Cyclic epipedography monitoring contact angle changes in dipping a microsphere into a liquid and lifting from it

Apparatus for monitoring a chemical process, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a microsphere or rod having a surface provided with a first biochemical substance;
• b) a transparent container for containing water or a solution having a second biochemical substance;
• c) a motor for dipping and lifting the microsphere or rod from a solution held in the transparent container;
• and
• d) a microscope positioned outside of and adjacent to the transparent container and held horizontally, configured to obtain, repeatedly, during the dipping and lifting, paired measurements of (i) vertical position (Zm) of a circular slice of the microsphere or rod at a waterline defined at a top or a bottom of a meniscus of water or the solution on the microsphere or rod, and (ii) a height (h) of the water plane away from the microsphere or rod.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing processor-executable code which, when executed by a least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method including:

• a) receiving a previously determined set of epipedographs associated with a chemical process;
• b) obtaining a current epipedograph of the chemical process by
• 1) controlling a motor to dip a microsphere or rod having a surface provided with a first biochemical substance into water or a solution having a second biochemical substance, and lift the microsphere or rod from the solution,
• 2) causing a microscope to obtain, repeatedly, during the dipping and lifting, paired measurements of (i) the vertical position (Zm) of a circular slice of the microsphere or rod at a waterline defined at a top or bottom of a meniscus of the solution on the microsphere or rod, and (ii) a height (h) of the water plane away from the microsphere or rod, and
• 3. determining the current epipedograph from the paired measurements obtained;
• c) comparing the current epipedograph with the set of epipedographs received to determine a contact angle;
• and
• d) inferring a current state of the chemical process based on the contact angle.