Abstract: A particle detection system uses illumination incident at an angle to detect particles in a liquid such as water. By using illumination incident at an angle, the scattered light can be measured through a range of angles that are greater than the measured range of angles produced when the illumination is incident at a normal angle, when using the same detector. For example, the light can be measured through an angle that is twice that produced with illumination incident at a normal angle.

Abstract: A very low inventory method of making eyeglasses. Two lens elements having special complementary surfaces are provided. These lens elements can be positioned relative to each other to provide wide ranges of focus correction and astigmatism correction. Various preferred embodiments of the invention are described. In one embodiment the required inventory is only identical sets of two complementary lenses for providing correction for almost all needed eye correction for a typical population. In this embodiment, the lens units are first adjusted relative to each other to provide a desired focusing power. Astigmatism may be corrected by a small adjustment in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction followed by a rotation of the two lenses about the axis of the two lenses. When the adjustments have been made the two lenses are fixed with respect to each other and installed in eyeglass frames. Cutting to the shape of the eyeglass frames can occur either before or after the fixing.

Abstract: An adjustable focus lens system with at least two lens units and a mechanism to adjust the position of at least one of the two lens units relative to the other in a direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction. The first of the two lens units has a specially designed surface and the second of the two lens units has a surface that is substantially complementary to the surface of the first lens unit. In preferred embodiments a first adjustable focus lens system with two lens units is mounted in a frame along with a second similar adjustable focus lens system to provide a pair of eyeglasses with adjustable focus.

Abstract: A lens unit with two lens elements each having special surfaces such that an adjustment of the position of one of the two lens elements relative to the other in a direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction changes the focusing power of the lens unit. In preferred embodiments two lens units are mounted in a frame to provide eyeglasses with adjustable focus. Several frame designs are described. In preferred embodiments two lens units, each lens unit having two lens elements are mounted in a frame to provide eyeglasses with adjustable focus. Several designs are described. Some designs provide for movement side to side movement of the lens elements relative to each other. In other designs the relative motion is up and down. A simple technique is a thumbscrew adjustment that is operated by the wearer. Another design is based on finger force against a friction force. In some preferred embodiments separate frames holding the lens elements pivot about pivot points on the earpiece of a support frame.

Abstract: Adjustable focus eyeglasses with two lens units, each lens unit having two lens elements. The eyeglasses are focused by adjusting the position of at least one of the two lens elements relative to the other in a direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction. The relative motion can be linear or pivotal about a pivot location outside the lenses.

Abstract: A lens unit with at least two lens elements. The first of the two lens elements has two surfaces providing a special varying lens thickness as a function of position across the lens surfaces, and the second of the two lens elements has two surfaces providing a varying lens thickness that is substantially complementary to the varying thickness of the first lens element. The designs of the surfaces are chosen such that small adjustments of the relative positions of the two lenses in a first direction predominantly perpendicular to the viewing direction results in changes in the combined focus of the two lenses of each lens unit. Astigmatism is corrected by a small adjustment in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction followed by a rotation of the two lenses about the axis of the two lenses. When the adjustments have been made the two lenses are fixed with respect to each other and installed in eyeglass frames.

Abstract: Adjustable focus eyeglasses with two lens units, each lens unit having two lens elements. The eyeglasses are focused by adjusting the position of at least one of the two lens elements relative to the other in a direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction. The relative motion can be linear or pivotal about a pivot location outside the lenses.

Abstract: A particle detection system uses a reflective optic comprising a curved surface to detect high angle scattered light generated by a particle in a liquid medium, when a laser beam is incident on the particle. When the particles transit the laser beam, light is scattered in all directions and is described by MIE scattering theory for particles about the size of the wavelength of light and larger or Rayleigh Scattering when the particles are smaller than the wavelength of light. By using the reflective optic, the scattered light can be detected over angles that are greater than normally obtainable.

Abstract: Method and device for digital x-ray tomosynthesis. Tomographic and/or three-dimensional images of an object are obtained with an x-ray source and a digital x-ray image sensor. The source, object and sensor are positioned relative to each other and attenuation data is obtained for a large number of rays of x-radiation through the object. A special algorithm is provided to convert the data into images. To calculate the images the algorithm uses iterative processes with a least squares type technique but with generalized (as opposed to specific) functions. The algorithm solves for the functions which are the images.

Abstract: A pair of adjustable focus eyeglasses having two lens units with at least one of the lens units having at least two lens elements. A mechanism is provided to pivot, about a pivot location outside each of the two lens elements, the position of at least one of the two lens elements relative to the other lens element in an angular direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction. At least a portion of a surface of the first lens element is a specially designed surface defining a first complementary surface and at least a portion of a surface of the second lens element is a surface defining a second complementary surface that is substantially complementary to the first complementary surface.

Abstract: A particle detection system uses illumination incident at an angle to detect particles in a liquid such as water. By using illumination incident at an angle, the scattered light can be measured through a range of angles that are greater than the measured range of angles produced when the illumination is incident at a normal angle, when using the same detector. For example, the light can be measured through an angle that is twice that produced with illumination incident at a normal angle.

