Abstract: A method for detecting motion direction of an object (4) comprises the steps of: laser output light (L1) is generated, using a semiconductor laser (2) having a thermal response frequency (fr); the laser is driven with rectangularly modulated DC current (I) having a modulation frequency higher than said thermal response frequency (fr) and preferably higher than twice said thermal response frequency (fr), such as to triangularly modulate the wavelength of the laser output light; the laser output light is directed to the object; a portion of reflected light (L3) is allowed to interfere with light (L0) within the laser; a portion of the laser light is used as measuring beam (5); the frequency spectrum of the measuring beam (5) is analyzed in conjunction with the modulated laser current in order to determine the direction of movement of the object (4).

Abstract: A capacitive proximity device for sensing a presence and/or absence of an object in the proximity of an electronic device includes an emission electrode capacitively coupled to a receiver electrode, an oscillator for generating an emission-signal being an alternating electric field between the emission electrode and the receiving electrode, and a sensing circuit connected to the receiving electrode. The sensing circuit receives a measured-signal from the receiver electrode and includes a first synchronous detection circuit together with a low-pass filter for generating an output-signal being proportional to a distance between the object and the electronic device. The sensing circuit further includes a noise-suppresser for reducing noise from the measured-signal before entering the first synchronous detection circuit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a blood oximeter for measuring the oxygenation and at least one other parameter of flowing blood in living tissue. According to the invention, the blood oximeter comprises two lightsources (2, 3) emitting light of different wavelengths into tissue, and preferably a light detector (4) for detecting a transmitted and/or reflected part of the light emitted into the tissue, wherein at least one of the light sources is a laser with a laser cavity emitting a laser beam, the laser being adapted to allow a part of the laser beam which is scattered by the tissue to re-enter into the laser cavity, and wherein a laser beam sensor (7, 8) for measuring the light emitted from the laser is provided, the laser beam sensor (7, 8), thus, obtaining a signal which varies in accordance with the self-mixing interferometric effect between the original laser beam and the scattered laser beam.

Abstract: A pulsed radiation beam is directed toward a body structure having a configuration or physical characteristic that changes over time, the radiation being pulsed at a pulse modulation frequency. A detector detects acoustic oscillations set up in the body resultant from the incident pulsed radiation and produces an output signal representative of one or more parameters of the acoustic oscillations. A control system controls operation of the radiation delivery and a processor to process the detector output signal. The pulse modulation frequency of the pulsed radiation is changed over a predetermined range of modulation frequencies and the processor determines the structure resonant frequency from the detector output.

Abstract: A method for detecting motion direction of an object (4) comprises the steps of: laser output light (L1) is generated, using a semiconductor laser (2) having a thermal response frequency (fr); the laser is driven with rectangularly modulated DC current (I) having a modulation frequency higher than said thermal response frequency (fr) and preferably higher than twice said thermal response frequency (fr), such as to triangularly modulate the wavelength of the laser output light; the laser output light is directed to the object; a portion of reflected light (L3) is allowed to interfere with light (L0) within the laser; a portion of the laser light is used as measuring beam (5); the frequency spectrum of the measuring beam (5) is analyzed in conjunction with the modulated laser current in order to determine the direction of movement of the object (4).

Abstract: A system comprises a capacitive sensing unit for capturing an electrophysiological signal from a body part. The capacitive sensing unit includes a first electrode plate that forms a capacitor with the body part. Motion of the electrode plate with respect to the body part may be detected by a motion sensitive unit mechanically coupled to the capacitive sensing unit. The motion sensitive unit detects motion by self-mixing interferometry. Then, a processing unit rejects the electrophysiological signal if a great displacement of the electrode plate is detected.

Abstract: The invention relates to a capacitive proximity device (30, 40, 50, 60) for sensing a presence and/or absence of an object (32) in the proximity of an electronic device (34). The capacitive proximity device (30, 40, 50, 60) comprises: an emission electrode (TA) capacitively coupled to a receiver electrode ( ), an oscillator (17) for generating an emission-signal (ES) being an alternating electric field ( ) between the emission electrode (TA) and the receiving electrode ( ), and a sensing circuit (70, 72, 74, 76, 78) connected to the receiving electrode ( ). The sensing circuit receives a measured-signal (MS) from the receiver electrode ( ), and comprising a first synchronous detection circuit ( ) together with a low-pass filter (14) for generating an output-signal (OS) being proportional to a distance between the object and the electronic device.

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: The invention relates to a blood oximeter for measuring the oxygenation and at least one other parameter of flowing blood in living tissue. According to the invention, the blood oximeter comprises two lightsources (2, 3) emitting light of different wavelengths into tissue, and preferably a light detector (4) for detecting a transmitted and/or reflected part of the light emitted into the tissue, wherein at least one of the light sources is a laser with a laser cavity emitting a laser beam, the laser being adapted to allow a part of the laser beam which is scattered by the tissue to re-enter into the laser cavity, and wherein a laser beam sensor (7, 8) for measuring the light emitted from the laser is provided, the laser beam sensor (7, 8), thus, obtaining a signal which varies in accordance with the self-mixing interferometric effect between the original laser beam and the scattered laser beam.

