Abstract: The present invention refers, inter alia, to pixel circuits. The pixel circuit according to embodiments of the invention may include a photo-sensitive device having charge storage capability connected to a sense node. The pixel circuit may further include an inverting amplifier which is able to amplify a voltage from the sense node to a voltage on an output node of the amplifier, when being operated in open-loop configuration; and a reset switch being able to connect the input and output nodes of the inverting amplifier and thus to reset the inverting amplifier to an operating point providing high open loop gain by temporarily establishing negative feedback. Moreover, the pixel circuit may include a low-pass filter at the output node of the inverting amplifier for limiting the signal frequencies passing to the readout node to those frequencies that contain useful signal information. Additional and alternative embodiments are specified and claimed.

Abstract: A one-dimension position measurement system includes: a first ruler having a first one-dimension binary code si applied thereon, a camera for acquiring a picture of a portion of the code si, the portion having a length of I bits, and some processing elements. Each codeword of length I of the one-dimension code si is unique within the whole code si A codeword ai is read from the acquired picture, and the processing elements are implemented for computing an absolute position p of the codeword ai of the code si from: (I). An adhoc interpolation method is used to obtain a precision way below the distance between two bits of the codewords. The code si may be applied on the ruler by using some geometric primitives, a geometric primitive for encoding a “1” being different from a geometric primitive for encoding a “0”, both having the same horizontal projection. The horizontal projection is then used for fine interpolation, achieving nanometre-scale resolution.

Abstract: The invention relates to a silicon resonator (10) of the tuning-fork type in which the linear frequency drift depending on the temperature is compensated. The resonator includes a silicon base (14), a plurality of parallel arms (11, 12, 13) capable of vibrating and actuator (18, 21, 22), wherein the arms include a silicon layer provided between two layers of silicon oxide having a thickness, relative to that of the silicon layer, such that it ensures the first-order compensation of the resonator thermal drift.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) for calibrating a pipette or a dispensing system comprising a plate (2), said plate (2) comprising at least one channel (3) with a loading port (4) for receiving a test volume of a fluid at one end of the at least one channel and an opening (5) at the other end of the at least one channel, wherein the at least one channel (3) is constructed as a capillary.

Abstract: A method for producing special supramolecular assemblies of colorants, in particular cyanine dyes, called J aggregates consists in depositing a monolayer of dendrimers on a support and subsequently in deposing cyanines in solution for forming the organized monolayer of J aggregates. The method can be used for producing a secondary light source for injecting light into a waveguide from a light energy received from a primary light source emitting at different wavelength. The secondary source, which consists of the J aggregates incorporating energy acceptors, can also be integrated into an optical device incorporating the waveguide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pigments comprising or consisting of a layer made of a material with an index of refraction that is higher than the index of refraction of the adjacent material by at least 0.25; whereas said layer has a zero-order diffractive micro-structure; whereas said layer acts as an optical waveguide and whereas said layer has a thickness between 50 nm and 500 nm; to processes for its manufacture and to its use. These pigments show a colour effect upon rotation and/or tilting, and it is believed that this colour effect is based on zero-order diffraction.

Abstract: A spectrometer includes: an entrance aperture, a collimator, intended to produce, from a light source, a collimated input light (5), a plurality of gratings arranged in a 2-D matrix, a plurality of detectors, and an exit aperture.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop includes: a variable oscillator connected to a first resonator, said oscillator being able to deliver an output signal at a first output frequency Fout1, a first frequency divider receiving the output signal and able to convert it into a divided frequency signal Fout1/n, a reference oscillator connected to a second so-called reference resonator, delivering a reference signal at a low reference frequency Fref, generating an electrical dissipation lower than a microampere, a phase comparator measuring the phase error between the divided frequency signal Fout1/n and the reference signal and being able to produce a test signal, a low-pass filter or an integrating circuit able to filter the test signal and able to generate a voltage or a control word designed to control the voltage-controlled or digitally controlled oscillator.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for identifying the elemental composition of an object (120) characterized by comprising the following procedures: (210) selecting an energy range of an irradiation energy range according to at least one energy-selection criterion to obtain a selected energy range; (215) selecting, according to at least one element-selection criterion, pure elements and/or compounds for which analysis of said object is performed, to obtain selected elements; (220) determining the absorption coefficient for the selected pure elements and/or compounds according to the selected energy range; (230) determining the integrated density of the selected pure elements and/or compounds. Additional and alternative embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A photo sensor exhibiting low noise, low smear, low dark current, high dynamic range and global shutter functionality consists either of a pinned (or buried) photodiode or a photo-sensitive charge-coupled device, each with associated transfer gate, a sub-linear element, a shutter transistor, a reset circuit and a read-out circuit. Using two output paths global shutter and high speed operation are possible for the linear and the sub-linear output of the sensor. Because of its compact size, the photo sensor can be employed in one- and two-dimensional image sensors, fabricated with industry-standard CMOS and CCD technologies.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pigments comprising or consisting of a layer made of a material with an index of refraction that is higher than the index of refraction of the adjacent material by at least 0.25; whereas said layer has a zero-order diffractive micro-structure; whereas said layer acts as an optical waveguide and whereas said layer has a thickness between 50 nm and 500 nm; to processes for its manufacture and to its use. These pigments show a color effect upon rotation and/or tilting, and it is believed that this color effect is based on zero-order diffraction.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a mechanical oscillator, comprising an oscillating system comprising a balance (1) and its return spring (3). This oscillator also comprises two elastic strips (9, 10) fixed by one end and acting in opposition intermittently by their other end on a connecting organ (8) secured to the oscillating system.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an interferometer device and method. In embodiments, the device comprises an electromagnetic radiation source emitting radiation having a first mean wavelength ?LE; a phase grating having a first aspect ratio; an absorption grating having a second aspect ratio; and a detector. The electromagnetic radiation source, the phase grating, the absorption grating and the detector are radiatively coupled with each other. The absorption grating is positioned between the detector and the phase grating; the electromagnetic radiation source is positioned in front of the source grating; and wherein the phase grating is designed such to cause a phase shift that is smaller than ? on the emitted radiation. Additional and alternative embodiments are specified and claimed.

