Abstract: A seed sorter system is operable to sort seeds based on one or more characteristics of the seeds. The system includes a seed loading station operable to isolate individual seeds from a plurality of seeds and load the isolated seeds into a seed tray, an imaging and analysis subsystem operable to collect image data of at least a top portion and a bottom portion of each of the seeds in the seed tray and determine one or more characteristics of each of the seeds, a seed off-load and sort station operable to remove the seeds from the seed tray and sort the seeds to desired receptacles based on the determined one or more characteristics of the seeds, and a seed transport operable to move the seed tray between the seed loading station, the imaging and analysis subsystem, and the seed off-load and sort station.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inspection device for monitoring containers, particularly bottles, comprising at least one transport path for supplying and removing the containers, a lighting unit, and optical measuring unit, and a control unit, wherein the lighting unit is surrounded by a transparent hollow body mounted in a rotatable fashion about the central axis, and the hollow body may be driven by a motor, either directly or via appropriate operative connections. Ideally, the hollow body is a tube made of a material or mixture of materials that is transparent to rays in the optically visible wavelength range, in the infrared range, and/or in the ultraviolet range, wherein the material is at least partially transparent to said rays.

Abstract: An illumination device for providing near isotropic illumination, and particularly an illumination system for detecting the defect in a transparent substrate and a detection system including the same are presented. An illumination system includes: an illumination system for detecting the defect in a transparent substrate, including light source receptacle in bar shape; first spot light sources, each emitting a respective first light, the respective first lights being substantially parallel to each other and the first spot light sources being arranged to a first line of spot light sources along the longitudinal direction of the receptacle; and second spot light sources, each emitting a respective second light, the respective second lights being substantially parallel to each other and the second spot light sources being arranged to a second line of spot light sources along the longitudinal direction of the receptacle.

Abstract: A gas detector including: an assembly of two coaxial parabolic reflective caps having opposite concavities, and a wafer arranged in the focal plane of the two caps, at the center of this focal plane, comprising, back-to-back: a diverging light emitter directed towards the first cap and a light receiver directed towards the second cap, wherein the two caps are distant substantially by the sum of their focal distances plus the thickness of the wafer.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system for detecting an agent includes a resonator device configured to receive an agent. The resonator device is also configured to transmit light received from a light source, the transmitted light having an altered peak wavelength due to the presence of the received agent. The system further includes a filter device configured to filter the transmitted light having the altered peak wavelength such that the transmitted light having the altered peak wavelength does not reach one or more detectors of a detector array configured to receive transmitted light not filtered by the filter device. The system further includes a processing system operable to determine that the one or more detectors of the detector array are not generating a signal, the absence of the signal being generated by the one or more detectors of the detector array indicating the presence of the agent.

Abstract: The invention encompasses analyzers and analyzer systems that include a single molecule analyzer, methods of using the analyzer and analyzer systems to analyze samples, either for single molecules or for molecular complexes. The single molecule uses electromagnetic radiation that is translated through the sample to detect the presence or absence of a single molecule. The single molecule analyzer provided herein is useful for diagnostics because the analyzer detects single molecules with zero carryover between samples.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an accommodating device for a dispensing or infusion device, comprising: a displaceable element which is displaced within the accommodating device when a cartridge is inserted into the accommodating device; and at least one sensor which can detect the presence or absence of the displaceable element or a detection element disposed on or in the displaceable element.

Abstract: A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and depth data for each point in the array, thereby providing a three-dimensional color virtual model of the surface of the structure. A corresponding method for determining the surface topology and associate color of a structure is also provided.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus of measuring a position of a particle in a flow are disclosed. An embodiment of the method comprises temporally modulating and spatially pattering an illumination beam propagating along a first dimension, passing a particle across the modulated illumination beam, detecting a temporal profile of scattered light produced by the particle's passing through the modulated illumination beam, and determining the position of the particle based, in part, on the temporal profile of the detected scattered light.

Abstract: A method of assessing a model of a substrate is presented. A scatterometry measurement is taken using radiation at a first wavelength. The wavelength of the radiation is then changed and a further scatterometry measurement taken. If the scatterometry measurements are consistent across a range of wavelengths then the model is sufficiently accurate. However, if the scatterometry measurements change as the wavelength changes then the model of the substrate is not sufficiently accurate.

