Abstract: An apparatus for determining the shape of a gemstone, including irregularities on its surface, is provided, The apparatus comprises a platform adapted to support the gemstone, a scanning system adapted to provide geometrical information concerning the three-dimensional convex envelope of the gemstone, an illumination system adapted to project on the gemstone a plurality of laser beams, an imaging system adapted to capture reflections of at least a part of said laser beams from the surface of the gemstone, and a processor. The processor is adapted to calculate, based on said geometrical information, a predicted reflection of each laser beam, to compare the captured reflections with said predicted reflections and to relate each captured reflection to its corresponding predicted reflection, to determine said shape of the gemstone based on the comparison and said geometrical information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-contact/non-destructive method and apparatus for measuring the thickness of an ophthalmic lens. The present invention also provides a method for inspecting or measuring the base curve of a lens.

Abstract: A system for performing nanostructure-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (NERS) includes a radiation source, a radiation detector configured to detect Raman scattered radiation scattered by an analyte, and a container configured to provide a sealed enclosure. The NERS system further includes a turbulence generating device configured to generate random dynamic motion of a plurality of nanoparticles within the container. A method for performing NERS includes providing a container configured to provide a sealed enclosure, providing a plurality of nanoparticles each comprising a NERS-active material and an analyte within the container, causing random dynamic motion of the plurality of nanoparticles and the analyte, irradiating the plurality of nanoparticles and the analyte with radiation, and detecting Raman scattered radiation scattered by the analyte.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a spectrometer in which the electrical and optical components are connected to one another in a compact construction. A minimal expenditure on assembly and adjustment is achieved through a small quantity of individual parts. The compact spectrometer comprises an entrance slit, an imaging grating, one or more detector elements in rows or matrices, and elements of a controlling and evaluating unit. The detector elements and the entrance slit are arranged on a shared support, the elements of the controlling and evaluating unit being arranged on the free surfaces of the support. The entrance slit and the detector elements and the imaging spherical grating recessed into the spectrometer housing are arranged symmetric to an imaginary center axis of the support. Due to its compact size and the minimized expenditure on adjustment and assembly for its manufacture, the inventive spectrometer has numerous applications.

Abstract: A light scanning type confocal microscope includes a light source unit that projects an excitation light beam, a scanning optical system that scans the excitation light beam, an objective lens that applies the excitation light beam to a sample, a separation optical element that separates the excitation light and detection light generated by the sample, a confocal detection unit that obtains a confocal effect, and a spectral detection device that spectrally detects the detection light. The spectral detection device has a spectroscopic element that spectrally separates the detection light, a light extracting unit that extracts light in a wavelength band from the light spectrally separated by the spectroscopic element, a detector that detects the light extracted by the light extracting unit, and a wavelength band shifting unit that shifts a wavelength band of light to be extracted by the light extracting unit.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the use of a light absorbing wall material to eliminate stray light paths in light-guiding structures, such as those used for HPLC absorbance detection. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of carbon-doped Teflon® AF, or “black Teflon® AF,” for all or part of the walls of a light-guiding flowcell adapted for use in HPLC absorbance detection.

Abstract: A lateral flow device is disclosed. The lateral flow device includes a substrate having a flow path and a detection zone disposed along the flow path. The detection zone includes an immobilized target-binding moiety directed against a target of a Raman-active complex. A portion of the detection zone has a dimension that is less than another dimension of the lateral flow device upflow from the detection zone or a first region of the detection zone has a chemical difference from a second region of the detection zone. Also disclosed are methods of conducting a lateral flow assay and methods of making a lateral flow device.

Abstract: A spectrophotometer having an optical system for directing a beam of substantially monochromatic excitation light to a liquid sample contained in a well (3) of a well plate for interaction with the sample for absorption or emission measurements to analyse the sample. The optical system includes two apertures (46, 28) for establishing a Kohler illumination region outside the well, that is an excitation beam region between conjugate images (18, 21) of the two apertures. This excitation beam region is then demagnified and imaged (10, 9) into the well (3). The invention provides for the shape of the Kohler illumination region to correspond to the shape of the well space so that all of the liquid sample is uniformly illuminated without the well obstructing any portion of the illuminating excitation beam of light.

Abstract: A laser remote sensing apparatus comprises a laser to provide collimated excitation light at a wavelength; a sensing optic, comprising at least one optical element having a front receiving surface to focus the received excitation light onto a back surface comprising a target sample and wherein the target sample emits a return light signal that is recollimated by the front receiving surface; a telescope for collecting the recollimated return light signal from the sensing optic; and a detector for detecting and spectrally resolving the return light signal. The back surface further can comprise a substrate that absorbs the target sample from an environment. For example the substrate can be a SERS substrate comprising a roughened metal surface. The return light signal can be a surface-enhanced Raman signal or laser-induced fluorescence signal. For fluorescence applications, the return signal can be enhanced by about 105, solely due to recollimation of the fluorescence return signal.

Abstract: An output current from each pixel sensor can be extracted at an arbitrary ratio by a current divider. An arithmetic control unit sets the dividing ratio in correspondence to a color matching function. The current components are added together by a summing amplifier so that a signal corresponding to a tristimulus value is composed and then converted into a digital signal. That is, weighting by weight factors corresponding to color matching functions of CIE 2-degree observer is performed in a stage of analog signal processing.

