Abstract: A method for investigating and ascertaining pulse or heartbeat includes directing illuminating radiation to illuminate a body part such as a finger. The illuminating radiation is of a wavelength or wavelength band substantially in the blue light region of the light spectrum. Then, an optical speckle pattern of the illuminated body part resulting from the illumination of the body part is obtained and imaged. The optical speckle pattern is representative of the heartbeat and by correlation of frames extracted from the speckle pattern, the pulse or beat extent of the body part may be ascertained.

Abstract: A light output device comprises a substrate arrangement comprising a plurality of light source circuits integrated into the structure of the substrate arrangement. Each light source circuit comprises a light source device arrangement (4) having two terminals and a transistor circuit (7). Each light source circuit is supplied with power from an associated pair the power connections (10,11,14,15,20), and at least two light source circuits (4,7) share the same pair of power connections. A set of control connections (18) are provided for receiving external control signals for controlling the transistor circuits (7). A set of non-overlapping electrodes (10,11,14,15,18,20) provide the internal connections between the power connections, the light source device terminals and the transistor circuits, and each light source device is individually independently controllable.

Abstract: A light output device comprises a substrate arrangement comprising first and second light transmissive substrates (1,2) and an electrode arrangement (3a,3b) sandwiched between the substrates. A plurality of light source devices (4) are integrated into the structure of the substrate arrangement and connected to the electrode arrangement. The electrode arrangement comprises an at least semi-transparent conductor arrangement of spaced non-transparent wires, the wires comprising a conductive ink.

Abstract: An illumination device comprising a light source (2), an electro-wetting based optical element (1, 10), arranged in front of the light source to allow refraction of a beam of light emitted from said light source, and driving means (9) arranged to operate said optical element between at least two predefined states, said states being adapted to result in refracted beams having different light intensity distribution. According to this design, the electrowetting based optical element can be used to dynamically alter the light intensity distribution of the illumination device between a number of predefined states.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a catheter head comprising: means (104, 108; 306, 304; 320; 322; 326; 338) for directing of radiation to a blood detection volume (220; 310), means (104, 108; 306, 304; 320; 322; 326; 332, 334, 330; 338) for receiving of return radiation from the blood detection volume, means (104; 306; 330) for transmitting of the return radiation to means (122) for analysis of the return radiation for determination of at least one property of the blood.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sensor and a method for detecting an optically variable molecule (9) in a sample (3). The sensor comprises an excitation radiation source (1) for irradiating the sample (4) and exciting the optically variable molecule (9), thus generating a luminescence signal (7). The sensor furthermore comprises a modulation means (4) for modulating the excitation radiation beam (2) in a direction different from, preferably substantially perpendicular to, a scanning direction of the excitation radiation beam (2) over the sample (3). The method and sensor according to the invention lead to an improved signal-to-noise ratio by reducing and even minimising the background signal in the luminescence signal (7) and to an improved accuracy by minimising signals coming from false-positives.

Abstract: The invention applies to a 2D storage medium carrying meta-tracks of N (N>1) bit-rows, two adjacent meta-tracks being separated by a guard band of at least one bit-row referred to as guard band bit-row. The invention proposes to store non-content information in the guard band bit-row. The non-content information are clock data and/or control data.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system comprising a fluid chamber 1 and a birefringent part. The fluid chamber comprises first and second fluids 10, 12 having different indices of refraction, the interface between the fluids forming a meniscus 14. The birefringent part is capable of varying characteristics of a first radiation beam 3b and a second radiation beam 3c, the first and second radiation beams having different polarisations. Variation in the configuration of the meniscus causes variation in the characteristics of the first radiation beam and the second radiation beam. Variation in the configuration of the meniscus may be controlled by electrowetting.

Abstract: An optical scanning device (1) for scanning an information layer (2) of an optical record carrier (3). The device includes a radiation source (7) for providing at least a first radiation beam along a first optical path, and a second radiation beam along a second, different optical path. An objective lens system (8) converges the radiation beams on the information layer A beam-deflecting element (30) is arranged to refract said second radiation beam towards the optical axis of the lens system. The beam-deflecting element includes at least one fluid (A). A controller is provided to vary the configuration of the fluid to control the amount of refraction provided by the beam deflector element over a predetermined range.

Abstract: An optical scanning device for scanning an information layer (2) of an optical record carrier (3). The device includes a radiation source (7) for providing at least a first radiation beam of a first polarization along a first optical path, and a second radiation beam of a second, different polarization along a second, different optical path. An objective lens system, having an optical axis (19a), is arranged to converge the radiation beams on the information layer A beam-deflecting element (30) comprising a birefringent material is orientated such that each of said polarized radiation beams experiences a different index of refraction upon passing through the birefringent material, and is arranged to refract at least the first radiation beam towards the optical axis.