Abstract: A photo acoustic sample detector (10) is provided for detecting a concentration of sample molecules in a sample mixture (1). The photo acoustic sample detector (10) comprises an input for receiving the sample mixture (1), an acoustic cavity (3) for containing the sample mixture (1), a light source (5) for sending light (50) into the acoustic cavity (3) for exciting the sample molecules and thereby causing sound waves in the acoustic cavity (3) and a pick up element (4) for converting the sound waves into electrical signals (12). The photo acoustic sample detector (10) also comprises a light guide (2) comprising a transparent inner wall (8) at an interface of the light guide (2) and the acoustic cavity (3) and a reflective outer wall (7) at an outside of the light guide (2). The light source (5) is arranged for illuminating the light guide (2). The light guide (2) serves for reflecting the light (50) back and forth through the light guide (2) and the acoustic cavity (3).

Abstract: Touch screen capabilities are added to a color display (10), such as an LCD display with backlighting. Thereto, the wavelength is varied in two color channels along the horizontal (x) and vertical (z) directions. A pen (30) having spectroscopic capabilities incorporated in it for the two relevant colors determines its position by measuring the wavelengths of the two channels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for verifying identity of an individual by employing biometric data derived from a physical feature of the individual. A basic idea of the invention is that, rather than determining peak locations in cyclic signals such as ECG or PPG signals when using these signals as a representation of biometric data for verifying identity of an individual, shape or morphology of the signals is considered.

Abstract: A system and method for location determination by laser interference detection uses a wide beamwidth laser projection (301) across a planar area (300). A lens system (222) is used to provide the wide beamwidth projection, and a split-beam system (225) is used to correlate interference patterns to particular segments of the wide beamwidth projection. The reflected interference beams are detected on a detector array (240) that is configured to detect the undulations corresponding to objects within the wide beamwidth projection.

Abstract: A detector (210, 310) that is configured to detect ghost-coherent reflections (260) produced by a superluminescent diode (SLD). The ghost reflections (260) are detected based on the optical coherence produced by reflections from surfaces (350, 450, 555) that are at integer multiples of the reflections within the SLD cavity (213), and thus exhibit the fine resolution discrimination that is typical of optical coherent detectors. In a preferred embodiment, the detector (210, 310) is configured to detect ghost reflections (260) from a surface at a particular multiple of the internal reflections. Ghost reflections (260) at other multiples are optically attenuated (330), or, if such reflections are known to be non-varying, canceled via a calibration procedure.

Abstract: A pulsed radiation beam is directed toward a body structure having a configuration or physical characteristic that changes over time, the radiation being pulsed at a pulse modulation frequency. A detector detects acoustic oscillations set up in the body resultant from the incident pulsed radiation and produces an output signal representative of one or more parameters of the acoustic oscillations. A control system controls operation of the radiation delivery and a processor to process the detector output signal. The pulse modulation frequency of the pulsed radiation is changed over a predetermined range of modulation frequencies and the processor determines the structure resonant frequency from the detector output.

Abstract: A system for detecting movement of a camera having a variable optical element (2). The system comprises a beam splitter (7) for capturing a part of the light traversing the lens and for splitting into at least a pair of light beams (8, 10). For each of the light beams the system comprises a light sensor (9, 11). Each sensor is provided with a grating (9g, 11g) in the light path for each of the light sensors. The gratings of the sensors have substantially the same pitch, but are positioned with a shift (S) that in respect of the light beam impinging on said sensor differ. The system further comprising a comparator (5) for comparing time shifted signals from the light sensors.

Abstract: A system for the non-invasive measurement of glucose concentration in a live subject is disclosed. The system exploits the metabolic heat conformation method, and comprises temperature sensing means for measuring the body heat in respect of the subject and means for measuring the concentration of haemoglobin and oxygenated haemoglobin in the blood of the subject. The system further comprises irradiating means for irradiating a portion of the live subject, a detector for collecting the measuring beam reflected by the live subject, means for determining from the reflected measuring beam, the blood flow velocity in respect of the live subject, and means for determining glucose concentration in the live subject as a function of the body heat, the haemoglobin and oxygenated haemoglobin concentrations and the blood flow velocity.

Abstract: A relative movement sensor for measuring movement of an object (15) and the sensor relative to each other, the sensor comprising a plurality of lasers (3,5) for generating respective measuring beams and illuminating the object (15) therewith, and a plurality of respective photodiodes (4,6) for measuring changes in operation of each laser cavity caused by reflected measuring beam radiation re-entering the respective laser cavity and the optical wave in the laser cavity. The plurality of lasers (3,5) are operated in a time-multiplexed manner such that only a subset (i.e. one or more) of the lasers is operated at any one time, the remaining lasers being idle. This reduces peak power dissipation and prevents erroneous interference caused by measuring beam radiation from one laser entering the cavity of another laser.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for measuring blood flow in living tissue and a device for performing the method. The device comprises a laser and a photo sensor. The laser is arranged to illuminate (10) the tissue in such a way that a portion of the light beam, scattered by the tissue, re-enters the laser in order to obtain a self-mixing effect. The resulting light, that is registered (11) as an electric signal by the photo sensor, contains a speckle pattern that is depending on blood cell movement in the tissue. A Fourier transform is applied (12) to this signal and an exponential fit is applied (13) to the resulting frequency domain spectrum. Thereby parameters corresponding to the amount of blood cells and the average velocity of these cells may be obtained.

Abstract: Sweat ducts present on finger prints can be used in biometric identification or authentication systems as a differentiating or corroborating biometric feature. In addition, the activity of sweat ducts can be seen as a proof of liveness. By stimulating an object such as a finger by blowing air over the skin surface, it is possible to evoke sweat from the sweat ducts. The presence of these small droplets of sweat on the skin surface can be used to locate the position of sweat ducts, using either a spatial or temporal analysis of images of the skin surface. In addition, a temporal analysis can highlight sweat duct activity, which in turn can be used as a proof of liveness.