Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus which can provide rapid scanning of large specimens (14) to detect and determine positions of objects having specific characteristics. The apparatus may, further, be adapted to store information associated with the positions of the detected objects and to retrieve this position information so that an operator may locate a particular type of target object or objects in the specimen for detailed inspection and analysis subsequent to the scanning. The position information may be stored in a volatile or non-volatile memory device provided therefore in a preferred embodiment of the invention. The specimen may be provided on a solid support, such as a circular disc (13) which may be rotatably mounted about an axis (17) of a frame of the apparatus. The objects can be cells or microorganisms of a particular rare type, i.e. they may be present in a very low density in the specimen.

Abstract: An infrared imaging device according to an embodiment includes: an imaging area formed on a semiconductor substrate, the imaging area having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, the plurality of pixels including a plurality of reference pixels arranged in at least one row and a plurality of infrared detection pixels arranged in remaining rows to detect incident infrared rays, each of the reference pixels having a first thermoelectric conversion element, each of the infrared detection pixel having a thermoelectric conversion unit, the thermoelectric conversion unit having an infrared absorption film to absorb the incident infrared rays and convert the incident infrared rays to heat and a second thermoelectric conversion element to convert the heat obtained by the conversion conducted by the infrared absorption film to an electric signal.

Abstract: A detection device with at least one detector and a processing unit for processing signals of the detector is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the detection device includes at least one cooling unit for cooling the detector and the processing unit. A shielding is provided for the detector and the processing unit. The shielding includes at least two linked sections, of which a first section has a higher electrical conductivity than a second section, the second section being in thermal contact with the cooling unit.

Abstract: This application relates to radiation detection, and more particularly, to a method and device for the remote detection and localization of nuclear materials in an unknown background. A method and apparatus for long range neutron and gamma ray detection and imaging is disclosed wherein a panel of thin walled tube detectors are rotated to enhance detection performance. The method and apparatus have particular applicability to portable monitoring and homeland security.

Abstract: A method for improving timing response in light-sharing scintillation detectors is disclosed. The method includes detecting an event, by a plurality of photo sensors, from a scintillation crystal. The method then includes sampling and digitizing the photo sensor outputs by an analog-to-digital converter. Then the method includes correcting associated timing data, by a processor, for each of the photo sensor outputs based on a lookup table. The method then includes selectively time shifting the photo sensor outputs based on the lookup table to generate corrected photo sensor outputs. The method then includes summing the corrected photo sensor outputs by the processor. The method then includes generating an event time, by the processor, for the detected event based on the sum of the corrected photo sensor outputs.

Abstract: A detection system and methods are described for determining whether a target contains a selected substance or device such as an explosive device, illegal drugs, dangerous chemicals, or the like. According to some embodiments, a detection system is comprising a radiation source and one or more detectors. The detection system in this directs radiation from a distance and towards a target suspected to contain a dangerous device or substance. A response is detected from the target. The response is compared to one or more templates that represent known explosives, drugs, dangerous chemicals, or the like. A score may be generated that corresponds to a similarity between the targeted and known substances. When the score indicates that the target substance is likely to be dangerous or contraband, then an alarm or other indication may be generated in some embodiments.

Abstract: A scintillator composition includes a matrix material, where the matrix material includes an alkaline earth metal and a lanthanide halide. The scintillator composition further includes an activator ion, where the activator ion is a trivalent ion. In one embodiment, the scintillator composition includes a matrix material represented by A2LnX7, where A includes an alkaline earth metal, Ln includes a lanthanide ion, and X includes a halide ion. In another embodiment, the scintillator composition includes a matrix material represented by ALnX5, where A includes an alkaline earth metal, Ln includes a lanthanide ion, and X includes a halide ion. In these embodiments, the scintillator composition includes an activator ion, where the activator ion includes cerium, or bismuth, or praseodymium, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: In a terahertz antenna module 1, a photoconductive antenna element 17 is fixed to a wiring board 9, and electrically connected to an electric signal input/output pin 24 of an electric signal input/output port 23 via a signal electrode of the wiring board 9. Further, a buffer member 7, a hemispherical lens 8, a photoconductive antenna element 17, and the wiring board 9 are disposed in a recess 3 of a container 2 in this order from an opening 6 side of the container 2, and by attaching a cover 25 to the container 2, the wiring board 9, the photoconductive antenna element 17, and the hemispherical lens 8 are pressed against the buffer member 7. Further, the wiring board 9 is positioned by the recess 4 and the hemispherical lens 8 is positioned by the buffer member 7 so that the optical axis OA of the hemispherical lens 8 passes just through a photoconductive antenna part of the photoconductive antenna element 17.

Abstract: A scanner includes a plurality of laser stimulating ray sources, a sample stage on which a sample containing a labeling substance is to be placed, a scanning mechanism, a photomultiplier for photoelectrically detecting light released from the labeling substance and producing analog image data, an A/D converter for converting the analog image data to digital image data, and a pixel density signal intensity simulating section for effecting simulation based on pre-scan digital image data produced by setting a voltage value of the photomultiplier to a given photomultiplier voltage value G0 to simulate density signal intensity of each pixel of digital image data that would be produced by setting the photomultiplier to a voltage value G different from the voltage value G0. According to the thus constituted scanner, it is possible to determine the voltage value of the photomultiplier simply and rapidly without causing on the degradation of a sample.

