Abstract: A fluid analyzer includes an optical source and an optical detector defining an optical beam path through an interrogation region of a fluid flow cell. Motion control devices determine position of the interrogation region. Flow-control devices conduct analyte and reference fluids and manipulate fluid flow in response to control signals to position a fluid boundary across the interrogation region. A controller (1) generates a time-varying motion modulation signal to move the interrogation region across the fluid boundary, (2) samples an output signal from the optical detector at one time in which the interrogation region contains more analyte fluid than reference fluid and at a time at which the interrogation region contains more reference fluid than analyte fluid, thereby generating corresponding output signal samples, and (3) determines from the output signal samples a measurement value indicative of an optically measured characteristic of the analyte fluid.

Abstract: A tunable laser has a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and generates coherent radiation through a facet. A lens collects the coherent radiation and generates a collimated light beam. Components of an external cavity include a reflective surface and an optical filter, the reflective surface reflecting the collimated beam back to the lens and the laser medium, the optical filter positioned between the reflective surface and the lens and having two surfaces with a thermally tunable optical transmission band within the optical gain region of the laser medium. The optical filter (1) transmits a predominant portion of the collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation, and (2) specularly reflects a remaining portion of the collimated beam from each surface, the collimated beam being incident on the optical filter such that the reflected collimated beams propagate at a non-zero angle with respect to the incident collimated beam.

Abstract: An imaging device and system include integration of an imaging camera (visible-light or near-infrared) with a thermal infrared sensor, capturing a baseline image from this camera simultaneously with acquisition of baseline thermal infrared data, which may correspond to a known good condition or part, automatic generation of an edge version of the baseline image for use as an alignment template, and on subsequent thermal infrared inspections, superposition of the alignment template on a live video image from the visible camera, so as to facilitate highly repeatable alignment of the thermal infrared sensor to an object being inspected.

Abstract: A tunable laser has a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and generates coherent radiation through a facet. A lens collects the coherent radiation and generates a collimated light beam. Components of an external cavity include a reflective surface and an optical filter, the reflective surface reflecting the collimated beam back to the lens and the laser medium, the optical filter positioned between the reflective surface and the lens and having two surfaces with a thermally tunable optical transmission band within the optical gain region of the laser medium. The optical filter (1) transmits a predominant portion of the collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation, and (2) specularly reflects a remaining portion of the collimated beam from each surface, the collimated beam being incident on the optical filter such that the reflected collimated beams propagate at a non-zero angle with respect to the incident collimated beam.

Abstract: An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user.

Abstract: An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user.

Abstract: An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user.

Abstract: An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user.

Abstract: An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user.

Abstract: A video system includes first and second sensors generating respective primary and secondary video sequences of images of a scene. The first sensor is responsive to thermal infrared (IR) energy, and the second sensor is responsive to shorter-wavelength optical energy in a range from visible to near-IR wavelengths. The sensors are temporally and spatially registered. A motion estimation module generates an estimated motion vector field from the secondary video sequence, and a motion-based image processor applies one or more image-enhancement operations to the primary video sequence based on the estimated motion vector field.

Abstract: An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user.

Abstract: A thermal imaging device including: a substrate; and an array of thermally tunable pixel elements for generating a thermal image, each thermally tunable pixel element including: a plurality of thermally tunable filter islands, each of which has a thermally tunable optical filter, wherein each of the plurality of tunable filter islands within that pixel element is thermally isolated from the other tunable filter islands within that tunable pixel element; an absorption structure for absorbing incident optical thermal energy; and a mechanical structure supporting the plurality of tunable filter islands and the absorption structure on the substrate.

Abstract: A thermo-optic system, which may be used for example in thermal imaging, includes an array of optical elements each having a thermally responsive optical property, the optical elements including signal elements and reference elements configured to provide (1) a common-mode response of the optical property to ambient temperature and (2) a differential-mode response of the optical property to a thermal signal appearing across the array of optical elements. The system also includes an optical readout subsystem configured to (1) illuminate the array of optical elements with optical energy at a readout wavelength corresponding to the optical property so as to generate a composite optical signal having common-mode and differential-mode signal components corresponding to the common-mode and differential-mode responses respectively of the signal and reference elements, and (2) filter the composite optical signal to generate a filtered optical signal being substantially the differential-mode image component.

