Abstract: A night hyper-spectral remote sensing imaging system for multi-component atmospheric trace constituents includes a light source unit, a detection light path unit, an unmanned aerial vehicle tracking light path unit, and a control and processing unit, where the light source unit couples and outputs first light source light with different wavelength ranges capable of imaging at night; the detection light path unit collimates and outputs the first light source light, and receive remote sensing light fed back based on the first light source light; the unmanned aerial vehicle tracking light path unit tracks and positions an unmanned aerial vehicle based on an unmanned aerial vehicle tracking light path; and the control and processing unit collects an original spectrum of the first light source light and a remote sensing spectrum and perform imaging analysis and process on the multi-component atmospheric trace constituents, and adjust and control the tracking light path.

Abstract: A technique allows outputting light reception results of a sensor to an external device with a reduced volume of data while maintaining the features of the results. An input/output device receives light reception results of the sensor and outputs the results to the external device. The sensor includes light receivers to receive light emitted from light emitters. The input/output device has a smaller maximum volume of data transmittable per unit time in communicating with the external device than in communicating with the sensor. The input/output device includes an obtainer that obtains the light reception results, an analyzer that analyzes the light reception results and detects a boundary between a portion of the sensor that has received light and a portion of the sensor that has received no light, and an output unit that outputs data indicating a position of the boundary detected by the analyzer to the external device.

Abstract: A method to optimize a gas processing plant with control parameters. The method includes acquiring a plurality of images, using a camera, of an incoming contaminated fluid and processing, by a computer processor, the plurality of images by a machine-learned model to produce a contamination estimate. The method further includes adjusting the control parameters of the gas processing plant, forming adjusted control parameters based on, at least in part, the contamination estimate. The method further includes receiving a plurality of data signals from a plurality of sensors configured to monitor sub-processes of the gas processing plant and validating the adjusted control parameters with the received data signals by verifying that the adjusted control parameters optimize, or at least improve the performance of, the gas processing plant.

Abstract: A material evaluating device for an agricultural work machine comprising: a light source for illuminating one or more constituent materials to be examined; a spectrometer for providing a spectral signal related to the wavelength-specific intensity of light reflected by the constituent materials; and an evaluation device configured to determine the content of one or more constituent materials using the spectral signal of the spectrometer and a calibration data, wherein a property signal relating to a property of the one or more constituent materials is supplied to the evaluation device and the evaluation device is configured, using the property signal, to determine the content of the one or more constituent materials.

Abstract: An apparatus related method for measuring a property of a target material. The system may include a pump device that generates a pump beam. A modulation device may receive the pump beam and generate a modulated pump beam by modulating an intensity amplitude of the pump beam, which may be directed to the target material. A probe device may generate a probe beam, which is directed to the target material. A part of the probe beam may be reflected off of the target material, and has similar frequency characteristic as the modulated pump beam. A detection device may detect the reflected probe beam and produce a signal. An analyzing device may receive the signal and calculate the target material property by comparing the modulated frequency characteristics of the signal to those of the pump beam. At least one of the pump and the probe beams may be infrared light.

Abstract: A system for enabling a wireless single use sensing sub-system by optimizing electrical power is presented. The system includes the sensing sub-system configured to be employed in a bio process environment. Further, the sensing sub-system includes a sensing unit configured to measure at least one parameter of the bio process environment. Also, the sensing sub-system includes a power source electrically coupled to the sensing unit and configured to transmit an electrical power to the sensing unit. Furthermore, the sensing sub-system includes a switch configured to electrically couple or decouple the sensing unit from the power source. In addition, the system includes a control sub-system including a first controller configured to determine at least one power control parameter based on a user-input data and a sensing sub-system data, and optimize consumption of the electrical power in the sensing sub-system, based on the power control parameter.

Abstract: A sensing arrangement and corresponding detector device includes a sensing area, for accommodating a sensing substance selected for experimenting an optical response as a response of an external stimulus; a light emitter, for emitting light towards said sensing area; a light receiver, for receiving a light from said sensing area; a substrate having a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface; wherein, said light emitter includes a first LED and the light receiver includes a second LED, both LEDs formed on the first substrate surface; and the sensing arrangement further includes a trench, formed between the first LED and the second LED.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of performing subsurface imaging of embedded structures in a substrate underneath a substrate surface, the method comprising the steps of applying, using a signal application actuator, an acoustic input signal to the substrate, detecting, using a vibration sensor, a return signal from the substrate and analyzing the return signal for obtaining information on the embedded structures, for enabling imaging thereof wherein the step of applying the acoustic input signal comprises applying a discontinuous signal of an acoustic signal component to the substrate, the acoustic signal component having a frequency above 1 gigahertz, such that the return signal includes a scattered fraction of the discontinuous signal scattered from the embedded structures. The invention further relates to a system.

