Abstract: A flexible pH sensor having a unique stacking of layers is described. The sensor may be used in various applications. Methods of manufacturing the flexible pH sensor are also described, including the manner in which iridium oxides are provided.

Abstract: A radial scantier configured to image the interior of a tube includes, in an embodiment, a housing having a transparent window, a photo-sensing array, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image around a circumference of an interior surface of the tube outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source configured to illuminate the interior surface of the tube, wherein the photo-sensing army is configured to receive the image around the circumference, as a circular line scan. In an embodiment, the radial scanner Is deployed as an ingestible capsule. In another embodiment, the radial scanner is deployed as a fiber optic catheter.

Abstract: An ingestible scanning device includes, in an embodiment, a capsule housing having a transparent window and sized so as to be ingestible, a photo-sensing array located within the capsule housing, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source for illuminating the surface outside the transparent window.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a touch panel. The touch panel may detect touch events using one or more cameras. The touch panel may include a planar exterior surface, such as a cover glass, that extends over an active region of a display and an inactive peripheral region. The cameras may be located underneath the inactive peripheral region. The cameras may include a light turning element to allow the cameras to detect touch events, without being raised above the exterior surface of the active region of the display (e.g., without having a raised profile). The touch panel may detect touch events using dynamic zooming techniques. As an example, the touch panel may divide the active region into sections, search for touch events in each section, zoom into sections in which touch events are found, and further search the sections in which touch events were found.

Abstract: An ingestible scanning device includes, in an embodiment, a capsule housing having a transparent window and sized so as to be ingestible, a photo-sensing array located within the capsule housing, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source for illuminating the surface outside the transparent window.

Abstract: A radial scanner configured to image the interior of a tube includes, in an embodiment, a housing having a transparent window, a photo-sensing array, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image around a circumference of an interior surface of the tube outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source configured to illuminate the interior surface of the tube, wherein the photo-sensing array is configured to receive the image around the circumference as a circular line scan. In an embodiment, the radial scanner is deployed as an ingestible capsule. In another embodiment, the radial scanner is deployed as a fiber optic catheter.

Abstract: Imaging systems may include an image sensor and a microelectromechanical systems array. The microelectromechanical systems array may be mounted over the image sensor. The system may include an infrared lens that focuses infrared light onto a first surface of the microelectromechanical systems array and a visible light source that illuminates an opposing second surface of the microelectromechanical systems array. The image sensor may capture images of the opposing second surface of the microelectromechanical systems array. The system may include processing circuitry that generates infrared images of a scene using the captured images of the microelectromechanical systems array. Microelectromechanical systems elements in the microelectromechanical systems array may change position or shape in response to infrared light that is absorbed by the microelectromechanical systems elements. Each microelectromechanical systems element may include infrared absorbing material on a metal layer.

Abstract: A handheld diagnostic system may include a disposable sample holder for receiving and containing a biological sample and an analysis module having a chip-scale microscope. The sample holder may include a plurality of uniformly spaced tick marks. The analysis module may include a sensor for detecting the tick marks as the sample holder is inserted into the analysis module. The chip-scale microscope may include an image sensor for capturing images of the sample. Each time the sensor detects a tick mark, control circuitry may issue a control signal to the image sensor to capture an image of the biological sample. This type of automated image capture mechanism ensures that images are captured at a uniform spatial distribution even when the sample holder is inserted into the analysis module at variable speed. The analysis module may transmit sample imaging data to a portable electronic device.

Abstract: A handheld diagnostic system may include a disposable sample holder for receiving and containing a biological sample and an analysis module having a chip-scale microscope. The sample holder may include a plurality of uniformly spaced tick marks. The analysis module may include a sensor for detecting the tick marks as the sample holder is inserted into the analysis module. The chip-scale microscope may include an image sensor for capturing images of the sample. Each time the sensor detects a tick mark, control circuitry may issue a control signal to the image sensor to capture an image of the biological sample. This type of automated image capture mechanism ensures that images are captured at a uniform spatial distribution even when the sample holder is inserted into the analysis module at variable speed. The analysis module may transmit sample imaging data to a portable electronic device.

Abstract: Optical accelerometers may be provided that detect acceleration in up to six axes. An optical accelerometer may include an image sensor and optical elements such as light pipes that extend over the image sensor. Light may be injected into the optical elements by a light source. The optical elements may guide the light onto corresponding portions of an image pixel array on the image sensor. The image pixels may be used to detect changes in the location, size, and intensity of illuminated portions of the pixel array when the optical elements move due to acceleration of the optical accelerometer. The optical accelerometer may include multiple light pipes having various lengths and thicknesses. Light pipes of matching length and thickness may be formed over opposing sides of a pixel array. The light pipes may be coated with a material that responds to electric or magnetic fields.

Abstract: A system may include computing equipment and a handheld video overlay accessory. A video overlay accessory may include one or more light sources, an image sensor, and processing circuitry. The video overlay accessory may include an image projector that projects images onto external objects. The video overlay accessory may include a partially transparent beam splitter and a display that projects display content onto the partially transparent beam splitter. A user that views a scene through the partially transparent beam splitter may view the display content apparently overlaid onto the scene. Light sources in the video overlay accessory may be laser diodes or other light-emitting diodes that project tracking spots such as infrared tracking spots on to external objects. The image sensor may be used to capture images of the tracking spots. The processing circuitry may determine distance and position information based on the captured images.