Abstract: A thin-film interference filter structure has a generally wavelength-dependent resonant response to incident optical energy in a predetermined range of wavelengths. The thin-film interference filter structure includes a thermally tunable layer having a thermally tunable optical characteristic such that a range of wavelength-dependent resonant optical responses of the thermally tunable layer are induced by a corresponding range of thermal conditions of the thermally tunable layer. The thin-film interference filter structure is configured to (1) receive a spatially varying pattern of thermal energy at the thermally tunable layer to impart a corresponding spatially varying pattern to the thermally tunable characteristic of the thermally tunable layer, and (2) receive the incident optical energy into the thermally tunable layer and output optical energy having spatial modulation corresponding to the spatially varying pattern of the thermally tunable characteristic.

Abstract: A thin-film interference filter structure has a generally wavelength-dependent resonant response to incident optical energy in a predetermined range of wavelengths. The thin-film interference filter structure includes a thermally tunable layer having a thermally tunable optical characteristic such that a range of wavelength-dependent resonant optical responses of the thermally tunable layer are induced by a corresponding range of thermal conditions of the thermally tunable layer. The thin-film interference filter structure is configured to (1) receive a spatially varying pattern of thermal energy at the thermally tunable layer to impart a corresponding spatially varying pattern to the thermally tunable characteristic of the thermally tunable layer, and (2) receive the incident optical energy into the thermally tunable layer and output optical energy having spatial modulation corresponding to the spatially varying pattern of the thermally tunable characteristic.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a thin-film interference filter structure having a generally wavelength-dependent resonant response to incident optical energy in a predetermined range of wavelengths. The thin-film interference filter structure includes a thermally tunable layer having a thermally tunable optical characteristic such that a range of wavelength-dependent resonant optical responses of the thermally tunable layer are induced by a corresponding range of thermal conditions of the thermally tunable layer. The thin-film interference filter structure is configured to (1) receive a spatially varying pattern of thermal energy at the thermally tunable layer to impart a corresponding spatially varying pattern to the thermally tunable characteristic of the thermally tunable layer, and (2) receive the incident optical energy into the thermally tunable layer and output optical energy having spatial modulation corresponding to the spatially varying pattern of the thermally tunable characteristic.

Abstract: A thermal imaging device including: a substrate; and an array of thermally tunable pixel elements for generating a thermal image, each thermally tunable pixel element including: a plurality of thermally tunable filter islands, each of which has a thermally tunable optical filter, wherein each of the plurality of tunable filter islands within that pixel element is thermally isolated from the other tunable filter islands within that tunable pixel element; an absorption structure for absorbing incident optical thermal energy; and a mechanical structure supporting the plurality of tunable filter islands and the absorption structure on the substrate.

Abstract: A thermally tunable pixel element includes a substrate; a thermally tunable filter island; a thermal absorption structure in direct thermal contact with and extending beyond the thermally tunable filter island; and a thermal isolation structure providing a thermally isolating path between the thermal absorption structure and the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a thin-film interference filter structure having a generally wavelength-dependent resonant response to incident optical energy in a predetermined range of wavelengths. The thin-film interference filter structure includes a thermally tunable layer having a thermally tunable optical characteristic such that a range of wavelength-dependent resonant optical responses of the thermally tunable layer are induced by a corresponding range of thermal conditions of the thermally tunable layer. The thin-film interference filter structure is configured to (1) receive a spatially varying pattern of thermal energy at the thermally tunable layer to impart a corresponding spatially varying pattern to the thermally tunable characteristic of the thermally tunable layer, and (2) receive the incident optical energy into the thermally tunable layer and output optical energy having spatial modulation corresponding to the spatially varying pattern of the thermally tunable characteristic.

Abstract: A thermo-optic system, which may be used for example in thermal imaging, includes an array of optical elements each having a thermally responsive optical property, the optical elements including signal elements and reference elements configured to provide (1) a common-mode response of the optical property to ambient temperature and (2) a differential-mode response of the optical property to a thermal signal appearing across the array of optical elements. The system also includes an optical readout subsystem configured to (1) illuminate the array of optical elements with optical energy at a readout wavelength corresponding to the optical property so as to generate a composite optical signal having common-mode and differential-mode signal components corresponding to the common-mode and differential-mode responses respectively of the signal and reference elements, and (2) filter the composite optical signal to generate a filtered optical signal being substantially the differential-mode image component.