Abstract: A small, low cost, solid state camera is achieved by the placement of the requisite molecular sieve in a chamber separate from the vacuum chamber which houses the solid state device (CCD). The sieve chamber is connected by a narrow tube to the vacuum chamber and functions as a passive pump. The sieve chamber has a removable cover which permits replacement of the sieve after manufacture.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining the luminous intensity distribution of an automotive head light employs a curved mirror and a curved screen. A solid state camera is used to obtain a pattern of the head light output from the screen. The system requires a relatively small black box into which the head light output is directed. A beam splitter may be employed to relax the constraints on the positioning of the various components within the box. The setting of the test lamp to first and to second preset lateral angular positions at each of which a pattern is captured and the combining of the two patterns permits the use of components which are practical. The use of a linear CCD array permits economies to be obtained by rotating the test lamp or by scanning the linear array over a sequence of angular positions and by constructing a composite pattern from the patterns so generated. In an alternative embodiment, no beam splitter is used.

Abstract: A multi-mode apparatus for capturing light patterns emitted or absorbed by a planar sample, such as an electropheresis gel, is made possible by a unique tray and sample holder system which positions a sample at a pre-determined focal plane of the solid state camera integral to the apparatus. Each sample is fixed in a sample holder specific to the mode of labeling of the sample. The tray is configured to retain each sample holder at a different elevation with respect to the side walls of the tray for proper placement of the sample at the focal plane. The tray side walls are adapted to position a sample holder at the proper elevation depending on the sampling mode and illumination technique selected. The sample holder includes a combination of transparent, translucent, or opaque plates designed to allow illumination and imaging of the sample for the particular labeling method employed.

Abstract: An optical lens system includes a multi-element lens designed to maximize light collection efficiency and transmission but accepting a sufficiently high level of distortion to forego the system from imaging light patterns at each of a set of wavelengths at which the patterns are being emitted from a planar source simultaneously. The system also illustratively includes a cooled CCD camera with a dewar and filter assembly which is movable along the optic axis of the system to specified positions for selecting a particular wavelength at which an image is in focus so that the light pattern (image) at each different wavelength can be captured at a different time. A CCD camera is used to capture the image and the camera controller includes software to reduce the amount of distortion introduced by the lens.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining the luminous intensity distribution of an automotive head light employs a curved mirror and a curved screen. A solid state camera is used to obtain a pattern of the head light output from the screen. The system requires a relatively small black box into which the head light output is directed. A beam splitter may be employed to relax the constraints on the positioning of the various components within the box. The setting of the test lamp to first and to second preset lateral angular positions at each of which a pattern is captured and the combining of the two patterns permits the use of components which are practical. The use of a linear CCD array permits economies to be obtained by rotating the test lamp or the linear array over a sequence of angular positions and by constructing a composite pattern from the patterns so generated.

Abstract: A mechanical camera shutter requiring voltage in the range of 30 to 60 volts is made to operate from a power supply which provides voltage such lower than is necessary for shutter operation by the inclusion of a capacitor which is charged to 15 volts. The capacitor is operated to add to the insufficient voltage of a power source to provide the requisite high voltage during a critical part of a cycle of operation of the shutter. The shutter driver circuit follows results from the recognition that the shutter requires the high voltage only during the short opening phase of the shutter cycle and is not required during the later holding phase when only a low holding voltage is required. The capacitor is recharged during the holding phase and provides the necessary increased voltage for the next shutter operation.

Abstract: A FIFO memory system exhibits data processing capabilities by the inclusion therein of a digital signal processor and an associated dynamic random access memory. The digital signal processor provides significant data processing on the fly while the dynamic random access memory array provides additional buffering capability. Input and output FIFOs are connected to the data and address bussed of the digital signal processor. The control of the digital signal processor is via a host processor connected to the digital signal processor by a serial communication link.

Abstract: Solid state electronic cameras are made modular so that replacement of inoperative CCD imagers can be done quickly and inexpensively by storing in the camera heads the operating parameters of each of a variety of imagers such as charge coupled device imagers. A camera head with a replacement imager communicates to a resident controller the parameters of the replacement imager selected. Operating parameters such as clock pulse signals may, in addition, be varied as to pulse width and frequency. The parameters are stored in an address set in a look up table in association with imager identifications.

Abstract: A modular CCD includes a camera head and a camera body. The camera body includes an amplifier, an A/D converter, a D/A converter, a video simulator, a summation circuit and a switch. The switch is used to controllably switch between the output of the camera head and the video simulator output. A system is provided for adjusting the voltage supplied to the switch by the D/A converter to adjust the voltage output of the summation circuit to compensate for the difference between those outputs so that the camera body can accept different camera heads with different gain requirements.

Abstract: A transverse filler for use in a CCD camera eliminates KTC noise even at very fast pixel rates with relatively relaxed constraints on component accuracy and timing control, The circuit includes summation, divider and subtraction circuits which add the plural outputs of a tapped delay line to which a video signal is applied and generate average KTC noise and KTC noise plus signal representations. The output of the circuits is applied to the input of an capacitor and the output of the capacitor is connected to an electronic switch and to a Sample-and-Hold amplifier. The capacitor is operative to subtract the average KTC noise from the average KTC plus Video signal, The circuit is able to run on-board binning and does not have pixel feedthrough problems.

Abstract: The light gathering capability or quantum efficiency of a charge-coupled device is improved by the configuration of the multi-phase gate structure to leave large surface areas of the semiconductor substrate uncovered. Each of the electrodes of the multi-phase gate structure is configured as a series of shallow H-shaped geometries, only the vertical elements of which overlap to ensure that multi-phase operation can be achieved.

Abstract: Large area semiconductor wafers such as CCDs typically have a non-flat profile. A vacuum chuck is used to generate a vacuum under the chip to reduce the curvature to conform to the flat profile of the substrate surface through which the vacuum is generated. Other than flat final profiles are useful also.

Abstract: A system for locating a region of varying density in biological tissue such as a breast includes a controlled x-ray source for directing x-rays through the breast, a phosphor screen positioned to receive x-rays exiting from the tissue and producing light in response thereto, a cooled, slow scan CCD camera, a variable magnification optical system positioned to receive light emitted by the phosphor screen and directing it to the cooled, slow scan CCD camera, a high resolution monitor, and a control system receiving signals from the cooled, slow scan CCD camera and digitizing the signals to produce digital data representative of the densities of various locations of the tissue.

Abstract: A Charge-Coupled Device is operable as an exposuremeter during the normal exposure of the parallel register by switching one of the parallel register gates temporarily back and forth between drive circuitry and a sense amplifier. During the exposure of the CCD to photons, the gate potentials are set so that photonic generated charge is stored under one or more phases. An arbitrary gate in the parallel register, designated the sense gate, is disconnected from a normal gate driver and connected to a high input impedance amplifier. The potential on a gate adjacent to the sense gate is changed so that charge is transferred under the sense gate and back again thus producing a voltage transient which is proportional to the total transferred charge.

Abstract: A CCD imaging device employing a light-gathering, fiber optic bundle is made to exhibit improved spatial and contrast resolution by shaping the face of the smaller of the two faces of the fiber optic bundle to match the curvature found to be present in commercially available CCD's of a size necessary to achieve the resolution required for radiographic imaging.