Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a photonic device comprises a semiconductor substrate including at least one circuit component comprising a metal silicide layer and an overlying layer including at least one photoresponsive component. The metal silicide layer is disposed between the circuit component and the photoresponsive component to prevent entry into the circuit component of light that penetrates the photoresponsive component. The silicide layer advantageously reflects the light back into the photoresponsive element. In addition, the overlying layer can include one or more reflective layers to reduce entry of oblique light into the photoresponsive component. In an advantageous embodiment, the substrate comprises single-crystal silicon including one or more insulated gate field effect transistors (IGFETs), and/or capacitors, and the photoresponsive element comprises germanium and/or germanium alloy epitaxially grown from seeds on the silicon.

Abstract: This invention includes a wettable biomedical device containing a high molecular weight hydrophilic polymer and a hydroxyl-functionalized silicone-containing monomer.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods to recognize features on bottom surfaces of metal containers on a metal container production line, detect defects in the metal containers, and correlate the defects to specific production equipment of the metal container production line, based in part on the recognized features. The system includes imaging apparatus, programmable processing devices, and controllers. The methods include imaging techniques and estimation techniques.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detection of the presence of at least one domain of interest on a macromolecule to test, wherein said method comprises the following steps: a) determining beforehand at least two target regions on the domain of interest, designing and obtaining corresponding labeled probes of each target region, named set of probe of the domain of interest, the position of these probes one compared to the others being chosen and forming the specific signature of said domain of interest on the macromolecule to test; b) after spreading of the macromolecule to test on which the probes obtained in step a) are bound, detection of the position one compared to the others of the probes bound on the linearized macromolecule, the detection of the signature of a domain of interest indicating the presence of said domain of interest on the macromolecule to test, and conversely the absence of detection of signature or part of signature of a domain of interest indicating the absence of said domai

Abstract: A method for digital image eye artifact detection and correction include identifying one or more candidate red-eye defect regions in an acquired image. For one or more candidate red-eye regions, a seed pixels and/or a region of pixels having a high intensity value in the vicinity of the candidate red-eye region is identified. The shape, roundness or other eye-related characteristic of a combined hybrid region including the candidate red-eye region and the region of high intensity pixels is analyzed. Based on the analysis of the eye-related characteristic of the combined hybrid region, it is determined whether to apply flash artifact correction, including red eye correction of the candidate red-eye region and/or correction of the region of high intensity pixels.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention features a method for determining an eyeglass prescription for an eye. The method includes obtaining a measurement of a wavefront indicative of the refractive properties of the eye, establishing an optimization space corresponding to a plurality of possible prescriptions for the eye, determining a value for a merit function for each of the possible prescriptions in the optimization space, where the merit function value corresponds to a visual function of the eye when corrected using the corresponding possible prescription, generating a representation of the merit function values, and outputting the representation to an eye care professional.

Abstract: An optical metrological system having a heat-generating light source coaxially mounted near a heat-sensitive lens. The system uses a temperature sensor to monitor the lens temperature and a heating element to heat the lens such that the lens operating temperature is greater than a maximum operating temperature of the light source in order to stabilize the focal length of the lens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a UV absorbing optical element comprising a polymer optical element substrate, and a UV light absorbing amount of a tris-aryltriazine-based UV absorber incorporated in said substrate. The present invention also provides a method for forming a UV absorbing optical element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical-technical identification device for identifying a sterile product (4, 62, 72, 82), and to a method of identifying such a product, for example a product intended for one-time-use only, when connected to a piece of medical equipment (1, 60, 70, 80), wherein the sterile product (4, 62, 72, 82) includes a fixedly mounted information carrier (9, 63, 73, 83) which is adapted to deliver or to offer specific product information in a contactless fashion to a reading element (12, 64, 74, 84) connected to the equipment (1, 60, 70, 80).

Abstract: A method and system for customizing a flap created from a transparent material compensates for aberrations, particularly higher order aberrations, which are pre-existing or otherwise induced during creation of the flap. Before flap creation, the distorted wavefront of the transparent material is determined and the topology of the transparent material is defined in order to predict contributions likely to be encountered or induced by the stress distribution during creation of the flap. In view of the topology of the transparent material, a prototypic dissection path based on the distorted wavefront is refined to establish a refined dissection path. As a result, the flap is created along the refined dissection path to correct and minimize or eliminate the formation of higher order aberrations.

