Abstract: An apparatus for measuring wavelength composition and power of a dispersed spectrum of light comprises a diffractive light modulator and a detector. The diffractive light modulator comprises an array of light modulating pixels operable in a first mode and a second mode. In operation, the dispersed spectrum of light illuminates the diffractive light modulator along the array of light modulating pixels, which selectively directs a subset of the dispersed spectrum of light into the first mode while directing a remainder of the dispersed spectrum of light into the second mode. The detector is optically coupled to the diffractive light modulator. In operation, the detector detects the subset of the dispersed spectrum of light while not detecting the remainder of the dispersed spectrum of light. Each of the light modulating pixels is controlled by signals sent from a controller. The signals comprise a time division multiplex modulation, a code division multiplex modulation, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of calculating an integrated index of a transparent, translucent or opaque material for a desired wavelength range, the method comprising measuring a filtered value of the material as a function of wavelength within the desired wavelength range and calculating a protection index from the measured filtered value. The integrated index is used to quantify the ultraviolet, infra-red, erythemal or aphakic exposure properties of the material. In addition, the integrated index is used to quantify the photopic and/or scotopic response capabilities of the material. Further, the integrated index is used to quantify the differential or mean color indices of the material in comparison to the color spectrum or another material. Moreover, the integrated index is used to quantify the heat flux absorbed by the material.

Abstract: Apparatus and procedure for the in situ measurement of quantities of polymer printed onto supports A source of radiation 2 sends electromagnetic radiation onto a droplet 9, 10 of polymer solution or polymer dispersion, which is printed onto a support 4. A detector 3 measures the transmitted or re-emitted radiation. Controlled by a comparator device 6 and a control unit 5, the printing parameters are corrected in situ, if necessary. In this manner, a controlled adjustment of the layer thickness of organic light-emitting diodes and therefore luminosity and color perception can be achieved.

Abstract: A ceramic reference in conjunction with a spectrometer, a metallized ceramic material, and a method of utilizing a ceramic material as a reference in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, or infrared spectral regions are presented. The preferred embodiments utilize a ceramic reference material to diffusely reflect incident source light toward a detector element for quantification in a reproducible fashion. Alternative embodiments metallize either the incident surface or back surface of to form a surface diffuse reflectance standard. Optional wavelength reference layers or protective layers may be added to the ceramic or to the metallized layer. The reference ceramic is used to provide a measure of optical signal of an analyzer as a function of the analyzers spatial, temporal, and environmental state.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting the presence of a liquid introduced into a mix of constituents. The method comprises the following steps: excitation of the mix by a light signal in the absence of the liquid to be detected; measurement of a fluorescence signal over a time ?t characteristic of the liquid to be detected, so as to produce a reference quantity Ro; introduction of an amount of liquid to be detected in the mix; excitation of the mix by a light signal; measurement of a fluorescence signal over a time ?t so as to produce a quantity R; comparison of the quantity R with a quantity k×Ro. The invention applies to the detection of serum pipetting errors within the context of bioassays, especially immunological tests.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to off axis optical signal redirection architectures that employ positionable reflective microstructures (e.g. microelectromechanical (MEM) mirrors) fabricated on one or more substrates. In one embodiment, an optical signal redirection system (10) includes a reflective microstructure array (12) formed on a substrate (30). The reflective microstructure array (12) includes one or more reflective microstructures (14). Each of the reflective microstructures (14) includes an optically reflective surface (20) and is positionable with respect to the substrate (30) in order to orient its reflective surface (20) for redirecting optical signals (24) incoming from one or more originating locations (16) to one or more target locations (18).

Abstract: A method for monitoring and/or controlling the positioning and/or condition of a plasma in a plasma spectrometer, which comprises: acquiring image data of the plasma through a video-camera (7), and a) displaying on a display device (10) a plasma image from the acquired image data; and/or b) storing the image data in a computer unit (9). Application to inductively coupled high frequency plasma optical emission and mass spectrometers.