Abstract: A stacked crystal array includes a plurality of crystal slices and a plurality of interconnects. The interconnects have electrically conductive, spaced-apart and generally parallel elements joined by electrically conductive spacers extending generally orthogonally therebetween, the spacers being rotationally offset from each other by a predetermined angle. The array further includes a plurality of electrical insulators and an electrically insulative housing having a plurality of slots. The crystal slices, insulators and interconnects are arranged in the housing to form an assembly wherein the crystal slices are coupled together in a parallel electrical circuit. The assembly provides photon absorption comparable to a monolithic crystal having a thickness generally equivalent to the sum of the thicknesses of the crystal slices, but at a lower bias voltage.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are suggested for high-resolution optical scanning, particularly in a laser scanning fluorescence microscope. A sample to be scanned comprises a first and a second substance that are switchable into a first and second energy state. In the scanning process, excitation, de-excitation and detection for the first substance is carried out at a different point in time than for the second substance. This achieves a high spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit while at the same time a high level of information is provided with physically simple and economical means.

Abstract: An optical device for viewing an image is provided. The optical device includes two optical channels, each optical channel including an image detector assembly and a complimentary objective lens assembly spaced by a respective distance from the image detector assembly. A focus mechanism is either directly or indirectly coupled to both image detector assemblies. The focus mechanism includes two threaded segments having an unequal thread pitch. Each image detector assembly includes a mating threaded segment that is threadedly coupled to a respective threaded segment of the focus mechanism such that rotation of the focus mechanism causes translation of both image detector assemblies at unequal rates by virtue of the unequal thread pitch of the threaded segments of the focus mechanism.

Abstract: A system for carrying out fibered multiphoton microscopic imagery of a sample (10) for use in endoscopy or fluorescence microscopy includes: a femtosecond pulsed laser (1, 2) for generating a multiphoton excitation laser radiation; an image guide (8) having a number of optical fibers and permitting the sample to be illuminated by a point-by-point scanning in a subsurface plane; pre-compensating elements (4) for pre-compensating for dispersion effects of the excitation pulses in the image guide (8), these elements being situated between the pulsed laser and the image guide (8); scanning elements for directing, in succession, the excitation laser beam in a fiber of the image guide, and; in particular, an optical head (9) for focussing the excitation laser beam exiting the image guide in the sample (10).

Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member with a developer includes a first developer carrying member for carrying and feeding the developer by rotation thereof about a rotation axis which is at a fixed position; a second developer carrying member for carrying and feeding the developer by rotation thereof, the second developer carrying member having a rotation axis which is swingable relative to the first developer carrying member; a supporting member for supporting the second developer carrying member swingably about the first developer carrying member; a driving device for applying a driving force to the first developer carrying member; and a driving belt for transmitting the driving force applied to the first developer carrying member to the second developer carrying member.

Abstract: A detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation includes a substrate and at least one microstructure including a radiation-sensitive membrane extending substantially opposite and away from the substrate. The membrane is mechanically attached to at least two longilinear, collinear retention elements, at least one of which is mechanically connected to the substrate by an intermediate post. The membrane is in electrical continuity with the substrate. At least two collinear legs are attached to each other at the level of their ends which are attached to the membrane by a mechanical connector which is substantially co-planar with the legs and membrane. The other end of at least one of the legs is integral with a rigid cross piece which is substantially co-planar with the legs and extends substantially at right angles relative to the main dimension of the legs. The cross piece is integral with the post which is integral with the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radiation image capturing apparatus, and includes a radiation image information detector for detecting radiation image information of a subject, a casing containing the radiation image information detector, a reading circuit for reading the radiation image information from the radiation image information detector, and a heat release unit for fastening the reading circuit and releasing heat generated by the reading circuit to the casing.

Abstract: A method of measuring chlorine concentration of a solution comprising making a first measurement of transmission of ultraviolet light at a selected wavelength through a first sample of said solution at a first temperature; making a second measurement of the transmission of ultraviolet light at said selected wavelength through a second sample of said solution at a second temperature, said second temperature being different than said first temperature; and determining the chlorine concentration in said solution using the results of said first and second measurements.

Abstract: A camera arranged to generate an IR image and a visible light image is proposed, said camera comprising a thermal imaging part for registering IR radiation from a first field of view, a visible light imaging part for registering visible light from a second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view, and a processing device for processing the information related to the registered IR radiation and the registered visible light information. The processing device is arranged to identify any moving objects that are detectable by the thermal imaging part and not by the visible light imaging part, and presenting said moving objects, if any, in such a way that they will be easily recognizable by an operator.

Abstract: A method of visually detecting a leak of a chemical emanating from a component. The method includes: aiming a passive infrared camera system towards the component; filtering an infrared image with an optical bandpass filter, the infrared image being that of the leak; after the infrared image passes through the lens and optical bandpass filter, receiving the filtered infrared image with an infrared sensor device; electronically processing the filtered infrared image received by the infrared sensor device to provide a visible image representing the filtered infrared image; and visually identifying the leak based on the visible image. The passive infrared camera system includes: a lens; a refrigerated portion including therein the infrared sensor device and the optical bandpass filter (located along an optical path between the lens and the infrared sensor device). At least part of a pass band for the optical bandpass filter is within an absorption band for the chemical.

Abstract: A specular array for radiometric calibration (SPARC) includes a plurality of spherical mirrors disposed upon a uniform background as at least one array of reflective points, at least two points reflecting a different intensity of directly incident sunlight. Each mirror has a radius of curvature and a diameter, the radius of curvature and the diameter providing a field of regard, the collective mirrors providing a collective minimum calibratability field of regard. Based upon the radius of curvature, the transmittance value of the sun to each mirror and from each mirror to a sensor being calibrated, the intensity of calibration light provided to the input aperture of a sensor to be calibrated within the collective minimum calibratability field of regard may be determined and used as a baseline for sensor calibration. An associated method of combined spatial and radiometric calibration is also provided.