Abstract: A measuring method and device based on the second harmonic for the whole area measurement of a wafer comprises three modes: a fixed-point measurement, a scanning measurement, and a combination of the fixed-point measurement and the scanning measurement. The scanning measurement solution measures the entire wafer under the premise of ensuring high measurement efficiency, obtain the position, size and relative density distribution of electrical defects, and achieve locating and checking of abnormal points on the wafer. A new formula system is provided for describing the second harmonic signal, so that the actual measurement results and the theoretical model are unified under the three modes of the fixed-point measurement, the scanning measurement, and the combination of fixed-point measurement and scanning measurement, so that the second harmonic metrology technology is no longer only a qualitative analysis method, but also a quantitative analysis method.

Abstract: A detection apparatus for detecting an object, the detection apparatus includes a housing having an inner surface whose reflectance is equal to or lower than a certain value; an emitter configured to emit infrared rays into the housing; a sensor configured to detect infrared rays; and one or more processors configured to adjust an intensity of reflected infrared rays according to a result of detection by the sensor.

Abstract: Methods and systems of measurement for blown film lines are provided. The sensing system includes a terahertz (THz) sensor positioned adjacent to a film bubble extruded from a blown film die, and a sensor support configured to guide the THz sensor around the circumference of the film bubble to measure its film thickness.

Abstract: The disclosure discloses a laser opto-ultrasonic dual detection method and device using a pulse laser incident on the surface of a sample to generate plasma and the optical emission and ultrasonic waves are generated, to simultaneously analyze the element compositions, structural defects and residual stress of the sample. The detection system includes an excitation unit, a spectrum detection module, an ultrasonic detection module and an analysis control module. The digital delayer generator is connected to the computer, the high-precision 3D displacement platform is electrically connected to the digital delayer generator. The the pulsed laser is focused on and incident onto the surface of the sample to be tested through modulation of the optical path system to generate plasma, which simultaneously generate optical emission and ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic detection unit is configured to detect the ultrasonic waves. The spectrum detection unit is configured to detect the plasma emission spectrum.

Abstract: A hyperspectral detection system of luminescence from solid phase samples that are stimulated with radiation sources. includes an observation region, a sample holder configured to hold one or more solid-phase samples, at least one radiation source configured to irradiate the observation region, and a collector configured to collect the radiation emitted through or reflected by the sample upon irradiation by the at least one radiation source. The collector has a magnification factor value (M) equal to or lower than 20, and has a numerical aperture value equal to or higher than 0.25. A multichannel filter is configured to selectively filter the wavelength of the radiation collected by the collector, and an image sensor is configured to receive the filtered radiation and generate an image that is a two-dimensional map of the sample.

Abstract: A non-contact non-destructive testing method includes spatially and/or temporally controlling a laser excitation light based on a predetermined pattern. The laser excitation light is projected onto a surface of a test object to generate acoustic waves on the test object. The acoustic waves apply stress loading to the test object. The method also includes imaging the test object with and without stress loading using shearography imaging, and analyzing shearography imaging data to determine a presence of a defect in the test object.

Abstract: A method for super-resolution photoacoustic microscopy of an object. The method includes optically exciting the object according to a plurality of excitation patterns utilizing a digital micromirror device (DMD), receiving a plurality of acoustic waves propagated from the object due to optically exciting the object, reconstructing each of a plurality of photoacoustic (PA) images from a respective acoustic wave of the plurality of acoustic waves, and obtaining a super-resolution PA image of the object from the plurality of PA images by applying a frequency domain reconstruction method to the plurality of PA images. Each of the plurality of acoustic waves are associated with a respective excitation pattern of the plurality of excitation patterns.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system for sensing occlusions in an optical system includes a first laser source configured to generate optical signals and a set of optical elements arranged to receive the optical signals from the first laser source and to direct the optical signals along a beam path. The system also includes a detector arranged to receive reflections of the optical signals traveling along at least a portion of the beam path and a control system communicably coupled to the detector. The control system is configured to detect, based on signals generated by the detector, reflection signals associated with the reflections of the optical signals, and disable a second laser source based on detection of the reflection signals.

Abstract: A signal processing circuit uses gate signals corresponding to a plurality of divided measurement ranges to extract a fine particle pulse signal from a light reception level signal generated by an optical pickup, count the pulse number for each of the gate signals, and output a count value for each of the divided measurement ranges. A count value in-plane distribution generating unit generates count value in-plane distribution data in a measurement range based on the count value. A reaction region position coordinate computation unit estimates positions of all reaction regions from the count value in-plane distribution data. A reaction region count value computation unit calculates the count values for each of all the estimated reaction regions.

