Abstract: An in-vivo high resolution lateral and axial tomography system of the retina, is provided, including a Michelson interferometer, generating a tomographical image by full field OCT interference with Z sweeping, adaptive optical correction apparatus, correcting the wave fronts coming from and going to the eye, including a reference source, a deformable mirror and wave surface analysis apparatus, detection apparatus producing an image from an interferometric measurement using the OCT principle and apparatus for focussing the wave surface analyser. The apparatus for focussing are embodied and controlled, synchronously with the Z sweeping to force the deformable mirror to adopt an additional curvature, such as to combine the input light source and detection apparatus at a given depth in the retina.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device, for measuring the contrast of fringes in a Michelson interferometer at full field, comprising a Wollaston prism for diverting two perpendicular incident polarisations into two different emergent directions, said diverting means being arranged within the interferometer as substitute for a single polariser. The device is of application to a Michelson interferometer used in an OCT tomographical system and comprising means for obtaining interferometric contrast without use of a modulation technique or synchronous detection methods.

Abstract: An equipment includes an excitation source (1), elements for injecting (2) an excitation signal produced by the source in an ordered bundle (3) of flexible optical fibers, elements for analyzing (21, 22) an emitted autofluorescence signal. The equipment also includes at the output of the optical fiber bundle (3) an optical head (4) designed to be placed in contact with the biological tissue (6), the optical head being equipped with optical elements adapted to cause the excitation signal output from the bundle (3) to converge into a subsurface analyzing zone (5), the same optical fiber(s) used for excitation of the bundle (3) being used for detecting the signal emitted by the subsurface analyzing zone, elements (D) placed upstream of the injection elements (2) being further provided to separate the wavelength of the excitation signal and the wavelength of the autofluorescence signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring the speed of a particle such as a red blood cell moving inside a flow such as a flow of the blood, using a light scanning microscope. The inventive method comprises the following steps: acquisition of an image by x and y light scanning on a plane containing the object; detection on the plane (x, y) of a mark on the plane (x, y); estimation of the speed vg of the object from the gradient thus determined.

Abstract: A system for carrying out fibered multiphoton microscopic imagery of a sample (10) for use in endoscopy or fluorescence microscopy includes: a femtosecond pulsed laser (1, 2) for generating a multiphoton excitation laser radiation; an image guide (8) having a number of optical fibers and permitting the sample to be illuminated by a point-by-point scanning in a subsurface plane; pre-compensating elements (4) for pre-compensating for dispersion effects of the excitation pulses in the image guide (8), these elements being situated between the pulsed laser and the image guide (8); scanning elements for directing, in succession, the excitation laser beam in a fiber of the image guide, and; in particular, an optical head (9) for focussing the excitation laser beam exiting the image guide in the sample (10).

Abstract: Equipment includes an image guide (1) consisting of flexible optical fibers with: on the proximal end side: a source (2), angular scanning elements (3), injection elements (4) in one of the fibers, elements for splitting (5) the illuminating beam and the backscattered signal, elements for spatial filtering (6), elements for detecting (7) the signal, electronic elements (8) for controlling, analyzing and digital processing of the detected signal and display; and on the distal end side: an optical head (9) for focusing the illuminating beam exiting from the illuminated fiber. The scanning elements include a resonant line mirror (M1) and a galvanometric field mirror (M2) with a variable frequency and two afocal optical systems adapted to conjugate the two mirrors (M1, M2) firstly in the field mirror (M2) and the injection elements (4) in the image guide in a second step.

Abstract: A sighting device is provided for an examination of the eye, including at least one moving target with a programmable form and trajectory, the target being displayed on a visualisation unit, such as an appropriate screen and visible from both eyes during the examination. An in-vivo tomographical eye examination system is also provided, including: a Michelson interferometer, generating a full-field OCT image, adaptable optical apparatus, arranged between the interferometer and an eye for examination, achieving the correction of the wavefronts coming from the eye and also the wavefronts going to the eye, detection apparatus, arranged after the interferometer, permitting the interferometric measurement by the OCT principle without modulation nor synchronised detection and a sighting device, with at least one mobile target with a programmable form and trajectory, the target being displayed on an appropriate screen and visible from at least one of the eyes during the examination.

Abstract: An optical head includes: a point source producing an excitation beam, optical elements adapted to converge the optical beam into an excitation point located in a subsurface plane relative to the surface of a sample, the plane being perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical head; and elements for scanning the excitation point so as to define an observation field in the subsurface plane along two perpendicular scanning directions, a rapid online scanning and a slow columnar scanning. The invention includes micro-electrical mechanical systems designed to move in translation along a selected displacement at least one of the optical elements, which is mobile along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis so as to obtain at least one of the scanning directions. The invention provides the advantages of maintaining an axial illumination of the sample and of using a miniature head.

Abstract: The invention concerns an equipment comprising an image guide (1) consisting of flexible optical fibers with: on the proximal end side: a source (2), angular scanning means (3), injection means (4) in one of the fibers, means for splitting (5) the illuminating beam and the backscattered signal, means for spatial filtering (6), means for detecting (7) said signal, electronic means (8) for controlling, analyzing and digital processing of the detected signal and display; and on the distal end side: an optical head (9) for focusing the illuminating beam exiting from the illuminated fiber. The invention is characterized in that the means (3) comprise a resonant line mirror (M1) and a galvanometric field mirror (M2) with a variable frequency and two afocal optical systems adapted to conjugate the two mirrors (M1, M2) firstly in the field mirror (M2) and the injection means (4) in the image guide in a second step.

Abstract: The invention concerns an equipment comprising an excitation source (1), means for injecting (2) an excitation signal produced by said source in an ordered bundle (3) of flexible optical fibers, means for analyzing (21, 22) an emitted autofluorescence signal. The invention is characterized in that it comprises in output of the optical fiber bundle (3) an optical head (4) designed to be placed in contact with the biological tissue (6), said optical head being equipped with optical means adapted to cause the excitation signal output from said bundle (3) to converge into a subsurface analyzing zone (5), the same optical fiber(s) used for excitation of said bundle (3) being used for detecting the signal emitted by said subsurface analyzing zone, means (D) placed upstream of the injection means (2) being further provided to separate the wavelength of the excitation signal and the wavelength of the autofluorescence signal.

Abstract: This invention relates to the fritting of ceramic products, in particular ceramic products of small or of very small dimensions, for example those intended for use in the electronics industry.A process for fritting ceramic products wherein the products to be fritted which have been preheated to a given temperature are directly exposed to a hyperfrequential electro-magnetic field to raise the products to a temperature which causes fritting.

Abstract: A continuously circulating work processing conveyor comprising at least one processing drum of which peripheral compartments receive work carriages, each work carriage being linked to the following work carriage by a connection of which the length between any two consecutive carriages is always substantially the same and which is disposed so that the various carriages can be oriented differently from one another about axes perpendicular to their plane of advance.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the continuous production of link-chains comprising alternate inner links and outer links, two inner links being connected by an outer link, each inner link being formed by a lower plate and by an upper plate, each of which is provided with two coaxial holes receiving a bush carrying a freely rotatable roller, each outer link comprising a lower plate and an upper plate joined by two pins inserted to pass through the corresponding bush of the inner link, to which the outer link is connected.