Abstract: In an optical scanning device (10) capable of scanning an information plane of an optical record carrier (5) of different types such as BD, DVD and CD, the diameter of the radiation spot on the detector (7) is dependent on the numerical aperture of the objective system (4) that is used for scanning the record carrier An optimal design of the optical detection system for scanning a BD, result in a small radiation spot for the other types such as DVD and CD.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a holographic storage medium (10) comprising a recording medium (12) sandwiched between a substrate layer (14) and a super-strate layer (16), and a regular spacer arrangement (18) provided in the recording medium having optical properties different from optical properties of the recording medium, wherein the regular spacer arrangement defines at least one location in the recording medium that can be used for retrieving a position of at least one data set (24) stored in the recording medium. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a holographic storage medium and to a method of reading data from a holographic storage medium.

Abstract: An optical scanning device (1) for scanning at least one information layer (2) of at least one optical record carrier (3). The device includes a radiation source (7) for providing at least a first radiation beam (4) comprising a first wavelength, an objective lens system (8) for converging the first radiation beam on a respective information layer (2), an information detector (23) for detecting at least a portion of the first radiation beam (22) reflected from the respective information layer, for determining information on said layer, and a spherical aberration detection system.

Abstract: An optical scanning device (1) includes a radiation source (7), a detector (23) and a beam splitter (9). The radiation source (7) provides an incident radiation beam (4, 20) along a first optical path (19a) for scanning an information layer (2) of an optical record carrier (3). The detector (23) detects at least a portion of the radiation beam (22) reflected from the optical record carrier (3). The beam splitter (9) transmits the incident radiation beam (4) received from the radiation source along the first optical path (19a) towards the optical record carrier. The beam splitter (9) also transmits the reflected beam (22) received from the optical record carrier (3) along a second, different optical path (19b) towards the detector. The optical scanning device further includes a beam-deflecting element (30; 130; 230; 330; 630; 830; 930) positioned on the second optical path (19b) between the beam splitter (9) and the detector (23).

Abstract: An optical information carrier comprises a data layer for carrying the information, an outer surface for receiving a light beam for reading the information, and a transparent layer for transmitting the light beam to the data layer. The transparent layer comprises a pattern of physical damages for locally deforming the light beam. The physical damages are embedded in the transparent layer at a depth between the outer surface and the data layer. In the pattern of physical damages additional information is encoded. The additional information may be used for the purpose of copy protection.

Abstract: The invention relates to a holographic device for writing data in and/or reading-out data from a holographic information carrier. The holographic information carrier comprises a plurality of patterns recorded with a plurality of corresponding recording multiplexing parameters. The holographic device comprises means for detecting one of the patterns and means for associating the detected pattern with the corresponding recording multiplexing parameter. The invention also relates to a corresponding read-out method and a corresponding recording method.

Abstract: A device (1) for scanning an optical disc (6), the disc (6) comprising substantially parallel data tracks (10). The device (1) comprises an optical unit for creating track light spots (12) on the data tracks (10) and a plurality of detector light spots on a plurality of signal detectors. The device further comprises a focus error unit for with a beam manipulating element (21, 22, 22a, 92) for providing for at least one of the reflected beams a first optical path (24) to a first segmented detector (8a) and a second optical path (25) to a second segmented detector (8b).

Abstract: A method is proposed for investigation of or ascertaining pulse or heartbeat. The method first comprises directing illuminating radiation to illuminate a body part such as a finger. The illuminating radiation is of a wavelength or wavelength band substantially in the blue light region of the light spectrum. Then, an optical speckle pattern of the illuminated body part resulting from the illumination of the body part is obtained and imaged. The optical speckle pattern is representative of the heartbeat and by correlation of frames extracted from the speckle pattern, the pulse or beat extent of the body part may be ascertained.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for reading data stored on an information carrier. The system comprises a waveguide (1203) which allows displacing laterally the different components in exploiting the reflection of the light beams between a first surface (1207) and a second surface (1208) of said wave guide (1203). Use: Optical storage.

Abstract: An optical diffraction element (1) comprises a diffraction layer (4) which is divided into diffraction strips (6) alternating with intermediate strips (8). The diffraction strips comprise nano-elements (10) which are aligned in one direction and absorb radiation (b) which is linearly polarized in this direction. The diffraction element may be a linear or two-dimensional grating (1) or a Fresnel lens (160). The polarization-sensitive grating can be used in optical systems in which only radiation with a specific polarization direction should be diffracted, or in an optical record carrier to allow reading of an information structure with high spatial frequencies.