Abstract: Planar waveguide based grating devices and spectrometers, for species-specific wavelength detection for example, are disclosed. A planar waveguide spectrometer apparatus may have a microfluidic channel or compartment microfabricated integrally with a planar waveguide or hybrid assembled with the planar waveguide and optically coupled thereto. The planar waveguide may also include a thin planar substrate which is made of a transparent waveguiding optical material and has a planar multilayer, one or more input waveguides, a waveguide-based spectrometer, and one or more output waveguides integrally formed thereon. An apparatus which incorporates a planar waveguide, a diffractive construct for diffracting light through the planar waveguide onto a curved image surface, and a plurality of output waveguides emanating from the curved image surface at locations selected to extract predetermined wavelengths or wavelength ranges, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and a method for setting a fluorescence spectrum measurement system for microscopy is disclosed. Using illuminating light (3) from at least one laser that emits light of one wavelength, a continuous wavelength region is generated. Dyes are stored, with the pertinent excitation and emission spectra, in a database of a computer system (23). For each dye present in the specimen (15), a band of the illuminating light (3) and a band of the detected light (17) are calculated, the excitation and emission spectra read out from the database being employed. Setting of the calculated band in the illuminating light and in the detected light is performed on the basis of the calculation. Lastly, data acquisition is accomplished with the spectral microscope (100).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising illuminating a microstructured prism, or linear array of prisms of a prism sheet with an incident beam. The method further comprises making measurements of the refracted image of the beam on a measuring device to measure the distance disposed on an opposing side of the prism sheet from the side that the light beam is incident upon. Measurement of two angles of the refracted images of the beam on the ruled scale, measured twice, illuminating the sample at different angles are used in an equation to simultaneously provide the apex angle, the skew angle and the refractive index of the prism sheet.

Abstract: Wavelength-tunable radiation amplifying structures for Raman spectroscopy are disclosed that include resonant cavities having Raman signal-enhancing structures disposed therein. Systems that include the amplifying structures and methods of performing spectroscopic analysis using the structures and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods are provided for detecting compression wood, blue stain, or pitch in lumber. A light beam is projected towards the wood sample. Line or area cameras acquire images of light that is reflected from the wood sample. Based on the intensity of the reflected light at one or more locations on the wood sample, compression wood, blue stain, or pitch may be detected.

Abstract: Described is a dark-field imaging device for the spatially resolved dark-field imaging of a sample (60), especially a fluorescent sample, comprising, for the illumination of the sample with excitation light, an illumination assembly (20) comprising a grid (22) of individually addressable light sources (24), wherein the lines connecting the light sources and the sample define a region (64) with the optical path of the direct excitation light and a region (66) with the optical path of the specular reflected excitation light, and a detection assembly (30) for the detection, with radiation-receiving elements (34), of the radiation emitted by the sample (60) as an optical response to the illumination, wherein the radiation-receiving elements (34) of the detection assembly (30) are disposed outside the region (64) with the optical path of the direct excitation light and the region (66) with the optical path of the specular reflected excitation light.

Abstract: An apparatus images a surface. An imager stage linearly translates the surface in a first direction. A light path has a first end defining an input aperture perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the surface, and a second end defining an output aperture. A plurality of radiation beams linearly scan and interact in time-multiplexed alternating turns with the surface below the input aperture to produce a time-multiplexed light signal that is collected by the input aperture and transmitted by the light path to the output aperture. A photodetector arrangement detects the light signal at the output aperture. A processor processes the detected time-multiplexed light.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the eccentricity of the aspherical surface has a light source unit; a condenser lens condensing light rays in the proximity of the center of paraxial curvature of a surface to be examined, of an aspherical lens; an angle changing means for entering the rays on the surface to be examined, at angles ?1i (i=1, 2, . . . , N) with an optical axis; a holding tool of the aspherical lens; a light-splitting element; an imaging lens; a light-detecting element detecting the situation of light collected by the imaging lens; and an arithmetical unit. The arithmetical unit is such as to calculate the amount of eccentricity of the surface to be examined, from amounts of shift ?P1i (i=1, 2, . . . , N) between spot positions P1i (i=1, 2, . . . , N) based on the design data of the surface to be examined and spot positions P1mi (i=1, 2, . . . , N) derived from the light-detecting element, with respect to light rays Q1i (i=1, 2, . . . , N) produced by the angle changing means.

Abstract: A system and method of inspecting a semiconductor wafer that may be employed to detect and to characterize defects occurring on an edge of the wafer. The wafer inspection system includes an optical module for providing a light source to scan the wafer edge, a light channel detector for detecting light reflected from the wafer edge, and a processor and memory for converting detected signals to digital form, and for filtering and processing the digital data. The module includes a wafer edge scanning mechanism for projecting a collimated laser beam toward the wafer edge at a predetermined angle of incidence to scan the wafer edge for defects. The light channel detector detects light reflected from the wafer edge to obtain wafer edge data, which are applied to thresholds to determine the location of defects in the wafer edge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for analyzing biological samples. The apparatus, systems, and methods can involve using a vacuum source to pull microfluidic volumes through analytical equipment, such as flow cells and the like. Additionally, the invention involves using optical equipment in conjunction with the analytical equipment to analyze samples and control the operation thereof.