Abstract: A glass composition for use as a laser medium, a method for producing the glass composition, and a laser apparatus including the glass composition are provided. The glass composition includes a host glass; a 3p component having a concentration of about 5 mole percent to about 10 mole percent; and at least one of a 6p component having a concentration of about 1 mole percent to about 5 mole percent and a 5p component having a concentration of about 1 mole percent to about 5 mole percent.

Abstract: Generation of a cylindrically polarized light beam, and in particular, a hybrid-azimuthal-radial polarization beams, called HARP modes, generated from an input linearly polarized Gaussian beam using a spun optical waveguide device is taught. The HARP modes are comprised of hybrid-azimuthal polarization (HAP) and hybrid-radial polarization (HRP) superposition modes. These beams possess a non-zero local angular momentum density that is spatially varying and a zero total angular momentum.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for medical practitioners to detect the presence of abnormal cells including cancerous and pre-cancerous cells by using a transport capsule containing an imaging apparatus including UV sources and fluorescence detectors for obtaining images and fluorescence data of biological cells and tissue. The method includes the steps of scanning biological tissue using an ultra-violet (UV) source to obtain fluorescence data, transferring fluorescence data and/or images using a radio frequency (RF) or other suitable means to a personal computer (PC) system, analyzing the image and/or fluorescence data in the PC, identifying -tissues with precancerous and cancerous cells, and optionally determining their precise location, and assessing the accuracy of the calculated fluoroscopic images.

Abstract: A glass composition for use as a laser medium, a method for producing the glass composition, and a laser apparatus including the glass composition are provided. The glass composition includes a host glass; a 3p component having a concentration of about 5 mole percent to about 10 mole percent; and at least one of a 6p component having a concentration of about 1 mole percent to about 5 mole percent and a 5p component having a concentration of about 1 mole percent to about 5 mole percent.

Abstract: The present application is directed to methods for detecting cancerous, pre-cancerous and benign/normal tissue using phosphorescence or the combination of fluorescence and phosphorescence emission from the tissue excited in 280 to 340 nm range. In particular, the application describes methods using a ratio of intensity of fluorescence emission to intensity of phosphorescence emission to provide a rapid cancer, pre-cancer and benign detection method. Normal human breast and prostate tissue, excited in 270 to 300 nm range, express the emission signatures at 340 nm, 440 nm and 500 nm. Cancerous tissue shows only minor emissions at 500 nm, thus the ratio of 340 nm peak to 500 nm peak emission intensities provides information about malignancy of a tissue. Fiber optic based instrumentation can be used to collect the luminescence signal from an area of a tissue less than 1 mm in diameter and using the described method can be screened to determine the state of the tissue sample taken.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of use for detecting vulnerable plaque (VP) in arterial walls is provided. The method includes measuring whether the Raman spectrum of adipose (lipid) tissue signal is present in a Raman signal from aortic intimal wall tissue. The Raman vibration modes for VP are strong bands at about 1435 cm?1, about 2850 cm?1, and about 2892 cm?1 and will be present when the aortic intimal wall tissue is thin.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and a method for detecting the presence of one or more objects in a turbid medium, the method including: illuminating at least a portion of the turbid medium with incident light having at least one wavelength which interacts with the one or more objects contained in the turbid medium differently than the incident light interacts with the turbid medium; measuring light that emerges from the turbid medium; and detecting and locating the one or more objects using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) of the emergent light from the turbid medium. The present invention is useful for medical applications, such as for finding and locating, a tumor(s) in body organs, or excised tissues. Moreover, the present invention can be used to locate objects in obscuring medium, such as, mines in shallow coastal water, a plane in fog, military targets under fog, smoke or cloud cover.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for producing SuperContinuum (SC) light for medical and biological applications is provided. Pulses are focused from a laser system into at least one of a pressurized cell and one or more fibers. A pump pulse is converted into the SC light at a specified rate of repetition. The SC light is applied at the specified rate of repetition to tissue for medical and biological applications.

Abstract: Generation of a cylindrically polarized light beam, and in particular, a hybrid-azimuthal-radial polarization beams, called HARP modes, generated from an input linearly polarized Gaussian beam using a spun optical waveguide device is taught. The HARP modes are comprised of hybrid-azimuthal polarization (HAP) and hybrid-radial polarization (HRP) superposition modes. These beams possess a non-zero local angular momentum density that is spatially varying and a zero total angular momentum.

Abstract: Spectral optical imaging at one or more key water absorption fingerprint wavelengths measures the difference in water content between a region of cancerous or precancerous tissue and a region of normal tissue. Water content is an important diagnostic parameter because cancerous and precancerous tissues have different water content than normal tissues. Key water absorption wavelengths include at least one of 980 nanometers (nm), 1195 nm, 1456 nm, 1944 nm, 2880 nm to 3360 nm, and 4720 nm. In the range of 400 nm to 6000 nm, one or more points of negligible water absorption are used as reference points for a comparison with one or more key neighboring water absorption wavelengths. Different images are generated using at least two wavelengths, including a water absorption wavelength and a negligible water absorption wavelength, to yield diagnostic information relevant for classifying a tissue region as cancerous, precancerous, or normal.

Abstract: An optical technique to improve the imaging of a target inside suspensions of scattering particles includes the illumination of the scattering particles with circularly polarized light. The backscattered light from the host medium preserves the helicity of incident light, while the backscattered light reflected from the target is predominated with light of opposite helicity. Based on the observed helicity difference in the emerging light that originated at the target and that backscattered from the medium, the present optical technique improves the image contrast using circular polarization. This approach makes use of polarization memory which leads to the reflected light from the target accompanied by weak diffusive backscattered light. Using the present technique, improved imaging of the artery wall is achieved and plaque composition can be assessed through a blood field associated with the artery.