Abstract: The present invention presents a high-speed electromechanical shutter which has at least two rotary beam choppers that are synchronized using a phase-locked loop electronic control to reduce the duty cycle. These choppers have blade means that can comprise discs or drums, each having about 60 (+/?15) slots which are from about 0.3 to about 0.8 mm wide and about 5 to about 20 mm long (radially) which are evenly distributed through out 360°, and a third rotary chopper which is optically aligned has a small number of slots, such as for example, 1 to 10 slots which are about 1 to about 2 mm wide and about 5 to about 20 mm long (radially). Further the blade means include phase slots that allow the blade means to be phase locked using a closed loop control circuit. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the system also has a leaf shutter.

Abstract: A laser microscope includes a laser light emitting system which emits a pump beam and a Stokes beam having different frequencies, and a common optical fiber having one end and the other end. The pump beam and the Stokes beam emitted from the laser light emitting system are incident on the one end thereof and emitted from the other end thereof. A beam irradiating mechanism condenses and irradiates the pump beam and the Stokes beam emitted from the other end of the optical fiber, onto a sample via the objective lens, thereby making an anti-Stokes beam be emitted from the sample. A photo detector detects the anti-Stokes beam emitted from the sample. A beam selecting mechanism allows only the anti-Stokes beam of the pump beam, the Stokes beam and the anti-Stokes beam to be received on the photo detector.

Abstract: Method and system for wavelength-based processing of a light beam. A light beam, produced at a chemical or physical reaction site and having at least first and second wavelengths, ?1 and ?2, is received and diffracted at a first diffraction grating to provide first and second diffracted beams, which are received and analyzed in terms of wavelength and/or time at two spaced apart light detectors. In a second embodiment, light from first and second sources is diffracted and compared in terms of wavelength and/or time to determine if the two beams arise from the same source. In a third embodiment, a light beam is split and diffracted and passed through first and second environments to study differential effects. In a fourth embodiment, diffracted light beam components, having first and second wavelengths, are received sequentially at a reaction site to determine whether a specified reaction is promoted, based on order of receipt of the beams.

Abstract: The invention relates to method for imaging measurement of a moving or flowing target and to an imaging measuring device for implementing the aforementioned method. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of information measured by means of imaging measurement in the control and/or adjustment of a process. According to the invention, electromagnetic radiation obtained from the moving or flowing target (T) is focused by means of imaging optics to produce an image to the screen of a two-dimensional matrix detector at least via a first and a second filter (F1, F2) which transmit electromagnetic radiation in manners differing from each other. Said at least first and second filter form on the screen of the detector at least a first and a second filter area (FR1, R2) that partly cover the light-sensitive area (DA) of the detector.

Abstract: Real time determination of the presence of emulsion in a formation fluid is accomplished using an optical probe, preferably an attenuated total reflectance probe. The determination can then be used to appropriately increase, decrease or leave unchanged the use of demulsification additives or other means to control emulsion formation. The method is particularly useful for free water knock-out separations, where a plurality of probes can be used to distinguish the location and/or volume of emulsion, or “rag”, layer and thereby to facilitate decantation of relatively pure oil and water fractions. It can also be effectively used in pipelines, and can optionally determine the degree of emulsification and trends toward emulsification or demulsification.

Abstract: A method of correcting aberrations in an optical system by applying a light adjustable aberration conjugator layer to a component of the system, determining the nature of the aberration, applying radiation to the conjugator layer such as to change the refraction and/or shape of the conjugator layer to compensate for the aberration, and locking in the desired optical property.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for optically measuring the concentrations of a substance contained in a fluid medium. With the solution according to the invention the accuracy of measurement is to be increased in accordance with the object over a greater period without any additional calibration measurements, and ageing of a fluorescent substance within a layer is to be taken into consideration, in particular, and the long-time drift of such a measurement system is to be reduced. To achieve this, a layer containing such a known fluorescent substance or layer system are employed in which fluorescence is excited. The fluorescence changes depending on a substance concentration or a pH-value, and the intensity varying correspondingly in time or phase shift of the fluorescent light is allowed to be measured with at least one optical detector with the known intensity or phase of the fluorescence exciting light.

