Abstract: Light is introduced to an inner surface of a fine tube, which is an object for measurement of the inner surface roughness, through a first end of the fine tube at a small angle with respect to a center line of the fine tube and the light emerging from a second end of the fine tube after the light is reflected by multiple reflections within the fine tube is measured to evaluate the roughness of the inner surface of the fine tube. Upon such measurement, the light to be introduced to the first end of the fine tube is converged once on the center line of the fine tube and then diverged again, and the polarization direction of the light to be introduced to the first end of the fine tube is set to an angle equal to or around 90 degrees with respect to the reflection surface of the fine tube. Thus, the roughness of the inner surface of the fine tube can be calculated in accordance with a result of detection of the intensity of emergent light from the fine tube by means of a photo detector.

Abstract: A fluorescence sensor for detecting the presence and amount of an analyte. The fluorescence sensor has a photodetector, a high pass filter located adjacent the photodetector, and a glass layer located adjacent the high pass filter. An indicator layer is located adjacent the glass layer and a light emitting diode is embedded in the indicator layer. The indicator layer has indicator molecules that provide a fluorescent emission as a result of light from the light emitting diode. The indicator layer also allows an analyte to diffuse into it and the presence of the analyte reduces the amount of light emitted from the indicator molecules that passes through the glass layer and the high pass filter and is incident upon the photodetector. Since the amount of current from the photodetector depends upon the incident light, this is used to detect the presence and amount of the analyte. In one embodiment a waveguide is also present.

Abstract: A thin film thickness measuring device is disclosed. The device includes an illuminator, a receiver and a beam deflector. The illuminator provides a collimated input light beam along an input axis. The receiver includes a lens and a diaphragm having a pinhole located at a focal point of the lens and receives a collimated output light beam along an output axis parallel to the input axis. The beam deflector is translatable at least along a scanning axis parallel to the input axis. The beam deflector directs the input light beam towards a sample and the output light beam from the sample towards the receiver.

Abstract: A reflectometer for measuring absorption of light in selected regions of the light spectrum by a diffuse reflector. The reflectometer is adapted to precisely measure absorption resulting from the constituents present in body fluids. The sample to be measured is illuminated by a focussed light source at an angle of 45.degree. to its surface. The light diffusely reflected about the normal to the sample falls on a small round bundle of optical fibers. At the opposite end of the bundle, the fibers are arranged into a narrow rectangle. This rectangle forms the entrance slit for a concave holographic diffraction grating. The grating forms images of this entrance slit spectrally separated over a flat field suitable for recording the spectrum on film or on an array of discrete detectors.

Abstract: A calibration device is disclosed for use with fluorescence photometers of the type which direct an excitation radiation at a sample to be tested, and then read the fluorescent emission from the sample to identify bacterial growth in the sample. In the past the emission reading accuracy of fluorescence photometers has been tested by passive standards. The known standards have some shortcomings, in that they may have varying characteristics with time and temperature, and further because they are difficult to manufacture without experiencing some variation between the standards. The present invention addresses the problem by generating a particular fluorescent emission and directing that emission towards a photometer to be tested. Since the emission which is directed outwardly of the calibration device is predetermined and known, this directed radiation can be compared to that which is read by the fluorescence photometer. In this way, a positive evaluation of the reading accuracy of the photometer can be made.

Abstract: A microscope-telescope combination fitted with an illumination apparatus of a compact and simple structure having an illumination apparatus is effectively applicable both as the illumination for the microscope and as the flashlight. A microscope-telescope combination is fitted with an illuminating apparatus comprising of a telescope optical system, an auxiliary objection lens for forming a microscope optical system arranged so as to be projected into and retracted from the front of said objective lens of said telescope optical system, and a light source supported so that its illuminaing direction is changeable to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of said telescope optical system and to a second direction directing toward an observation position of said microscope optical system.