Abstract: A laser medium includes a single crystal of chromium-doped LiScl-xInxGe1-ySiyO4, where 0?x?1 and 0?y?1. Preferably, x and y are not both 0. A laser, such as a tunable near infrared laser, can contain the laser medium.

Abstract: A method is described to improve and produce purer Cr4+-doped laser materials and lasers with reduced co-incorporation of chromium in any other valence states, such as Cr3+, Cr2+, Cr5+, and Cr6+. The method includes: 1) certain crystals of olivine structure with large cation (Ca) in octahedral sites such as Cr4+:Ca2GeO4, Cr4+:Ca2SiO4, Cr4+:Ca2GexSi1-xO4 (where 0<x<1), and/or 2) high-temperature solution growth techniques that enable the growth of the crystals below the temperature of polymorphic transitions by using low melting point solvent based on oxide, fluoride and/or chloride compounds. Purer Cr4+-doped laser materials are characterized by a relatively high concentration of Cr4+-lasing ion in crystalline host that makes these materials suitable for compact high power (thin disk/wedge) NIR laser applications.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and a method for detecting the presence of one or more objects in a turbid medium, the method including: illuminating at least a portion of the turbid medium with incident light having at least one wavelength which interacts with the one or more objects contained in the turbid medium differently than the incident light interacts with the turbid medium; measuring light that emerges from the turbid medium; and detecting and locating the one or more objects using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) of the emergent light from the turbid medium. The present invention is useful for medical applications, such as for finding and locating, a tumor(s) in body organs, or excised tissues. Moreover, the present invention can be used to locate objects in obscuring medium, such as, mines in shallow coastal water, a plane in fog, military targets under fog, smoke or cloud cover.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in examining an object, such as skin, mucosa and cervical tissues for detecting cancer and precancerous conditions therein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a gun-shaped housing having a handle portion and a barrel portion. The front end of the barrel portion is open, and a glass cover is mounted therein. LED's are disposed within the handle portion. A manually-operable switch for controlling actuation of the LED's is accessible on the handle portion. An optical fiber is used to transmit light from the LED's through a first polarizer in the barrel portion and then through the glass cover to illuminate a desired object. Reflected light from the object is passed through a second polarizer, which is adjustably mounted in the barrel portion and which is preferably oriented to pass depolarized light emitted from an illuminated object, and is then imaged by optics onto a CCD detector.

Abstract: A laser medium includes a single crystal of Cr4+:Mg2-xMxSi1-yAyO4, where, where M is a bivalent ion having an ionic radius larger than Mg2+, and A is a tetravalent ion having an ionic radius larger than Si4+. In addition, either a) 0?x<2 and 0<y<1 or b) 0<x<2 and y is 0 or 1 with the proviso that if M is Ca2+ and x=1 then y is not 0. The laser medium can be used in a laser device, such as a tunable near infrared (NIR) laser.

Abstract: A laser medium includes a single crystal of Cr4+:Mg2-xMxSi1-yAyO4, where, where M is a bivalent ion having an ionic radius larger than Mg2+, and A is a tetravalent ion having an ionic radius larger than Si4+. In addition, either a) 0?x<2 and 0<y<1 or b) 0<x<2 and y is 0 or 1 with the proviso that if M is Ca2+ and x=1 then y is not 0. The laser medium can be used in a laser device, such as a tunable near infrared (NIR) laser.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of detecting biological molecules, the method including the steps of: performing Terahertz (THz) absorption spectroscopy, performed in a first frequency range of 0.2 to 2.2 THz (10-79.2 cm?1), on at least one sample including a substance comprising the biological molecules, the substance being selected from at least one of tryptophan, albumin bovine, DNA, nucleotides, bacillus subtilis, spore, and DPA; calculating a frequency-dependent absorption value of biological molecules; performing THz absorption spectroscopy on at least one reference substance; detecting the substance through the frequency-dependent absorption value by comparison of absorption peaks; and outputting information proving existence of the substance in the sample. The method further creates a library of known THz frequency modes on spectra to identify the presence of unknown substance in biological and chemical composite media.

Abstract: A system for detecting ice formation on metal, painted metal and other material surfaces can include a transparent window having an exterior surface upon which ice can form; a light source and optics configured and arranged to illuminate the exterior surface of the window from behind the exterior surface; and a detector and optics configured and arranged to receive light backscattered by the exterior surface and any ice disposed on the exterior surface and determine the thickness of the ice layer. For example, the system can be used with aircraft by placing one or more windows in the wings of the aircraft. The system is used for a novel optical method for real-time on-board detection and warning of ice formation on surfaces of airplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other vehicles and stationary structures to improve their safety and operation.

Abstract: A system and method for producing a multiple optical channel source (MOCS). The method includes producing the SC in a medium using at least one femto-second or pico-second optical input pump pulse; splitting input pump pulse or resultant output SC pulse(s) into a plurality of collinear pulses; applying a time delay ? between the least one of input pump pulse or SC pulses; and producing a MOCS by the spectral interference of the plurality of SC pulses. The system includes a laser producing femto-second or pico-second pump pulses, a medium with a high value of the ?(3) nonlinear response to produce spectrally coherent SC, an optical system for delivery of laser pump pulses into the SC producing medium, an optical system for splitting the input pump pulses or output SC pulses into a plurality of collinear pulses, and a means for applying a time delay ? between the plurality of pump or SC pulses.