Abstract: A method for measuring the geometrical structure of an optical component (2) in transmission, comprises illuminating the optical component by means of a first incident beam (8, 10), the wavefront of which is known. After the first beam is transmitted by the optical component, its wavefront is measured by deflectometry (16, 18). The optical component is then illuminated by a second incident beam (12, 14), the wavefront of which is known. After the second beam is transmitted by the optical component, its wavefront is measured by deflectometry (16, 18). The geometrical structure of the optical component is then calculated from the measured wavefronts. Measuring light transmitted in two distinct optical configurations allows a calculation by optimizing the two surfaces of the component, without prior knowledge of one of the surfaces.

Abstract: In order to provide a multi-path monochromator capable of reducing the size of optical parts with a high resolution and a wide dynamic range, the multi-path monochromator has a lens 2 used as a first collimator for converting an incident light into a parallel light, a diffraction grating 4 for diffracting an output light outputted from the lens 2, plane mirrors 3 and 5 for reflecting a diffraction light diffracted by the diffraction grating 4 to return the diffraction light back to a same path, a parabolic mirror 7 used as a second collimator for collecting a diffraction light which is again diffracted by the diffraction grating into which a reflected light is again outputted from the plane mirror, and an output slit positioned at a focal position of the parabolic mirror 7. The parabolic mirror 7 used as the second collimator has a focal length which is longer than a focal length of the lens used as the first collimator.

Abstract: An optical transducer includes a housing containing a light source and a light detector laterally spaced from the light source; and a deformable membrane mounted over the light source and light detector such that an inner surface of the membrane reflects light from the light source to the light detector to produce, from the light detector, an output electrical signal modulated in accordance with the deformations of the membrane. The inner surface of the membrane has a small central region of high light reflectivity to maximize the output electrical signal produced by the deformations of the membrane, and a large outer region of lower light reflectivity to minimize noise in the output electrical signal produced by multi-reflection of light from the light source to the light detector. The membrane is preferably formed in its outer region with circular corrugations coaxial with each other and with the central region of high light reflectivity to increase the deformability of the central region.

Abstract: In order to adjust position of color combining optical system relative to a color separating optical system accommodated in an optical component casing for producing a projector, a white laser beam is irradiated on an optical axis of a light beam passing through the optical component casing and is separated by the color separating optical system, the separated respective color lights being incident on a light-incident end surface of the color combining optical system to be combined, the combined light beam being detected by a sensor, in which the position is adjusted while detecting the combined light beam.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting a target substance in an atmospheric target area. The target area is illuminated with a laser beam to produce back-scatter light from substances within the target area. The back-scatter light is combined with a sample of the target substance within a hollow core fiber that has been pumped with a laser spectrum identical to the illuminating bean. If a back-scatter spectrum matches the pumped sample in the hollow core fiber, stimulated Raman scattering emissions can occur, which provide optical gain for the matching spectrum. A detector analyzes the amplified matching spectrum to identify the target substance. The disclosed apparatus may be expanded to detect multiple target substances simultaneously by using hollow core fibers containing different target samples.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating a frequency comb and for its use in analyzing materials and in telecommunications. The frequency comb is generated by passing pulsed light from a laser through an optical fiber having a constriction. The frequency comb comprises a plurality of monochromatic components separated in frequency by a substantially constant frequency increment. The monochromatic components are used to probe materials for analysis. In preferred embodiments, the materials are DNA, RNA, PNA and other biologically important molecules and polymers. Optical responses are observed and used to analyze or identify samples. In telecommunication applications, the individual monochromatic components serve as carriers for individual communication channels that can carry information of any of a variety of types, such as voice, data and images.