Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide improved techniques to assist imaging and/or measuring a subject's eye that are suitable for use in an imaging and/or measuring apparatus operated by the subject, even in the absence of a clinician or technician, thereby improving access to medical grade imaging and/or measurement. Some aspects relate to techniques for receiving user input and capturing a medical grade image and/or measurement of a subject's eye responsive to receiving the user input. Some aspects relate to techniques for providing visual feedback to a user of an imaging and/or measuring apparatus indicating a location of a subject's eye in a field of view of the imaging and/or measuring apparatus. Some aspects relate to techniques for selectively illuminating a first portion of a subject's eye with illumination light and capturing an image of the first portion of the subject's eye.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides improved techniques for imaging and/or measuring a subject's eye. Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to a portable imaging and/or measuring apparatus comprising one or more imaging and/or measuring devices. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to an imaging and/or measuring device comprising an adjustable flexure having one or more lenses therein. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to an imaging and/or measuring device comprising an adjustable flexure configured to provide variable diopter compensation. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method comprising imaging and/or measuring a person's eye using an adjustable flexure within an imaging and/or measuring device, the adjustable flexure having one or more lenses therein. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method comprising providing variable diopter compensation for imaging and/or measuring a person's eye using an adjustable flexure.

Abstract: The present application thus describes a solar-thermal power generation plant that includes one or more towers; a plurality of heliostats disposed around each of the one or more towers; a direct solar evaporator mounted at an elevated position on each of the one or more towers, the heliostats being configured to reflect solar radiation toward the direct solar evaporator such that concentrated solar radiation heats a receiving surface on the direct solar evaporator; and a heat engine mounted at an elevated position on each of the one or more towers, attached to the direct solar evaporator, and configured to use the heat from the receiving surface on the direct solar evaporator to generate electricity.

Abstract: The present application thus describes a solar-thermal power generation plant that includes one or more towers; a plurality of heliostats disposed around each of the one or more towers; a direct solar evaporator mounted at an elevated position on each of the one or more towers, the heliostats being configured to reflect solar radiation toward the direct solar evaporator such that concentrated solar radiation heats a receiving surface on the direct solar evaporator; and a heat engine mounted at an elevated position on each of the one or more towers, attached to the direct solar evaporator, and configured to use the heat from the receiving surface on the direct solar evaporator to generate electricity.

Abstract: The invention, in accordance with one aspect, is an optical assembly including a substrate, a light emitting device mounted over a major surface of the substrate and having a back face, at least one channel formed in the substrate near the back face of the light emitting device, and at least one photodetector optically coupled to the light emitted from the back face. The channel includes at least one surface adapted to receive a portion of the back face light and reflect it away from the photodetector so that the photodetector receives primarily direct light from the back face.

Abstract: The present invention provides, in one aspect, an optical device, a method of manufacture therefor, and an optical system including the same. The optical device may include a membrane configured to be electrically deformable and reflective. The membrane may further be positioned over a cavity located within a substrate. The device may additionally include a transmissive spacer coupled to the substrate, and a lens coupled to the transmissive spacer and optically aligned with the membrane.

Abstract: An optical module is disclosed that includes a fiber array having two or more optical fibers formed in a linear array or a two dimensional array and a lens array having two or more lens elements monolithically formed on a first surface of a lens array substrate, wherein each of the two or more lens elements is optically coupled to a corresponding unique fiber in the fiber array. A second surface of the lens array substrate, opposite the first lens array substrate surface is coupled to the fiber array and the first and second lens array substrate surfaces are within less than about thirty arc seconds of parallel to reduce misalignment between the lens elements and their corresponding fibers.

Abstract: An in vivo imaging device having an illumination system that creates a virtual source within a tissue region of a subject in a non-invasive manner. The illumination system transforms a maximum amount of illumination energy from a light source into a high contrast illumination pattern. The illumination pattern is projected onto the object plane in a manner that maximizes the depth to which clear images of sub-surface features can be obtained. The high intensity portion of the illumination pattern is directed onto the object plane outside the field of view of an image capturing device that detects the image. In this configuration, scattered light from within the tissue region interacts with the object being imaged. This illumination technique provides for a high contrast image of sub-surface phenomena such as vein structure, blood flow within veins, gland structure, etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides, in one aspect, an optical device, a method of manufacture therefor, and an optical system including the same. The optical device may include a membrane configured to be electrically deformable and reflective. The membrane may further be positioned over a cavity located within a substrate. The device may additionally include a transmissive spacer coupled to the substrate, and a lens coupled to the transmissive spacer and optically aligned with the membrane.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical device, a method of manufacture therefor, and an optical system including the same. In an advantageous embodiment, the optical device includes an array of movable mirrors, and a transparent substrate located adjacent the array of movable mirrors and having an array of micro lenses located thereon. In an alternative advantageous embodiment, the transparent substrate is aligned with the array of movable mirrors, such that each micro lens is aligned with a corresponding mirror of the array of movable mirrors.

Abstract: An optical lens for use with an optical bench. The lens has a diffractive element which provides an angular offset to radiation incident on the lens. The offset substantially compensates for an undesirable focal point location caused by a variance between an integral component position on the bench and a desired position. The lens is particularly useful for an integral component position dictated by the bench crystal structure. In an illustrative embodiment an aspheric diffractive element deflects incident radiation by an amount in the range of about 8° to about 12°. Further disclosed is a method of compensation for variance between an integral component position on a bench and a desired position. Still further disclosed are an optical bench, a method for fabricating an optical bench and a semiconductor device.

