Abstract: A tunable optical filter comprises a resonant grating layer having an aperiodic pattern, an optional sublayer, a waveguide layer, and a substrate layer, wherein at least one of the waveguide layer and the sublayer, when present is inhomogenous. In some instances, the optional sublayer and/or the waveguide layer may comprise a thickness gradient. Incident light may be filtered and/or reflected by an optical filter, for instance a band of incident electromagnetic radiation has 90% or greater transmittance or reflectance and adjacent bands of incident electromagnetic radiation have 10% or less transmittance or reflectance, respectively.

Abstract: A system for obtaining spectral images from polarized light comprising a polarization sensitive filter; the polarization sensitive filter being configured to receive light at at least one predetermined polarization orientation; and an achromatic waveplate operatively associated with the polarization sensitive filter; the achromatic waveplate being rotatable; whereby rotation of the achromatic waveplate enables light to enter the polarization sensitive spectral filter at at least two predetermined polarization orientations.

Abstract: A trauma resistant anti ballistic helmet (TRABH) is disclosed. The trauma resistant anti ballistic helmet includes a shell, at least one first Back Face Deformation Shield (BFDS), a ballistic fabric sheet and at least one second Back Face Deformation Shield (BFDS). The shell is composed of a plurality of helmet pre-forms. The at least one first Back Face Deformation Shield (BFDS) is disposed on at least one of an operative front portion, an operative rear portion and at least a portion of a periphery of said shell. The anti ballistic fabric sheet is disposed over the at least one first BFDS covering at least a portion the shell. The at least one second Back Face Deformation Shield (BFDS) is disposed over the ballistic resistant sheet on at least one of an operative front portion, an operative rear portion and at least a portion of the periphery of the shell.

Abstract: A system for obtaining spectral images from polarized light comprising a polarization sensitive filter; the polarization sensitive filter being configured to receive light at at least one predetermined polarization orientation; and an achromatic waveplate operatively associated with the polarization sensitive filter; the achromatic waveplate being rotatable; whereby rotation of the achromatic waveplate enables light to enter the polarization sensitive spectral filter at at least two predetermined polarization orientations.

Abstract: A method of detecting oxygen and/or chemical content in a subject, comprising generating at least one spectral image of the subject; generating at least one spectral image of a reference object; comparing spectrum from the subject image to the reference image to thereby reveal the relative oxygen content of the subject. A system for determining the level of oxygenation of the blood of a subject body part comprising: a hyperspectral image generator for generating a plurality of spectral images; an image capture device for capturing the spectral images; a processor for generating hyperspectral image cubes such that the spectrum of the body part is extracted and normalized using the spectrum from the reference object to cancel out the spectral response of the light source and the imager; said processor comparing spectral from a subject image to reference images to thereby reveal the relative oxygen content of the subject.

Abstract: A method of detecting oxygen and/or chemical content in a subject, comprising generating at least one spectral image of the subject; generating at least one spectral image of a reference object; comparing spectrum from the subject image to the reference image to thereby reveal the relative oxygen content of the subject. A system for determining the level of oxygenation of the blood of a subject body part comprising: a hyperspectral image generator for generating a plurality of spectral images; an image capture device for capturing the spectral images; a processor for generating hyperspectral image cubes such that the spectrum of the body part is extracted and normalized using the spectrum from the reference object to cancel out the spectral response of the light source and the imager; said processor comparing spectral from a subject image to reference images to thereby reveal the relative oxygen content of the subject.

Abstract: Embodiments of hyperspectral scene projection/generation systems and methods are disclosed. One method embodiment, among others, comprises dispersing a beam of light at one of a plurality of selectable wavelengths, the beam of light corresponding to a scene, and displaying a spectral image of the scene corresponding to the dispersed beam of light at one of the plurality of selectable wavelengths.

Abstract: A portable acousto-optical (AO) spectrometer system comprised of at least one AO crystal cell device specially designed for cancellation of side-lobe noise at a desired tuned wavelength of operation. Each AO crystal cell device has a transducer attached and forms an AO tunable filter (AOTF) and forms part of a photo-head assembly. The system can include an optical fiber link between the AO spectrometer photo-head assembly and additional features such as an optical alignment coupling attachment that couple an excitation source such as a laser that operates in either pulse or continuous mode, a probing fiber that provides a hand-held member that can emit a source radiation and in turn observe radiation reflected from an observed sample. There are two embodiment of the AO crystal cell device. Either embodiment of the AO crystal cell design can be used in the system, providing a vibration-insensitive AO spectrometer instrument having high sensitivity, accuracy and resolution capabilities.

Abstract: A portable acousto-optical (AO) spectrometer system comprised of at least one AO crystal cell device specially designed for cancellation of side-lobe noise at a desired tuned wavelength of operation. Each AO crystal cell device has a transducer attached and forms an AO tunable filter (AOTF) and forms part of a photo-head assembly. The system can include an optical fiber link between the AO spectrometer photo-head assembly and additional features such as an optical alignment coupling attachment that couple an excitation source such as a laser that operates in either pulse or continuous mode, a probing fiber that provides a hand-held member that can emit a source radiation and in turn observe radiation reflected from an observed sample. There are two embodiment of the AO crystal cell device. Either embodiment of the AO crystal cell design can be used in the system, providing a vibration-insensitive AO spectrometer instrument having high sensitivity, accuracy and resolution capabilities.

Abstract: A spectrometric or photo-detector device accessory for illumination of a sample and highly efficient collection of light therefrom includes an ellipsoidal mirror having focal points f1 and f2; a first optical fiber leg having a terminus positioned at or near f1 and containing fibers for conveying light to f1 and collecting light emitted from a sample positioned at f1, a second optical fiber having a terminus positioned at or near f2, for collecting light reflected by the mirror and focussed at f2 and a rigid stand for holding the mirror and fiber optic cables in fixed alignment.

Abstract: GaAs base optical waveguide-based structure for a neural network is discld which may form the basic functional building block of a neural architecture in which the waveguide architecture contains at least three electrically active components which are electrically isolated from each other. The waveguide parameters are such that the laser light propagating through the waveguide is a single-mode in both transverse and lateral directions. A superlattice structure is incorporated in the waveguide core and results in electroabsorption of the input laser light. An electric field is supplied to the active components in order to change the transmission properties of the core material, thus modulating the light passing through the core material.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting target objects which exhibit ratios of reflectance values that are substantially the same at two separated wavelengths when compared with background objects having reflectance values that are substantially different at the same two wavelengths has a two channel active optical sensor and logic circuitry. A first signal is transmitted at a wavelength lambda-1 which is different from a second signal which is transmitted at a wavelength lambda-2. The two signals are directed towards an object which reflects the signals therefrom. The reflected signals are received and a ratio is calculated. The ratio is compared with a predetermined threshold value to indicate when a target object has been identified.