Abstract: An instrument system for monitoring corona and like conditions of electrical equipment such as generators includes an optical probe which receives light from a plurality of different areas in the equipment and separately conveys the light acquired from each area to a position-sensitive photoelectric converter. The probe includes optical fibers with terminal ends disposed in spaced holes in the wall of a tubular housing. The output of the photoelectric converter is analyzed to determine the presence of corona, arcing, flame ignition combustion, or smoldering conditions at each of the monitored areas in the equipment, the severity of such conditions, and the identity of materials involved in such conditions based on the intensity and spectral content of the acquired light. The photoelectric converter includes a photomultiplier, a photodiode array, and means for automatically directing the acquired light to either one in accordance with its intensity.

Abstract: A spot of a sample is illuminated by laser light. Raman scattered light is collimated in a parallel beam by a microscope objective, and analyzed by a dispersive or non-dispersive analyzer (such as a diffraction grating or filter). A lens then focuses the Raman scattered light onto a two-dimensional photodetector array in the form of a charge-coupled device (CCD). A confocal technique is described to eliminate light scattered from outside the focal plane of the objective. This may be done by binning together a few pixels of the CCD at the focal point of the lens, or by image processing techniques in a computer.

Abstract: A displacement detector includes a light generation source for generating light, a scale to be irradiated by the generated light and displaceable relative to the irradiated light, a first detection device having a photo-sensing element for detecting light transmitted through the scale for detecting displacement information of the scale, a mark having a focusing or light-condensing function formed integrally with the scale, and a second detection device having a photo-sensing element for sensing the light-condensed by the mark for detecting a reference position of the scale.

Abstract: A two-dimensional optical low-pass filter includes an optical phase grating having a plurality of unitary grating periods on only one side of a grating plane. Each of the unitary grating periods includes at least two phase retardation structures spaced from each other, thereby providing phase retardation across the grating plane. The two phase retardation structures invariably have at least one non-continuous phase retardation configuration substantially in all directions on the grating plane.

Abstract: A SLM spectrometer is provided that employs an entrance slit or a collimator to provide parallel rays of radiation to a prism which disperses the incident radiation into an associated wavelength spectrum. The resulting spectrum from the prism is incident upon a spatial light modulator (SLM), such as a deformable mirror device (DMD). By selectively activating (or deactivating) a small portion of the surface of the SLM, i.e. a cell on the SLM, it is possible to selectively reflect or transmit a portion of the spectrum incident upon the SLM onto a focusing device, such as a parabolic focusing mirror. The focusing device in turn focuses the portion of the spectrum reflected by the selected cells on the SLM to a sensor. The wavelength selected is a function of which row of cells are activated (or deactivated) in the SLM. The SLM spectrometer of the present invention may be used to analyze visible light and light that is near visible, such as the near infrared or ultraviolet regions.

Abstract: Light having a wavelength equal to or less than the cut-off wavelength of a sharp-cut filter is cut off so that an output of a photo-sensitive device corresponds to a stray light component when a wavelength control device sets the wavelength equal to or less than the cut-off wavelength of the sharp-cut filter. By subtracting the stray light component from the output of the photo-sensitive device when the photo-sensitive device is to be measured an intensity of light having a predetermined wavelength, the stray light component can be removed from dispersion outputs of the spectroradiometer.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a dual-beam polychromator comprising a reflecting dispersion grating, a first entrance slit for a first ray bundle, a second entrance slit for a second ray bundle and first and second detector devices respectively used for simultaneously detecting the spectra of the first and second ray bundles diffracted at the dispersion grating. Dual-beam polychromators which are known according to the prior art and which have their respective entrance slits arranged directly adjacent the detector devices of the other channel cause substantial structural difficulties with regard to the mechanical provision of the respective components.

