Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for characterizing optical filters in a flow cytometer and optionally checking the operation of detectors in the flow cytometer. In some embodiments, the system may utilize an LED board having an opening through which the fluorescence and side scatter beams, rays, or images pass and light emitting diodes around the opening that emit light having different spectral profiles. The different spectral profiles allow the system to identify the optical filters that are placed in the flow cytometer, to verify detector operation, to assist in instrumentation troubleshooting, and to provide a quantitative reference for detector comparison.

Abstract: Method of characterizing particles suspended in a fluid dispersant by light diffraction, comprising: obtaining measurement data from a detector element, the detector element being arranged to measure the intensity of scattered light; identifying a measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant; processing the measurement data to remove or separate the measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant; calculating a particle size distribution from the processed measurement. The detector element is one of a plurality of detector elements from which the measurement data is obtained. The detector elements are arranged to measure the intensity of scattered light at a plurality of scattering angles, the plurality of scattering angles distributed over a plurality of angles about an illumination axis.

Abstract: A water quality sensor includes a housing including a light transmissive bucket mounted in an electrical washing appliance and a light transmissive inner barrel mounted in the bucket, an actuation module mounted in the inner barrel for detecting a water quality of a washing solution in the electrical washing appliance. Thus, if the bucket is cracked during manufacturing or due to a collision, the actuation module can still be well protected by the inner barrel, so that the washing solution in the electrical washing machine does not directly flow into and contact with the actuation module to cause an accidental short circuit of the circuit substrate of the actuation module, improving the water resistance and service life of the water quality sensor.

Abstract: An illumination device and method including multiple illumination sources such as LEDs, lasing diodes or the like operatively connected to a multi-branch light guide adapted to collect and co-align beams from the illumination sources for delivery of high intensity, spatially uniform illumination.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optical crosstalk reduction in particle processing (e.g., cytometry including flow cytometry using microfluidic based sorters, drop formation based sorters, and/or cell purification) systems and methods in order to improve performance. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to assemblies, systems and methods for minimizing optical crosstalk during the analyzing, sorting, and/or processing (e.g., purifying, measuring, isolating, detecting, monitoring and/or enriching) of particles (e.g., cells, microscopic particles, etc.). The exemplary systems and methods for crosstalk reduction in particle processing systems (e.g., cell purification systems) may be particularly useful in the area of cellular medicine or the like. The systems and methods may be modular and used singly or in combination to optimize cell purification based on the crosstalk environment and specific requirements of the operator and/or system.

Abstract: Object: An object is to quantify the roughness of a test surface by scattering and diffraction of illumination light and to evaluate the matching degree of surface roughness separately from color based on a difference in roughness. Solution to Problem A surface roughness determination apparatus 1 using a white light source includes an arithmetic processing unit 3 configured to convert 3-band visual sensitivity images S1i, S2i and S3i, which respectively have three spectral sensitivities (S1(?), S2(?) and S3(?)) subjected to linear transformation so as to be equivalent to a CIE XYZ color matching function and are obtained from a surface 5 by a two-dimensional colorimeter 2 using the three spectral sensitivities (S1(?), S2(?) and S3(?)), into tristimulus values X, Y and Z in a CIE XYZ color system and perform arithmetic operations.

Abstract: A particle detector, e.g. a smoke detector is described. In one form the detector includes a detection chamber and radiation source emitting a single beam of radiation. The detector also includes a radiation receiving system and an imaging system arranged to receive radiation from a common region of interest. Methods and systems for analyzing the output of a particle detector are also disclosed.

Abstract: Sample monitoring and flow control systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring of airborne particulates. A system may include a particle collection filter. The system also includes a fluid moving device for moving a sample through the particle collection filter. Further, the system includes a light source configured to direct irradiating light towards the particle collection filter. The system also includes a light detector positioned to receive the irradiating light passing through the particle collection filter and configured to generate a signal representative of an amount of the received light. Further, the system includes a controller configured to receive the signal and to control the fluid moving device based on the amount of the received light.

Abstract: An object is to provide a method and apparatus for measuring a surface profile that enable correction or the like of the surface profile through measuring the surface profile of a semiconductor layer when forming the semiconductor layer by a vapor deposition method. A single laser beam is reflected by a movable mirror to generate incident laser beams (Ld1, Ld2 and Ld3) separated substantially into three beams, and incident points (P1, P2 and P3) on the surface of a semiconductor layer (7) being formed in a chamber (2) are irradiated with the incident laser beams (Ld1, Ld2 and Ld3). A beam position sensor detects reflected laser beams (Lv1, Lv2 and Lv3) from the irradiation points (P1, P2 and P3) thereby to measure the surface profile of a film that includes the incident points (P1, P2 and P3).

Abstract: A synthetic quartz glass substrate having front and back surfaces is worked by lapping, etching, mirror polishing, and cleaning steps for thereby polishing the front surface of the substrate to a mirror-like surface. The etching step is carried out using a hydrofluoric acid solution at pH 4-7.

Abstract: An illuminator/collector assembly can deliver incident light to a sample and collect return light returning from the sample. A sensor can measure ray intensities as a function of ray position and ray angle for the collected return light. A ray selector can select a first subset of rays from the collected return light at the sensor that meet a first selection criterion. In some examples, the ray selector can aggregate ray intensities into bins, each bin corresponding to rays in the collected return light that traverse within the sample an estimated optical path length within a respective range of optical path lengths. A characterizer can determine a physical property of the sample, such as absorptivity, based on the ray intensities, ray positions, and ray angles for the first subset of rays. Accounting for variations in optical path length traversed within the sample can improve accuracy.

