in combination with a direction of detection of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of a source location of the at least some pulse-type input energy, a source direction of the at least some pulse-type input energy, in combination with a direction of detection of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual is derived at least partially by directing the at least some pulse-type input energy towards the at least one X-ray fluorescing event to create the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of the at least one applied duration and the at least one induced duration includes locating the at least one X-ray fluorescing event within an at least one X-ray fluorescence depth range extending to an at least one prescribed substantially X-ray fluorescence depth within the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
21. The method of claim 1, further comprising visualizing, imaging, or providing information of the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual at least partially in response to the locating the at least one X-ray fluorescing event at least partially by directing the at least some pulse-type input energy to be X-ray fluorescence within an at least one substantially X-ray fluorescence depth range extending to an at least one prescribed substantially X-ray fluorescence depth of the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
22. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of the at least one applied duration and the at least one induced duration is performed at a rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion that is consistent with an individual-based physiological process.
23. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of the at least one applied duration and the at least one induced duration is performed at a rate sufficient to substantially capture a physical motion that is consistent with a user-observable physiological process.
24. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of the at least one applied duration and the at least one induced duration provides at least some information which is utilized by a machine-based user.
25. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual is based at least in part on the at least one time of flight computation derived at least in part from the combination of the at least one applied duration and the at least one induced duration provides at least some information which is utilized by a human user.
26. An apparatus, comprising:
a time of flight determining portion configured to determine a total time of flight that indicates an at least one applied duration and an at least one induced duration, wherein the at least one applied duration describes the time for an at least some pulse-type input energy to be applied from a transmission location to an at least one X-ray fluorescing event in at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual, and wherein the at least one induced duration describes the time for an at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon, to travel from the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual to a location where the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon is received at least partially by a detecting the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon; and
an X-ray fluorescence locating portion configured to determine a location information of the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual based at least partially on the total time of flight.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the time of flight determining portion configured to determine the total time of flight further comprises a fluorescence duration determiner portion configured to determine an at least one fluorescence duration that describes the time for an at least one target atom to undergo fluorescence within the at least one X-ray fluorescing event in the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual, and thereupon to create the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon.
28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:
a high energy photon andor particle emitter portion configured to induce the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon at an X-ray fluorescence event within the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual responsive to an at least some pulse-type input energy being applied to the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the at least one individual.
29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion relies at least partially upon energy applied from an energy accumulator.
30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion includes an X-ray based emissive structure.
31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion includes an electron emissive structure.
32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion includes an ion emissive structure.
33. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one operative portion is translatable, tiltable, rotatable, or otherwise displaceable by a human user.
34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least an operative portion is translatable, tiltable, rotatable, or otherwise displaceable by a machine-based user.
35. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least an operative characteristic is controllable.
36. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein an intensity of the at least one applied high energy photon andor particle based electromagnetic radiation applied by the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion is controllable.
37. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a timing of the at least one applied high energy photon andor particle based electromagnetic radiation applied by the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion is controllable.
38. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein an energy of the at least one applied high energy photon andor particle based electromagnetic radiation applied by the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion is controllable.
39. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies a time of emission of the at least some pulse-type input energy to be applied from the transmission location.
40. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies a direction of application of the at least some pulse-type input energy to be applied from the transmission location.
41. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies a location of application of the at least some pulse-type input energy.
42. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies a velocity of emission of the at least some pulse-type input energy to be applied from the transmission location.
43. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies an energy of the at least some pulse-type input energy to be applied from the transmission location.
44. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies a time of reception of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon when the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon is received.
45. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies a location of reception of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon when the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon is received.
46. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies a direction of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon when the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon is received.
47. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus identifies an energy of the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon when the at least one induced X-ray fluorescing photon is received.
48. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein an at least one location of an at least one applied high energy photon andor particle based electromagnetic radiation applied by the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion is controllable.
49. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein an at least one direction of an at least one applied high energy photon andor particle based electromagnetic radiation applied by the high energy photon andor particle emitter portion is controllable.
50. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising an X-ray fluorescence photon receiving portion that includes an at least one energy level detector.
51. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising an X-ray fluorescence photon receiving portion that includes an at least one photodetector.
52. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising an X-ray fluorescence photon receiving portion that includes an at least one X-ray spectrometer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for multistep processing of a plurality of analytes, the method comprising:
disposing a population of microparticles, of which at least a plurality have an analyte anchored thereto, in a planar array within a flow chamber;
delivering processing reagents to the flow chamber, such that said analytes are exposed to the processing reagents, for each of a series of processing steps;
for each said processing step, detecting and recording an optical signal from each microparticle of the plurality, to produce a sequence of optical signals for each microparticle;
tracking the positions of said microparticles within the array during said processing steps; and
correlating said sequences of optical signals with said positions.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting and recording comprise, for each said processing step:
detecting and recording an optical signal from each of a plurality of said microparticles in a signal collection region, to produce a plurality of optical signals, and
focusing said plurality of optical signals onto a solid state imaging device which is capable of generating a digital image of the microparticle array with sufficient resolution for individual microparticles to be distinguished.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said tracking comprises recording at least one optical characteristic of each microparticle to determine the approximate center of each microparticle.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said optical characteristic is focused back light from the microparticle or the scatter center of a top-lighted microparticle.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said analytes are oligonucleotides or nucleic acid molecules.