Abstract: A method for photodisrupting a preselected subsurface volume of corneal tissue to alter a cornea's refractive properties is disclosed. Specifically, at least one stromal volume having a substantially conical shaped surface is photodisrupted. For this purpose, a laser device having a laser source, laser scanner and one or more optical elements is typically used. In one embodiment, a plurality of stromal volumes, with each stromal volume having a substantially conical shaped surface, is sequentially photodisrupted to form a contiguous stromal cavity. In a particular implementation, each conical shaped surface defines a cone axis that is aligned to be co-linear with a reference axis that passes through the anterior surface of the eye and may be aligned orthogonally to the anterior surface of the eye.

Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting and/or signalling device for a motor vehicle for lighting in a longitudinal emission direction. The lighting and/or signalling device has: at least one light source emitting light rays; and at least one light guiding sheet in which the light rays issuing from the light source spread by successive reflections, such that the guide sheet comprises at one end a reflective layer so as to redirect the light rays into the at least one sheet, and in that an output contour the sheet, at the end remote from the reflective layer, comprises a reflective profile, in particular inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of said sheet, so as to reflect the light rays reflected generally in an emission direction which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A method of modeling of the visible world using full-surround image data includes steps for selecting a view point within a p-surface, selecting a direction of view within the p-surface, texture mapping full-surround image data onto the p-surface such that the resultant texture map is substantially equivalent to projecting full-surround image data onto the p-surface from the view point to thereby generate a texture mapped p-surface, and displaying a predetermined portion of the texture mapped p-surface. An apparatus for implementing the method is also described.

Abstract: A valve having a trim comprising a plurality of a vortex flowpaths, each flowpath comprising a central vortex chamber and having three tangential inlet passages is provided. As the fluid flows through the inlet passages and enters the vortex chamber the flows start to turn and impinge upon one another, i.e., the flow entering via inlet passage will impinge upon the flow entering via inlet, the flow entering inlet will impinge on the flow entering inlet and the flow entering inlet will impinge on the flow entering inlet. As the flow entering vortex chamber impinges on another fluid flow as opposed to a wall of the flowpath the vortex can be used to create a flowpath with reduced erosion. The flow from the inlets combine in a radial flow within the vortex chamber and exit via the outlet which is substantially axial to the vortex chamber.

Abstract: A rollable display device (30) is provided with horizontal and vertical selection and detection means for activating a (x-y) coordinate region within a viewing portion (i.e., display area) of the device without requiring direct contact with the display area. The horizontal region may be selected by simply rolling out the display to a desired horizontal position and detecting that position. In various embodiments, the vertical region may be detected by one of button selection means (38), slider control means and touch screen activation means.

Abstract: A digital image acquisition system includes a portable apparatus for capturing digital images and a digital processing component for detecting, analyzing and informing the photographer regarding motion blur, and for reducing camera motion blur in an image captured by the apparatus. The digital processing component operates by comparing the image with at least one other image, for example a preview image, of nominally the same scene taken outside the exposure period of the main image. In one embodiment the digital processing component identifies at least one feature in a single preview image which is relatively less blurred than the corresponding feature in the main image, calculates a point spread function (PSF) in respect of such feature, and de-convolves the main image using the PSF.

Abstract: A method (100) of dispensing an ophthalmic lens for a wearer is disclosed. The method (100) includes measuring (104) the relative location of, and/or relationship between, selected anatomical features of a wearer's head or face to obtain one or more measurement values and processing (106) the one or more measurement values to design and/or select an ophthalmic lens having a shape that depends on the measured values. The ophthalmic lens element is then dispensed to the wearer. A dispensing system (200) is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods for dispensing eyeglasses are disclosed. The methods involve making a subjective refraction and an objective refraction and sending the information to a calculation computer to combine both refractions to calculate the person's prescription. The person's prescription is subsequently sent to a manufacturing location separate from the calculation computer for manufacture of the lenses.

Abstract: Method for hyper-spectral imaging and analysis of a sample of matter, for identifying and characterizing an object of interest therein. Preparing test solution or suspension of the sample, including adding thereto a spectral marker specific to object of interest, such that if object of interest is in test solution or suspension, object of interest becomes a hyper-spectrally active target which is hyper spectrally detectable and identifiable; adding to test solution or suspension a background reducing chemical, for reducing background interfering effects caused by presence of objects of non-interest in test solution or suspension, thereby increasing hyper spectral detectability of hyper spectrally active target in test solution or suspension; generating and collecting hyper-spectral image data and information of test solution or suspension; and, processing and analyzing thereof.