Abstract: Method and apparatus (1a) for optical detection of the position of large-area printed products (10). The apparatus (1a) has conveyance means (2a) for movement of the printed products (10) along a conveyor path (4) past at least one contrasting light source (30), and at least one optical sensor (16). The conveyance means (2, 2a), the contrasting light source (30) and optical sensor (16) are arranged such that the printed products (10) can be conveyed between the contrasting light source (30) and the optical sensor (16).

Abstract: Herein are disclosed optoelectronic methods and devices for detecting the presence of an analyte. Such methods and devices may comprise at least one sensing element that is responsive to the presence of an analyte of interest and that may be interrogated optically by the use of at least one light source and at least one light detector.

Abstract: An optical position-measuring device for detecting the position of two objects movable relative to each other in at least one measuring direction includes a measuring standard which is joined to one of the two objects and possesses an incremental graduation extending in the measuring direction, as well as at least one reference marking at a reference position. The reference marking includes two reference-marking subfields disposed in mirror symmetry with respect to a reference-marking axis of symmetry, each of the subfields being made up of a structure extending in the measuring direction and having a locally changeable graduation period. In addition, the position-measuring device has a scanning unit which is joined to the other of the two objects and to which a scanning device is assigned that is used to generate at least one reference signal at the reference position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a surface sensing apparatus, one embodiment having a source of coherent radiation capable of outputting wavelength emissions to create a first illumination state to illuminate a surface and create a first speckle pattern, an emission deviation facility capable of influencing the emission to illuminate the surface and create a second illumination state and a second speckle pattern, and a sensor capable of sensing a representation of the first and a second speckle intensity from the first and second speckle pattern. Also disclosed are methods of sensing properties of the surface, one embodiment comprising the steps of illuminating the surface having a first surface state with the source of coherent radiation emission, sensing a first speckle intensity from the surface, influencing a relationship of the surface to the emission to create a second surface state and sensing a second speckle intensity from the surface at the second surface state.

Abstract: A method of measuring attitude angles of a tongue of a head suspension, the tongue including a fitting face on which a plurality of electrodes are arranged, emits a single collimated laser beam to an area of a fitting face containing at least two of electrodes, detects a reflected beam from the fitting face, extracts electrode reflective components corresponding to the electrodes from the reflected beam, and according to the electrode reflective components, measures the attitude angles of the tongue.

Abstract: A device for optical measurement of materials includes a zone opposite a dot including a material, a light source emitting light along an axis in the direction of the zone, where the material interacts with the light it receives, and a light guide to convey a proportion of the light emitted by the dot under the effect of the illumination. The guide includes a light scatterer associated with the source and causing a proportion of the light emitted by the dot to penetrate into the guide, such that it is guided in a direction perpendicular to the axis; the scatterer is annular in shape, and thus delimits a zone of the light guide, and the area of the zone is greater than or equal to the area of the cross-section of the portion of light beam incident to the material.

Abstract: A mechanism for providing thermal compensation when measuring surface topography at an elevated temperature using a non-contact vibration transducer, such as a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). Thermal compensation is provided to a detector output signal to correct for thermal diffraction of a reflected portion of a beam of radiant energy directed at a surface of a test object. The thermal compensation is based on a calculated deviation between the detector output signal r2 at an elevated temperature and the detector output signal r1 at approximately room temperature.

Abstract: A system and method for detection and identification of unknown samples using a combination of Raman and LIBS detection techniques. A first region of a sample and a second region of a sample are illuminated using structured illumination to thereby generate a first plurality of interacted photons and a second plurality of interacted photons. This first plurality and second plurality of interacted photons may be passed through a fiber array spectral translator device. Said first plurality of interacted photons are assessed using Raman spectroscopy to thereby generate a Raman data set. Said second plurality of interacted photons are assessed using LIBS spectroscopy to thereby generate LIBS data set. These data sets may be analyzed to identify the sample. These data sets may also be fused for further analysis.

Abstract: A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and depth data for each point in the array, thereby providing a three-dimensional color virtual model of the surface of the structure. A corresponding method for determining the surface topology and associate color of a structure is also provided.

Abstract: An offset amount calibrating method that obtains the offset amount between a contact-type detector and an image probe for a surface profile measuring machine is provided. The method includes: setting on a stage a calibration jig that has a surface being provided with a lattice pattern with a level difference; measuring the lattice pattern of the calibration jig by the contact-type detector to obtain a first reference position of the lattice pattern; capturing the image of the lattice pattern of the calibration jig by the image probe to obtain a second reference position of the lattice pattern; and obtaining the offset amount from a difference between the first and second reference positions.