Abstract: A well logging scintillation detector has a gamma ray detector crystal with a window at one end and a single or multi-layer cladding surrounding the remainder of the crystal, with a reflective layer surrounding the cladding. The reflective layer, which may be a thin, high reflective metallic layer or reflective particles in a resin matrix, is surrounded by an elastomer with reflective particles which is surrounded by a casing which is a metal. The casing is surrounded by one or more outer casings, which are separated from each other by elastomeric members. A resilient base is formed opposite the window. The window has a flat glass plate connected to the crystal with an optical coupler, and a clear elastomer optically coupled to the plate. A larger plate is optically coupled to the elastomer, and the larger plate is sealed to one or more of the outer casings by inter-fitted corrugated rings of glass and metal which entrap epoxy, which fills the corrugations.

Abstract: An image capture panel includes a substrate layer of dielectric material having a top surface and a bottom surface. A plurality of sensors is arrayed in a matrix of rows and columns adjacent the top surface of the substrate layer. Each of the sensors has a switching device and a sensing element. A portion of the sensing element are really covers the switching device so as to be substantially coextensive therewith. Prefereably, the sensing element also extends over at least a part of the horizontal spacing and/or the vertical spacing which separates, respectively, each row of sensors and each column of sensors.

Abstract: A spectroscopy device comprises a laser diode/lens assembly driven by a periodic stepped laser diode drive current. Each period of the stepped laser diode drive current has a plurality of constant current intervals: a left baseline interval, a left skirt interval, a peak interval, a right skirt interval, and a right baseline interval. The left and right skirt constant current intervals are used to lock the laser radiation emitted during the peak interval onto a preselected absorption line. The left and right skirt intervals are also used to obtain a value indicative of line width. The peak interval is used to obtain a value indicative of peak absorbance. Multiplying the peak and line width values together yields a value indicative of a gas concentration which is substantially independent of foreign gas line-broadening effects.

Abstract: A multiple angle and redundant visibility sensor includes a plurality of optical transmitter/receiver pairs, each pair cooperatively coupled so as to transmit and receive in conically controlled beams along a common optical axis such that each transmitter faces, and directs optical energy directly into, its receiver pair. The plurality of pairs are staggered in angular orientation with respect to each other, with a common volume of intersection through which the approximate center of each optical axis passes. Each transmitter propagates a substantially conical beam of light which passes through an aerosol media which causes molecular scattering of the light. A single transmitter outputs optical energy at any given time, and the receiver intercept the appropriate scattered energy at different scattering angles depending on the relative axial orientation with respect to the scattering volume and the incident radiation.

Abstract: A card issuing apparatus comprising a convey path for a card, a conveying section for moving the card along the convey path, a magnetic card reading/writing device and a thermal printer which are arranged on the convey path and sequentially subject the card to magnetical recording and printing, respectively. The card issuing apparatus further comprises a main processor connected to receive boarding information, for converting the boarding information into control data for the magnetical recording and the printing, a memory section for storing the control data supplied from the main processor, and a sub-processor for causing each of the magnetic card reading/writing device and the thermal printer to process the card according to corresponding control data stored in the memory section while the card passes through the magnetic card reading/writing device and the thermal printer.

Abstract: An interferometric-based pressure transducer is fabricated from two layers of silicon having different crystal orientations which have been processed using selective anisotropic etching to produce in one silicon layer a mirror surface and a groove that is aligned with the mirror, and a pressure-responsive membrane in the other layer. The layers are joined with the membrane opposite the mirror, and an optical fiber is secured in the groove so that light from the optical fiber is conveyed by the mirror surface between the membrane and the optical fiber. Conventional interferometric apparatus compares transmitted and received light in order to sense deformation of the membrane and thereby sense pressure.

Abstract: An interferometer modulator (10) has a housing (12) that encloses a moving mirror (14) attached to a mirror arm (18) which is suspended by links (34, 36) from the housing (12). The links (34, 36) are attached to the mirror arm (18) at swinging pivots (42, 44) and are attached to the housing (12) at fixed pivots (46, 48). One of the fixed pivots (46) is mounted within an adjustable block (68) the position of which may be adjusted by the turning of adjust screws (82, 76). Turning of one of the adjust screws (82) adjusts the distance between the fixed pivots (46, 48) to match the distance of the swinging pivots (42, 44), thus correcting for vertical tilt. Turning of the second of the adjust screws (76) compensates for any angular differences that would prevent the links (34, 36) from moving in the same plane of motion, thus correcting for horizontal tilt.

Abstract: A system for measurement of a distance to a target. Light is emitted from a multi-mode laser and coupled to a sensor assembly. A portion of the light at the sensor assembly is reflected back into the fiber optic cable from which it came. The other portion of the light from the sensor assembly is projected towards the target. Light is reflected from the target and also connected into the optical cable as a target beam. The target beam and the reference beam then are connected through a path of variable length. When the target beam and the reference beam interface with one another, the path length is determined to be equal to the length to the target.

Abstract: A laser pulse train jitter measuring device includes a first optical path having a length set at a first value or a second value and a second optical path having a length variable between a first value and a second value. A laser beam is split into a first beam directed to the first optical path and a second beam directed to the second optical path. The split beams are recombined into a correlated beam and recorded as visible images so that jitter in the laser beam can be detected from the differences in the recordings when the first optical path has its first length while the second optical path is varied between the first value and the second value from when the first optical path has its second length while the second optical path is varied between the first value and the second value.

Abstract: A well logging system and method involves the use of a well logging tool in a borehole traversing an earth formation which includes a pulsed neutron generator periodically bombarding the earth formation with neutrons. A scintillation-type detector detects gamma radiation from the earth formation and provides electrical data pulses corresponding in pulse height and frequency to the detected gamma radiation. Another circuit provides synchronization/stabilization pulses which are time related to the neutron bombardments of the formation. A cable conducts the data pulses and the synchronization/stabilization pulses uphole to surface electronics. A receiver with surface electronics processes the pulses and provides them to a gate circuit which passes or blocks the data pulses and the synchronization/stabilization pulses in accordance with a gate signal. The passed pulses are provided to a pulse height analyzer.