Abstract: A spectroscopic scatterometer detects both zero order and higher order radiation diffracted from an illuminated spot on a target grating. The apparatus forms and detects a spectrum of zero order (reflected) radiation, and separately forms and detects a spectrum of the higher order diffracted radiation. Each spectrum is formed using a symmetrical phase grating, so as to form and detect a symmetrical pair of spectra. The pair of spectra can be averaged to obtain a single spectrum with reduced focus sensitivity. Comparing the two spectra can yield information for improving height measurements in a subsequent lithographic step. The target grating is oriented obliquely so that the zero order and higher order radiation emanate from the spot in different planes. Two scatterometers can operate simultaneously, illuminating the target from different oblique directions. A radial transmission filter reduces sidelobes in the spot and reduces product crosstalk.

Abstract: The invention is directed to improved systems, methods, and computer readable media for detecting gas leaks. More particularly, the invention detects gas leaks or discharges, such as methane or any other suitable gases, by analyzing reflected or direct light that passes through a region of enhanced target gas concentration. The invention collects light and processes spectral data of the light. All molecules are subject to rotational motions, vibrational motions, and/or combinations thereof (rovibrational motions), in which the atoms in the molecule are vibrating with respect to each other and/or rotating around each other. When the light passes through the region of the target gas, a portion of the light with certain wavelengths will be absorbed by the target gas due to the rovibrational motions of the target gas molecules. By analyzing the magnitude of absorption at certain wavelengths, one can determine the concentration of certain target gas or gases.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining a size and/or density of Super-cooled Large Droplets (SLDs) in a cloud atmosphere by comparing detected optical signals reflected from small and large sampling volumes of a cloud atmosphere. In some embodiments, an optical pulse is generated and divergently projected from a first optical fiber. A collimating lens is aligned within the divergently projected optical pulse collimating a portion thereof. The collimated and uncollimated portions of the optical pulse are projected into the small and large sampling volumes of the cloud atmosphere, respectively. The ratio of the collimated to the uncollimated portions can be optically controlled. Signals corresponding to optical pulses having different collimated/uncollimated ratios are backscattered by the cloud atmosphere, detected and compared to one another.

Abstract: The entire throat height or air gap of a laser gauge's C-frame enclosure constitutes its accurate measurement range so that any material passing at any height through the air gap will be accurately measured. The laser gauge has at least one laser and usually two lasers housed in an enclosure with at least two arms that are spaced apart for receipt of a target surface in the air gap between the arms. The gauge has a first enclosure barrier attached to a first one of the enclosure arms at a first boundary of the air gap. The first enclosure barrier is positioned away from the laser at or beyond the gauge's proximal measurement limit. A second enclosure barrier is attached to a second one of the enclosure arms at a second boundary of the air gap. The second enclosure barrier is positioned away from the laser at or nearer than the gauge's distal measurement limit.

Abstract: A measurement system includes: a projection apparatus that projects, onto a subject, first pattern light indicating a first pattern projection image including a first pattern image corresponding to a specific bit in gray code obtained by gray-coding projection coordinates stipulated by a projection coordinate system, and a second pattern image having the same cycle as the first pattern image, but having a different phase from the first pattern image, following a projection sequence where projections of the first and second pattern images coexist; and at least one imaging apparatus that images the first pattern light and generates an imaged image.

Abstract: Techniques are described for using confinement structures and/or pattern gratings to reduce or prevent the wicking of sealant polymer (e.g., glue) into the optically active areas of a multi-layered optical assembly. A multi-layered optical structure may include multiple layers of substrate imprinted with waveguide grating patterns. The multiple layers may be secured using an edge adhesive, such as a resin, epoxy, glue, and so forth. A confinement structure such as an edge pattern may be imprinted along the edge of each layer to control and confine the capillary flow of the edge adhesive and prevent the edge adhesive from wicking into the functional waveguide grating patterns of the layers. Moreover, the edge adhesive may be carbon doped or otherwise blackened to reduce the reflection of light off the edge back into the interior of the layer, thus improving the optical function of the assembly.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus includes an optical system configured to project light onto a sample and to receive light via the sample, an imaging device configured to take an image of a light source via the optical system, and a processor configured to obtain an optical characteristic of the sample based on an output of the imaging device. The processor is configured to determine a coefficient of a Wiener filter based on one of the image and a Fourier transform thereof and corresponding one of the light source (an aperture in an aperture unit) and a Fourier transform thereof, and obtain the optical characteristic based on the Wiener filter of which the coefficient has been determined, a Fourier transform of the image, and a Fourier transform of the light source.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for characterizing optical filters in a flow cytometer and optionally checking the operation of detectors in the flow cytometer. In some embodiments, the system may utilize an LED board having an opening through which the fluorescence and side scatter beams, rays, or images pass and light emitting diodes around the opening that emit light having different spectral profiles. The different spectral profiles allow the system to identify the optical filters that are placed in the flow cytometer, to verify detector operation, to assist in instrumentation troubleshooting, and to provide a quantitative reference for detector comparison.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a three-dimensional shape measurement apparatus for obtaining height information of a measurement target object using a prism. The three-dimensional shape measurement apparatus includes an illumination unit irradiating light on the measurement target object, a prism unit receiving reflective light reflected from the measurement target object and directing the reflective light to an image formation lens, an imaging unit receiving the reflective light from the prism unit and capturing an image of the reflective light, and a height measurement unit measuring a height of the measurement target object based on the image captured by the imaging unit.