Abstract: A sample holder that includes a clamshell case, wherein one half of the clamshell includes a sample receiving port and a passageway there from that leads to one or more test chambers, each having an external window therein for external imaging (e.g., by a digital microscope). The test chamber may be a part of the clamshell apparatus, or may append there from. The first half of the clamshell may also include a reagent pack with a pressure breakable seal. The second half of the clamshell may have one or more extruded forms that act as a mechanical RAM when the clamshell is closed to compress the reagent pack and or the sample receiving port, so as to force fluid through the passageway to the test chamber. The reagent and the reagent pack may be forced into the sample receiving port and into the passageway along with the sample. The test chambers may have been lines leading to an overflow reservoir, which may have an air vent to the exterior of the sample holder.

Abstract: Imaging systems may include an image sensor and a microelectromechanical systems array. The microelectromechanical systems array may be mounted over the image sensor. The system may include an infrared lens that focuses infrared light onto a first surface of the microelectromechanical systems array and a visible light source that illuminates an opposing second surface of the microelectromechanical systems array. The image sensor may capture images of the opposing second surface of the microelectromechanical systems array. The system may include processing circuitry that generates infrared images of a scene using the captured images of the microelectromechanical systems array. Microelectromechanical systems elements in the microelectromechanical systems array may change position or shape in response to infrared light that is absorbed by the microelectromechanical systems elements. Each microelectromechanical systems element may include infrared absorbing material on a metal layer.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a camera module. The camera module may include a camera sensor capable of capturing foveated images. The camera sensor may be hardwired to capture foveated images with fixed regions of different quality levels or may be dynamically-reconfigurable to capture foveated images with selected regions of different quality levels. As one example, the camera module may be hardwired to capture a center region of an image at full resolution and peripheral regions at reduced resolutions, so that a user can merely center objects of interest in the image to capture a foveated image. As another example, the camera module may analyze previous images to identify objects of interest and may then reconfigure itself to capture the identified objects of interest at a high quality level, while capturing other regions at reduced quality levels.

Abstract: Electronic devices may include touch-free user input components that include camera modules having overlapping fields-of-view. The overlapping fields-of-view may form a gesture tracking volume in which multi-dimensional user gestures can be tracked using images captured with the camera modules. A camera module may include an image sensor having an array of image pixels and a diffractive element that redirects light onto the array of image pixels. The diffractive element may re-orient the field-of-view of each camera module so that an outer edge of the field-of-view runs along an outer surface of a display for the device. The device may include processing circuitry that operates the device using user input data based on the user gestures in the gesture tracking volume. The processing circuitry may operate the display based on the user gestures by displaying regional markers having a size and a location that depend on the user gestures.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with imaging modules or communications modules. Imaging modules and communications modules may be improved with the use of plasmonic light collectors. Plasmonic light collectors exploit the interaction between incoming light and plasmons in the plasmonic light collector to redirect the path of the incoming light. Plasmonic light collectors may be used to form lenses for image pixels in an imaging module or to form light pipes or lenses for use in injecting optical communications into a fiber optic cable. Plasmonic lenses may be formed by lithography of metallic surfaces, by implantation or by stacking and patterning of layers of materials having different dielectric properties. Plasmonic image pixels may be smaller and more efficient than conventional image pixels. Plasmonic light guides may have significantly less signal loss than conventional lenses and light guides.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided a plasmonic light sensor. Plasmonic light sensors may include arrays of plasmonic image pixels that detect evanescent electron density waves, or plasmons, generated in the plasmonic image pixel through an interaction with incoming light. Plasmonic image pixels may include microlenses that focus the light onto conducting wires in the plasmonic image pixel. Plasmons generated on the surface of the conducting wire may propagate along the conducting wire. Detector circuitry may be coupled to the wire on which the plasmons propagate to detect the light through detection of the evanescent electron density wave. Detector circuitry may include a biasing component for biasing a photodiode such that a small amount of light results in an avalanche of charge, or a sudden increase in current, produced in the detector circuitry in response to the evanescent wave.

Abstract: A handheld diagnostic system may include a disposable sample holder and an analysis module having a chip-scale microscope. The sample holder may have a transparent portion having test chambers for containing respective portions of a biological sample. The analysis module may having a housing with an opening configured to receive the transparent portion of the sample holder. The chip-scale microscope may include an image sensor for capturing images of the biological sample as the transparent portion of the sample holder is inserted into the opening of the analysis module. The analysis module may include a light source for illuminating the sample during image capture operations and optics for gathering light from the sample and focusing the light onto the image sensor. The analysis module may transmit sample imaging information to a portable electronic device, which may in turn display corresponding sample analysis information for a user.

Abstract: A handheld diagnostic system may include a disposable sample holder for receiving and containing a biological sample and an analysis module having a chip-scale microscope. The sample holder may include a plurality of uniformly spaced tick marks. The analysis module may include a sensor for detecting the tick marks as the sample holder is inserted into the analysis module. The chip-scale microscope may include an image sensor for capturing images of the sample. Each time the sensor detects a tick mark, control circuitry may issue a control signal to the image sensor to capture an image of the biological sample. This type of automated image capture mechanism ensures that images are captured at a uniform spatial distribution even when the sample holder is inserted into the analysis module at variable speed. The analysis module may transmit sample imaging data to a portable electronic device.

Abstract: A handheld diagnostic system may include a disposable sample holder and an analysis module having a chip-scale microscope. The sample holder may have a transparent portion that may be inserted into the analysis module. The transparent portion may have test chambers for containing respective portions of a biological sample. The transparent portion may also include built-in reference features such as reference surfaces, reference markings, and/or reference structures. The chip-scale microscope may include an image sensor for capturing images of the sample and the reference features as the sample holder is inserted into the analysis module. Images of the reference features may be compared with images of the sample and may be used to determine the color, opacity, reflectivity, cell size, and/or cell concentration associated with the sample. The analysis module may transmit sample imaging data to a portable electronic device.