Abstract: An adjustable focus lens unit with at least two lens elements and mechanism to adjust the position of at least one of the two lens elements relative to the other in a direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction. The first of the two lenses has a specially designed surface and the second of the two lenses has a surface that is substantially complementary to the surface of the first lens. In preferred embodiments the lens units are mounted in a frame to provide eyeglasses with adjustable focus. The designs of the specially designed surfaces are chosen such that small adjustments of the relative positions of the two lenses in directions predominantly perpendicular to the viewing direction results in changes in the combined focus of the two lenses of each lens unit. In a preferred embodiment the specially designed surface of the first lens of each lens unit is described by: Z(X,Y)=C1*(X3/3 +XY2)+C2, where C1 and C2 are constants.

Abstract: A lens unit with at least two lens elements. The first of the two lens elements has two surfaces providing a special varying lens thickness as a function of position across the lens surfaces, and the second of the two lens elements has two surfaces providing a varying lens thickness that is substantially complementary to the varying thickness of the first lens element. The designs of the surfaces are chosen such that small adjustments of the relative positions of the two lenses in a first direction predominantly perpendicular to the viewing direction results in changes in the combined focus of the two lenses of each lens unit. Astigmatism is corrected by a small adjustment in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction followed by a rotation of the two lenses about the axis of the two lenses. When the adjustments have been made the two lenses are fixed with respect to each other and installed in eyeglass frames.

Abstract: A lens unit with two lens elements each having special surfaces such that an adjustment of the position of one of the two lens elements relative to the other in a direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction changes the focusing power of the lens unit. In preferred embodiments two lens units are mounted in a frame to provide eyeglasses with adjustable focus. Several frame designs are described. In preferred embodiments two lens units, each lens unit having two lens elements are mounted in a frame to provide eyeglasses with adjustable focus. Several designs are described. Some designs provide for movement side to side movement of the lens elements relative to each other. In other designs the relative motion is up and down. A simple technique is a thumbscrew adjustment that is operated by the wearer. Another design is based on finger force against a friction force. In some preferred embodiments separate frames holding the lens elements pivot about pivot points on the earpiece of a support frame.

Abstract: A large fiber optic switch system with a free-space optical interconnection configuration. The switch system comprises a plurality of individual switch units, each individual switch unit having a plurality of electronic multi-switch switches each multi-switch switch being re-configurable upon command of a computer processor and having a plurality of electronic input ports and electronics output ports. A first portion of these input ports and a first portion of these output ports are connected directly or indirectly to incoming and outgoing communication lines. A second portion of the output ports is connected to an electronic driver unit that drives an optical emitter array. Each emitter in the emitter array produces a light beam for carrying an optical communication signal.

Abstract: Method and device for digital x-ray tomosynthesis. Tomographic and/or three-dimensional images of an object are obtained with an x-ray source and a digital x-ray image sensor. The source, object and sensor are positioned relative to each other and attenuation data is obtained for a large number of rays of x-radiation through the object. A special algorithm is provided to convert the data into images. To calculate the images the algorithm uses iterative processes with a least squares type technique but with generalized (as opposed to specific) functions. The algorithm solves for the functions which are the images.

Abstract: The present invention provides a large communication network suitable for nationwide or worldwide utilization. A plurality of area code nodes are connected with all-fiber-optic links with all-optical switches. A routing algorithm provides one or more communication links from each area code node to every other area code node so that information never has to change carrier wavelength as it travels the network. Each area code node contains circuits that are provided to connect individual users to the network.

Abstract: A large fiber optic switch system with a free-space optical interconnection configuration. The switch system comprises a plurality of individual switch units, each individual switch unit having a plurality of electronic multi-switch switches each multi-switch switch being re-configurable upon command of a computer processor and having a plurality of electronic input ports and electronics output ports. A first portion of these input ports and a first portion of these output ports are connected directly or indirectly to incoming and outgoing communication lines. A second portion of the output ports is connected to an electronic driver unit that drives an optical emitter array. Each emitter in the emitter array produces a light beam for carrying an optical communication signal.

Abstract: A high speed optical receiver for receiving a substantially diminished optical signal. An optical amplifier amplifies the diminished optical signal at least several db and an ultra narrow-band filter filters the noise generated in the optical amplifier to produce a filtered amplified optical signal which is detected by a fast response photo detector. In a preferred embodiment the optical amplifier is a semiconductor laser amplifier. In this embodiment a Faraday filter provides the ultra narrow-band filtering, virtually eliminating the noise produced by the amplifier. Transmitters are described for transmitting information at a wavelength tuned to the ultra narrow-band filters.

Abstract: A solid state radiation detection unit for producing pixel data from electron-hole producing radiation using a photoelectric conversion layer. One aspect of the invention includes a photoelectric conversion layer that is deposited in direct contact with an array of doped semiconductor pixel contacts. Another aspect of the invention uses a buried field electrode formed within a photoelectric conversion layer. The two inventive concepts can be used separately or combined in a single embodiment.