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The present invention is an optical measurement system for measuring a liquid sample within a well. The system comprises a light source configured to transmit light though the well, a detector configured to measure optical signals derived from the transmitted light, and a tunable optical element. Th

The present invention is an optical measurement system for measuring a liquid sample within a well. The system comprises a light source configured to transmit light though the well, a detector configured to measure optical signals derived from the transmitted light, and a tunable optical element. The tunable optical element is positioned between the light source and the well. The tunable optical element is operable to shape the light to compensate for distortions induced by a surface of the liquid sample. The detector is preferably located below the well for receiving a forward scatter signal indicative of at least one characteristic of the particles within the liquid sample.

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1. An optical measurement system for measuring at least one characteristic of particles within a liquid that is contained in a well, comprising: a light source for transmitting an input beam toward a free surface of the liquid and generally parallel to a central axis of the well;a tunable optical el

1. An optical measurement system for measuring at least one characteristic of particles within a liquid that is contained in a well, comprising: a light source for transmitting an input beam toward a free surface of the liquid and generally parallel to a central axis of the well;a tunable optical element located between the light source and the free surface of the liquid, the tunable optical element for altering the shape of the input beam, wherein the tunable optical element is mechanically or electrically adjustable to alter the shape of the input beam between a first shape resulting in the input beam not being collimated and a second shape resulting in collimating the input beam during the operation of the optical measurement system to compensate for a distortion determined by the optical characteristics of the free surface of the liquid;a detector located below the well for receiving a forward scatter signal indicative of at least one characteristic of the particles within the liquid and for detecting the optical characteristics of the free surface of the liquid; andan input-beam attenuator to inhibit a transmitted portion of the input beam from impinging upon the detector, the transmitted portion of the input beam being the portion of the input beam that has transmitted through the liquid. 2. The optical measurement system of claim 1, wherein the input-beam attenuator is a beam block located adjacent to the detector and below a bottom surface of the well. 3. The optical measurement system of claim 1, wherein the input beam causes a fluorescence signal to be emitted from the particles, the detector further receiving a fluorescence signal indicative of at least one characteristic of the particles within the liquid. 4. The optical measurement system of claim 1, wherein the particles include bacteria and the at least one characteristic indicated by the forward scatter signal is the amount of bacteria within the liquid. 5. The optical measurement system of claim 1, further including at least one optical fiber to gather additional signals related to particle characteristics from a side or a top of the well, the optical fibers providing the additional signals to the detector. 6. The optical measurement system of claim 1, further including a controller coupled to the tunable optical element, the controller for tuning optical parameters associated with the tunable optical element so as to alter the shape of the input beam. 7. The optical measurement system of claim 6, wherein the controller receives information from the detector for tuning the optical parameters so as to properly compensate for the distortion associated with the free surface. 8. The optical measurement system of claim 7, wherein the tuned optical parameters cause the transmitted portion of the input beam within the liquid in the well to be substantially collimated or focused. 9. The optical measurement system of claim 6, wherein the controller receives information associated with the free surface of the liquid for tuning the optical parameters so as to properly compensate for the distortion associated with the free surface. 10. The optical measurement system of claim 1, wherein the tunable optical element causes the shape of the transmitted portion of the input beam within the liquid to be substantially collimated or focused. 11. The optical measurement system of claim 1, wherein the tunable optical element is at least one of a group consisting of an adjustable lens, a lens that is shaped electronically or mechanically, and a spatial light modulator. 12. The optical measurement system of claim 1, wherein the well is an elongated interior well within a microplate having a plurality of wells that are positioned in a two-dimensional arrangement. 13. The optical measurement system of claim 1, wherein the tunable optical element includes a first optical element, a second optical element and an actuator to impart a force on a structure to adjust the distance between the first and second optical elements. 14. A method of determining at least one characteristic of particles within a liquid that is contained in a well, comprising: transmitting a light beam toward a free surface of the liquid;detecting the optical characteristics of the free surface of the liquid;determining a distortion of the free surface of the liquid based on the detected optical characteristics;altering a shape of the light beam between a first shape resulting in the input beam not being collimated and a second shape resulting in collimating the input beam to result in a substantially focused beam shape within the liquid to compensate for the distortion determined by the optical characteristics of the free surface of the liquid after the input beam has been subjected to optical distortions at the free surface, the altering being performed by a tunable optical element between the light beam and the free surface of the liquid, wherein the tunable optical element is mechanically or electrically adjustable to alter the shape of the light beam between the first and second shape;attenuating the input beam at a location before a detector; andreceiving forward scatter signals at the detector, the forward scatter signals being indicative of at least one characteristic of the particles. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the forward scatter signals are located nearer to a wall of the well relative to the input beam with the substantially focused beam shape. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the tunable optical element alters the shape of the light beam to a substantially collimated or focused beam shape in response to feedback from the detector. 17. The method of claim 14, further including receiving additional signals indicative of at least one characteristic of particles, the additional signals coming from a location at a side of the well or a top of the well, the additional signals being transmitted via an optical fiber. 18. An optical measurement system for measuring a liquid sample within a well, comprising: a light source configured to transmit light through the liquid sample within the well;a detector configured to measure optical signals derived from the transmitted light within the liquid sample and to detect the optical characteristics of the free surface of the liquid; anda tunable optical element positioned between the light source and the well, the tunable optical element mechanically or electrically adjustable to adjust the shape of the input beam between a first shape resulting in the input beam not being collimated and a second shape resulting in collimating the input beam to shape the light to compensate for distortions induced by a surface of the liquid sample, the distortions determined by the optical characteristics of the free surface of the liquid, the adjustment occurring during the operation of the optical measurement system. 19. The optical measurement system of claim 18, wherein the tunable optical element comprises a tunable lens with an adjustable curvature coupled to an electrical circuit that controls the curvature of the tunable lens.