Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for distinguishing tissue types are described herein. Such devices and systems may use dual polarization, conformal filters to acquire image data from target tissues and a processor to create an image in which the contrast between tissues has been enhanced.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for distinguishing tissue types are described herein. Such devices and systems may use dual polarization, conformal filters to acquire image data from target tissues and a processor to create an image in which the contrast between tissues has been enhanced.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a correction filter that may be configured to comprise a predetermined arrangement of thin film layers. This arrangement of thin film layers may be such that it effectively enables a correction filter to generate a predetermined spectral response, wherein said predetermined spectral response is substantially the same as a determined instrument response correction associated with an instrument. The invention of the present disclosure therefore provides for effectively compensating for transmission inefficiencies associated with an instrument without the need for separate reference measurements to determine and correct for instrument response.

Abstract: A portable system and method for analyzing biological tissue samples and detecting analytes associated with tissue oxygenation using a conformal filter. A conformal filter, which may comprise a tunable filter, is configured to filter interacted photons conforming to a spectral shape correlated with an analyte of interest. Conformal filter configurations may be selected by consulting a modified look-up table associated with an analyte. An iterative methodology may be used to calibrate a conformal design for an analyte of interest, refine a previous conformal filter design for an analyte of interest, and/or generate a new conformal filter design for an analyte of interest.

Abstract: A SWIR hyperspectral imaging filter has serial stages along an optical signal path with angularly distributed birefringent retarders and polarizers. The retarders can include active retarders such as tunable liquid crystal birefringent elements, passive retarders such as fixed retarders, and/or combinations thereof. Distinctly different periodic transmission spectra are provided by different filter stages, each having multiple retarders, in particular with some stages having broad bandpass peaks at wide spectral spacing and other stages have very narrow closely spaced peaks. The respective spectra include at least one tunably selectable band at which the transmission spectra of the filter stages coincide, whereby the salutary narrow bandpass and wide spectral spacing ranges of different stages apply together, resulting in a high finesse wavelength filter suitable for spectral imaging.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting at least one target of interest using at least two conformal filters in a dual polarization configuration. A plurality of interacted photons are collected from a sample comprising at least one analyte of interest. The plurality of interacted photons are separated into at least a first and second optical component. The first optical component is passed through a first conformal filter and the second optical component is passed through a second conformal filter. A Data set corresponding to each filtered optical component is generated and an optical computation is applied to assess at least one characteristic of the analyte.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting analytes using a conformal filter. A conformal filter, which may comprise a tunable filter, is configured to filter interacted photons conforming to a spectral shape correlated with an analyte of interest. Conformal filter configurations may be selected by consulting a modified look-up table associated with an analyte. An iterative methodology may be used to calibrate a conformal design for an analyte of interest, refine a previous conformal filter design for an analyte of interest, and/or generate a new conformal filter design for an analyte of interest.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a contaminant in a sample. The contaminant may comprise melamine or a derivative thereof and the sample may comprise a feed material. The method may comprise illuminating a sample to thereby generate a first plurality of interacted photons, collecting the interacted photons, passing the interacted photons through a tunable filter, and detecting the interacted photons to generate a near infrared data set representative of the sample. This near infrared sample may comprise a hyperspectral near infrared image. The method may further comprise fusing said near infrared data set with a Raman data set representative of sample. A system may comprise an illumination source, one or more collection optics, a tunable filter, and a detector configured to generate a near infrared data set. The system may further comprise a second detector configured for generating a Raman data set representative of a sample.

Abstract: A high passband transmission ratio is obtained by splitting a light beam from an objective lens into two orthogonally-polarized components processed along distinct paths through two independently controllable liquid crystal tunable filters (LCTFs). The filtered portions may be combined at an imaging plane or may be separately processed without recombining. Using two LCTFs, the arrangements discussed herein may ideally achieve 100% transmission in a single passband when two orthogonal components of a single wavelength are tuned, or 50% transmission at two distinct passbands when two orthogonal components from two different wavelengths (one component from each wavelength) are tuned. The dual polarization configuration described herein may be used to improve contrast or detected signal intensity in various microscopy and spectroscopic/chemical imaging applications and to increase the speed of detection.

Abstract: A VIS-NIR hyperspectral imaging filter has serial stages along an optical signal path with angularly distributed birefringent retarders and polarizers. The retarders can include active retarders such as tunable liquid crystal birefringent elements, passive retarders such as fixed retarders, and/or combinations thereof. Distinctly different periodic transmission spectra are provided by different filter stages, each having multiple retarders, in particular with some stages having broad bandpass peaks at wide spectral spacing and other stages have very narrow closely spaced peaks. The respective spectra include at least one tunably selectable band at which the transmission spectra of the filter stages coincide, whereby the salutary narrow bandpass and wide spectral spacing ranges of different stages apply together, resulting in a high finesse wavelength filter suitable for spectral imaging.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an instrument response correction. A sample is illuminated to generate a first plurality and a second plurality of interacted photons. The first plurality of interacted photons may be detected by a dispersive spectrometer to generate a reference spectrum representative of the sample. The second plurality of interacted photons may be passed through a tunable filter and detected using an imaging detector to generate at least one hyperspectral image. This hyperspectral image may comprise a Raman hyperspectral image or an infrared hyperspectral image. A system may comprise an illumination source, a collection optics, a dispersive spectrometer, a fiber optic, a tunable filter, and an imaging detector.

Abstract: A method for operating an optical filter in multiple modes. In one embodiment, an optical filter may be operated in a sensitivity mode to thereby generate a white light image representative of a region of interest. The optical filter may then be operated in a specificity mode to thereby generate a hyperspectral image representative of said region of interest. The white light image and the hyperspectral image may be fused to generate a hybrid image that provides morphological and hyperspectral data. The white light image and the hyperspectral image may be generated using a single detector, eliminating the need for image realignment.