Abstract: An optical lens for use with an optical bench. The lens has a diffractive element which provides an angular offset to radiation incident on the lens. The offset substantially compensates for an undesirable focal point location caused by a variance between an integral component position on the bench and a desired position. The lens is particularly useful for an integral component position dictated by the bench crystal structure. In an illustrative embodiment an aspheric diffractive element deflects incident radiation by an amount in the range of about 8° to about 12°.

Abstract: An in vivo imaging device having an illumination system that creates a virtual source within a tissue region of a subject in a non-invasive manner. The illumination system transforms a maximum amount of illumination energy from a light source into a high contrast illumination pattern. The illumination pattern is projected onto the object plane in a manner that maximizes the depth to which clear images of sub-surface features can be obtained. The high intensity portion of the illumination pattern is directed onto the object plane outside the field of view of an image capturing device that detects the image. In this configuration, scattered light from within the tissue region interacts with the object being imaged. This illumination technique provides for a high contrast image of sub-surface phenomena such as vein structure, blood flow within veins, gland structure, etc.

Abstract: An in vivo imaging device having an illumination system that creates a virtual source within a tissue region of a subject in a non-invasive manner. The illumination system transforms a maximum amount of illumination energy from a light source into a high contrast illumination pattern. The illumination pattern is projected onto the object plane in a manner that maximizes the depth to which clear images of sub-surface features can be obtained. The high intensity portion of the illumination pattern is directed onto the object plane outside the field of view of an image capturing device that detects the image. In this configuration, scattered light from within the tissue region interacts with the object being imaged. This illumination technique provides for a high contrast image of sub-surface phenomena such as vein structure, blood flow within veins, gland structure, etc.

Abstract: In an electronic camera including optics for focusing an image of a subject at an image plane; an area image sensor disposed at the image plane for receiving the image subject and producing a digital image representing the subject; storage memory coupled to the area image sensor for storing the digitized image of the subject; and a moveable display being moveable between a user viewable position to a print position and adapted to be selectively coupled to the storage means for displaying an image of the subject. The camera further includes an optical printer being adapted to be optically coupled to the display when in its print position for producing a hard copy output of the subject represented by the display; and logic and control circuitry being responsive to the display moving to its print position for deenergizing the display after an image to be printed is selected and for reenergizing the display means when in its print position.

Abstract: A scanner (40) is disclosed which includes a source of coherent light (12), a radial holographic deflector (16), a F.theta. lens (62), which images a scanned spot onto an image plane (18). The F.theta. lens (62) is comprised of a decentered aspheric mirror (64) and a diffractive--refractive toroidal lens (66). The apparatus is relatively insensitive to variations in the wavelength of the source of coherent light.

Abstract: A zoom lens comprises a plurality of lens elements arranged into three lens units. More specifically, there is a first lens unit of positive refractive power, a second lens unit of negative refractive power, and a third lens unit of positive refractive power. The third lens unit is located between the first and the second lens units. The plurality of lens elements provide: (i) a zoom ratio greater than 1.5, (ii) an F/number in the telephoto position of less than F/5 and an F/number in the wide angle position of less than F/3.6, (iii) and an overall compactness ratio L.sub.v /f.sub.t <1.0, where L.sub.v is the distance from a front vertex of the zoom lens to the image plane in a telephoto position, and f.sub.t is the focal length of the zoom lens in the telephoto position.

Abstract: A lenslet array system includes (i) a first assembly including a field-limiting mask and a first lenslet array having an associated focal plane and (ii) a second assembly including a second lenslet array accepting light from the first assembly. The first lenslet array accepts a full field of view in excess of 20 degrees and forms a plurality of image sections of the associated object on an intermediate image plane which is substantially coplanar with the focal plane associated with the first lenslet array. The first lenslet array includes a plurality of positive power lenslets. Each of the plurality of lenslets has a focal length f.sub.1 of less than 15 mm and accepts a unique segment of the full field of view subtended by the associated object. These segments of the full field of view together comprise the full field of view, and each of said lenslets forms one image section corresponding to its segment of the full field of view.

Abstract: A lenslet array system for imaging an associated object onto a final image plane includes (i) a first lens assembly including a field limiting mask and a first lenslet array having an associated image plane, (ii) a second assembly including a rear lenslet array, and (iii) a middle lenslet array located between the first and said rear lenslet array. The first lenslet array accepts a full field of view subtends by the associated object and forms a plurality of image sections of the associated object on an intermediate image plane. The first lenslet array includes a plurality of positive power lenslets, each of the plurality of lenslets having a focal length f.sub.1 and accepting a unique segment of the full field of view subtended by the associated object. These segments of the full field of view together comprise the full field of view, and each of the lenslets forms one image section corresponding to its segment of the full field of view. The rear lenslet array has a plurality of positive power lenslets.

Abstract: Diffractive optics using surface relief profiles, also known as blazed gratings having ramps and edges or steps (also referred to as blazed facets with discontinuities at the interfaces between adjacent facets) defining grating lines and phase delays to which light propagating through the grating are subject. Diffractive lenses which are known as phased Fresnel zone plate lenses or kinoforms, also have annular blazed facets with discontinuities, steps at the interface between adjacent facets at the steps which facets define the zones of the lens. These steps are either aligned parallel to the light incident on the grating or coated with an optically opaque material, thereby preventing the transmission of incident light which is not diffracted, but would be scattered or transmitted at the steps. The contrast and quality of an image provided by the diffractive lens at a plane spaced from the grating, which may be the focal plane of the diffractive lens, is therefore enhanced.