Abstract: A method, system and program product for providing automatic focus adjustment for an image device, comprising the steps of: differentiating an image along some axis to obtain a difference image; computing a variance of the difference image; determining a noise contribution to the variance; subtracting the noise contribution from the variance; using the adjusted noise variance as a factor in making the automatic focus adjustment. In a preferred embodiment, the variance is normalized, and the noise contribution is determined by determining the shot noise and the read noise.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for electronically acquiring images using a frame-transfer CCD sensor with a reduced-height storage area reduces saturation artifacts in the resulting digital images by modifying the energy profile of the CCD sensor in an image area of the CCD sensor after an exposure period. The energy profile of the image area of the CCD sensor is modified by decreasing the potential applied to the substrate of the image area such that dissipation of saturated charges remaining in the image area of the CCD sensor is significantly reduced when the majority of accumulated charges is transferred from the image area to the storage area of the CCD sensor. Thus, the saturated charges in the image area and the storage area are substantially maintained at their initial levels, which results in digital images with reduced saturation artifacts.

Abstract: A method for dark current subtraction which enables a dark frame to be reused for dark current subtraction for multiple image frames. The dark frame is reused by scaling it according to changes in the dark current levels associated with the dark frame and the image frames.

Abstract: A method for exposure control which yields exposure settings just high enough to clip light sources and reflections from light sources in an image scene while allocating the majority of image sensor dynamic range to remaining objects in the image scene. Exposure control according to the present techniques includes determining a number of clipped pixels from an image scene for one or more of a set of possible exposures and determining a selected exposure from the possible exposures such that the possible exposures higher than the selected exposure increase the number and the possible exposures less than the selected exposure do not substantially decrease the number.

Abstract: A sample and the tip portion of an alternating current scanning tunneling microscope are electrically enclosed within a cavity with electrically conductive walls. The dimensions of the cavity are smaller than the wavelength of a component of the AC signal applied by the probe to the sample so that the output signal detected by the probe from the sample will not be contaminated by resonant effects of the cavity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing ions by determining times of flight include establishing an encoded sequence for launching packets of ions from a source region toward a detector. The encoded sequence is one in which the high-mass ions of a leading packet will be passed by the low-mass ions of a trailing packet. Thus, a high efficiency time-of-flight mass spectrometer is formed. The ions of each packet are acted upon to bunch the ions of the packet, thereby compensating for initial space and/or velocity distributions of ions in the launching of the packet. The times of arrival of the ions are determined at the detector to obtain a signal of overlapping spectra corresponding to the overlapping launched packets. A correlation between the overlapping spectra and the encoded launch sequence is employed to derive a single non-overlapped spectrum.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in which signal output of an acoustic wave device is separated into desired and undesired components. An excitation signal to an input of the acoustic wave device is periodically interrupted for durations based upon the time required for acoustic waves to travel from the input to the output of the device. The duration of excitation is less than the time required for wave travel, allowing electromagnetic interference to complete its passage to the output before the arrival of acoustic wave energy. The non-simultaneous arrival of electromagnetic interference and acoustic wave-generated energy allows the electromagnetic interference to be gated from the output. Electrical switches are employed, such as double-balanced mixers or PIN diode switches. The period of pulses for providing the interruptions of excitation is at least as great as the sum of the required time for acoustic wave travel and the time during which the device is excited.

Abstract: An electrophoresis system having separate internal and external voltage gradients that are vectorially coupled to determine zeta potential along the interior surface of a capillary column. The voltage gradient along the exterior of the capillary column is established such that the electrical potential at an on-column detection area is substantially equal to the electrical potential of a detector used to sense electrophoretic migration past the detection area. Typically, the capillary column is grounded at the point of detection, with the exterior voltage gradient being positive-going in one direction from the point of detection and being negative-going in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A fluid sensing device such as a Surface Transverse Wave device or a Love Wave device having controlled transfers of energy from a transduction surface of a piezoelectric substrate to a sensing surface and back to the transduction surface. A first wave-trapping structure adjacent to an input transducer tapers to provide a controlled diffraction of shear transverse wave energy to a second wave-trapping structure disposed on an opposite side of the piezoelectric substrate. The second wave-trapping structure interfaces with the fluid under test. The shear transverse waves are then recaptured by a third wave-trapping structure on the same surface as the first wave-trapping structure. The wave energy is then decoupled from the piezoelectric substrate. In the STW device, the wave-trapping structures are periodic fingers that are selectively varied in thickness or width or both. In the LW device, the wave-trapping structures are plates that each vary in thickness.

Abstract: A system for accurate and precise measurements of analyte(s) in a system. The measurement system comprises piezoelectric surface wave sample devices, at least one piezoelectric surface wave reference device, and the measurement instrument.

Abstract: A sensor suitable for use as a viscosity sensor, a chemically selective sensor, or a chemically specific sensor. The sensor is a surface transverse wave (STW) or Love Wave device that, for solute concentration measurements, includes a chemically reactive layer selected to react with the solute to be measured. The surface trapping structure in this device can include dielectric material either as a protective coating or as the core material of the surface trapping structure. The substrate material and cut are selected so that only shear horizontal acoustic waves are produced. Nonpiezoelectric portions of this device can be utilized in the region in which chemicals react the sensor and/or in the region in which energy is converted between electrical and acoustical forms.

Abstract: A shear transverse wave device having transitions in the relaxation or tightening of wave trapping. Two embodiments are preferably utilized simultaneously. A first embodiment involves wave trapping fingers disposed within a propagation region between a transmitting and a receiving interdigital transducer. The wave trapping fingers provide a high width-to-spacing ratio of fingers proximate to the transducers and provide a lower ratio with approach to a center of the propagation region. The relaxed trapping reduces the adverse effects caused by surface perturbations, while the tight trapping at the transducers provides an efficient coupling of power to and from the device. The second embodiment is likewise concerned with decoupling of power. Absorptive film is placed at the opposed edges of the device to suppress spurious reflections from the edges.

Abstract: A fluid sensing device such as a Shear Transverse Wave device or a Love Wave device having a wave-trapping structure that provides tight surface trapping at transduction and sensing regions, but permitting a deeper penetration of wave energy at the interface of a seal with the wave-trapping structure. In the STW device, wave-trapping fingers are selectively varied in thickness, width or both to achieve the selective trapping. In an LW device, a wave-trapping plate is reduced in thickness at seal regions.

Abstract: A sensor (11, 12, 13, 15) suitable for use as a viscosity sensor, a chemically selective sensor, or a chemically specific sensor. The sensor (11, 12, 13, 15) is a surface transverse wave (STW) device that, for solute concentration measurements, includes a binding layer (18) selected to bind to the solute to be measured. This binding layer (18) can be an antibody so that the sensor detects a particular antigen.