Abstract: A fuel cell with an assembly having a solidified membrane with two collectors incorporated, face to face, in the membrane, and two rigid covers between which the assembly is inserted. The rigid covers are provided with connecting end pieces and provide spaces on either side of the assembly. The assembly is produced by providing two identical subassemblies each including a substrate and a current collector removably arranged thereon, depositing an ionic liquid or pasty polymerizable membrane on at least one of the subassemblies in such a way that the collector thereof is completely covered, applying the subassemblies one against the other, and detaching the two substrates from the collectors after the polymerizable membrane has solidified, so as to obtain the assembly.

Abstract: A mechanical oscillator isochronism corrector includes: a frame (12), a flexible blade (14) integral with the frame to act on the mechanical oscillator at a contact portion (14a) presented by the blade, first element for adjusting the pre-stress of the flexible blade including a pre-stress finger (22) acting on the flexible blade, the first adjustment element being integral with the frame.

Abstract: A device for compensating for the frequency of a resonator, includes: a temperature sensor for the resonator; a sequencer determining a second compensation signal on the basis of the temperature value corresponding to a positive value N, and a third compensation signal on the basis of the temperature value, corresponding to a ratio between a positive integer S and N, S being lower than or equal to N; a variable counter receiving the compensation signals and generating a fourth output signal every N periods of a clock signal from the resonator and generating a fifth signal for modifying the charge capacity of the resonator.

Abstract: A probe arrangement with a probe for local electrophysiological analysis of cells (4) such as patch-clamp techniques for use with atomic force microscopy, has a probe with a cantilever arm (2) connected to a probe holder (3). The probe has a probe tip (4) at a probing end (5) of the cantilever arm (2) and a fluid channel (6) in the cantilever arm (2) connecting a probe tip aperture (7) with a fluid reservoir (8) via a duct (9). The fluid channel (6), the duct (9) and the fluid reservoir (8) are adapted to be filled with a fluid solution (10) enabling ion transport for electrophysiological analysis. A first electrode (15) for electrophysiological analysis is placed in the fluid reservoir (8) and/or in the duct (9) and/or in the fluid channel (6).

Abstract: One or more zero-order diffractive pigments (ZOP) having both a particle distribution matrix material, and a layer of material in or on such a matrix material and having an index of refraction higher than that of the matrix material, and having a diffractive grating structure with a period in the range of 100 to 600 nm, which is smaller than the wavelength of light reflectable thereby in the zeroth reflection order. In such ZOPs the index of refraction of the matrix material is usually at least 0.25 less than that of the material of the layer, and the layer is typically of a thickness between 30 and 500 nm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stabilizing the spectrum of a pulsed coherent optical source that comprises controlling the offset frequency ?0 and the repetition rate ?r in order to stabilize the frequencies of the comb lines constituting the optical spectrum thereof. The method comprises forming, from the pulsed coherent optical source (S1), a beam that is directed onto a reference resonant optical cavity (CR), and using the signal generated by the reference resonant optical cavity (CR) for controlling the offset frequency ?o or the repetition rate ?r, and probing, using a comb line, an atomic or molecular transition (AMT) in order to generate a driving signal for the repetition rate ?r or the offset frequency ?0.

Abstract: A diffractive microstructure (11) is implemented as a security feature in the surface of tablet (4). For this purpose the punches (1a, 1b) comprise a microstructure (11), which during the compression process produce the diffractive microstructure on the surface of the tablet (4), by plastic and/or visco-elastic deformation of the powder particles. The method according to the invention is compatible to the existing tablet manufacturing methods with their high production speeds and compression forces. It is also compatible to the usual tabletting adjuvants.