Abstract: Method comprises a process for obtaining a photoelectric signal with a waveform have a pair of extremal values at respective positions corresponding to a pair of edge portions of an alignment mark by photoelectrically detecting the reflected light from the alignment mark on a substrate; a first determination process for determining the position of the alignment mark on the basis of a pair of slope portions existing inside the pair of extremal values of the photoelectric signal waveform; a second determination process for determining the position of the alignment mark on the basis of a pair of slope portions existing outside the pair of extremal values of the photoelectric signal waveform; a third determination process for determining the position of the alignment mark on the basis of both a pair of slope portions existing inside said pair of extremal values of the photoelectric signal waveform and a pair of slope portions existing outside; and a process for selecting any one of the first determination process

Abstract: In a position detecting apparatus having an object optical system, two beams are generated for irradiating a diffraction grating formed on an object from two directions at a predetermined intersect angle for forming an interference fringe, the beams passing through a pupil plane of the object optical system spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other. An opto-electric detector receives diffracted light from the grating via the object optical system and outputs a detection signal, and the position of the object is determined on the basis of the detection signal. An adjustable optical member provided in a light path between an optical source and the object changes incident angles at which the two beams are incident on the grating while keeping the intersect angle between the two beams substantially constant.

Abstract: A sensor (10,30,40,50,70) for detecting chemicals and changes in the surrounding environment utilizes a sol-gel sensor element (14,16,17,54,56,57) containing a chemical indicator. Grooves (12,13,24,52,53) are formed in a substrate (11,51). The grooves are filled with a sol-gel material having a chemical indicator, and the sol-gel is cured to adhere to the substrate (11,51). The grooves (12,13,24,52,53) are formed to facilitate optically coupling a fiber optic cable (46) to the sol-gel sensor element. Light is coupled from the fiber optic cable (46) to the sol-gel sensor element (14,16,17,54,56,57).

Abstract: A cell analyzing apparatus which employs flow cytometry to obtain the concentration (the cell count per unit volume) of a specimen under examination is adapted to measure either the cell count of a control specimen the concentration of which is known or the length of time the control specimen is measured. The concentration of the specimen under examination is calculated based upon the cell count thereof obtained over a length of measurement time identical with the length of measurement time of the control specimen. Alternatively, the concentration of the specimen under examination is calculated based upon the length of measurement time thereof needed to obtain a cell count identical with that of the control specimen.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for minimizing the amplitude range in a time domain signal incorporating a plurality of periodic electromagnetic waves. One embodiment of the invention is a spectrophotometer or polychromatic light transmitter including an array of light emitting diodes or lasers configured for activation in successive encodement patterns, a diffraction grating, an optical slit, a detector and electronic controls including a computer. In operation, the periodic waves driving the diodes or lasers and their phases are adjusted in accordance with Hadamard mathematics in order to minimize constructive and destructive interference between the electromagnetic waves generated by the diodes array. The resulting time domain signal received at the detector is Fourier transformed to the desired spectral space. The invention effectively eliminates centerbursts in the resulting interferogram.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device and method for analysis of peanut pods in a machine vision system. A method of classification of the pods is based on a maturity class system wherein various colors of the pod determine its maturity and therefore its approximate harvest time. The machine vision system permits quick scanning of the entire surface area of the peanut pod to be scanned and an analysis of its maturity can then be based on the overall view of the pod. The device and process utilize the views of the peanut pod, as determined by the camera imaging system so as to compare the images with maturity classes relating to color of the pod and, therefore, a determination of ripeness and of harvestability of the peanut crop.

Abstract: The boresight is comprised of a caliber rod having extending therefrom a reflecting member. The reflecting member has at least one reflecting surface; the reflecting surface being in either a fixed substantially perpendicular orientation to a longitudinal axis through the rod, or able to be adjusted to any desired angle with the axis of the rod. The rod is adapted to be removably slidable, and rotatable, within a muzzle of a bore of a weapon, while it is also constructed to fit snugly within the bore. The boresight may also comprise a beam splitter mirror for gathering light into the aiming device of the weapon. The muzzle of the weapon and the aiming device of the weapon are aligned when the aiming device or reticle (cross-hairs) of the aiming device and the reflection of the aiming device or reticle of the aiming device seen on the reflecting member coincide.