Abstract: A laser module includes a plurality of light emission regions and the plurality of light emission regions emit a plurality of laser beams. An optical waveguide and a lens condense the plurality of laser beams to an identical focal point. An adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust relative positional relation between the sample stage and a condenser lens (the optical waveguide and the lens). A controller is configured to switch between a single-point irradiation mode and a multi-point irradiation mode. The single-point irradiation mode refers to a mode in which the adjustment mechanism is controlled such that the focal point of the plurality of laser beams falls on the thin film. The multi-point irradiation mode refers to a mode in which the adjustment mechanism is controlled such that the focal point does not fall on the thin film.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inspecting or characterizing samples, such as by characterizing patterned features or structures of the sample. In an aspect, the technology relates to a method for characterizing a patterned structure of a sample. The method includes directing a pump beam to a first position on a surface of the sample to induce a surface acoustic wave in the sample and directing a probe beam to a second position on the sample, where the probe beam is affected by the surface acoustic wave when the probe beam reflects from the surface of the sample. The method also includes detecting the reflected probe beam, analyzing the detected reflected probe beam to identify a frequency mode in the reflected probe beam, and based on the identified frequency mode, determining at least one of a width or a pitch of a patterned feature in the sample.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic wave transmission structure which is provided on a path of ultrasonic waves to amplify incident ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic wave transmission structure includes: multiple rings each provided with a body portion having a different radius from other body portions and spaced apart from another body portion adjacent thereto and a slit disposed between adjacent body portions; and a membrane disposed in the multiple rings, wherein the mass of the membrane is adjusted to vary a resonant frequency in multiple sub-membrane regions.

Abstract: Aspects herein include filter elements and filtration systems. In an embodiment, a filter element for a filtration system is included. The filter element can include a filter body and a filter media disposed within the filter body. A wireless power receiver can be associated with the filter body. The wireless power receiver can include a receiving antenna, a control circuit in electrical communication with the wireless power receiver, and a feedback channel circuit in communication with the control circuit and configured to transmit through a channel separate from the receiving antenna. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: A radar data transceiver, a ranging method, and a LiDAR are provided. The transceiver includes: a synchronization module, configured to generate a synchronization signal and send the synchronization signal to an emission module and a receiving module separately; the emission module, connected with the synchronization module and configured to delay the synchronization signal according to a preset delay policy, generate a first emission signal, and emit the first emission signal; and the receiving module, connected with the synchronization module and configured to receive a reflected signal, generate a first histogram according to the reflected signal and the synchronization signal, and superimpose histograms obtained by n measurements to generate an echo signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods determine an angle of an articulated trailer relative to a tractor that the trailer is hitched to. An optical encoder is positioned beneath a fifth-wheel of a tractor to couples with a kingpin of the trailer when the trailer is hitched to the tractor. The optical coupler has a rotating shaft that may include pins that physically interact with the kingpin and/or may include a magnet that magnetically attaches to the kingpin. A clearance and cleaning block may be positioned on the spring plate to interact with a bottom surface of a kingpin of the trailer during hitching of the trailer to the tractor. A LIDAR attached to the tractor may detect a front end of the trailer to determine the trailer angle relative to the tractor.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a serum or plasma portion of a specimen in a specimen container provides a fine-grained HILN index (hemolysis, icterus, lipemia, normal) of the serum or plasma portion of the specimen, wherein the H, I, and L classes may each have five to seven sub-classes. The HILN index may also have one un-centrifuged class. Pixel data of an input image of the specimen container may be processed by a deep semantic segmentation network having, in some embodiments, more than 100 layers. A small front-end container segmentation network may be used to determine a container type and boundary, which may additionally be input to the deep semantic segmentation network. A discriminative network may be used to train the deep semantic segmentation network to generate a homogeneously structured output. Quality check modules and testing apparatus configured to carry out the method are also described, as are other aspects.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting photothermal effect in a sample are described herein. In these systems and methods, a pump source is configured to generate a pump pulse train, a probe source is configured to generate a probe pulse train and is synchronized with the pump pulse train, and a camera collects the resulting data. The camera is configured to collect a first signal corresponding to a hot frame, wherein the hot frame includes visible probe beam as modified by a pump beam and a second signal corresponding to a cold frame, wherein the cold frame includes visible probe beam that has not been modified by a pump beam. A processor can subtract the second signal from the first signal to detect the photothermal effect.

Abstract: A quality check module for characterizing a specimen and/or a specimen container including stray light compensation. The quality check module includes an imaging location within the quality check module configured to receive a specimen container containing a specimen, one or more image capture devices configured to capture images of the imaging location from one or more viewpoints, and one or more light sources configured to provide back lighting for the one or more image capture devices, and one or more stray light patches located in an area receiving stray light from the one or more light sources enabling stray light affecting the images to be compensated for and to provide a stray light compensated image. Calibration methods, methods of characterizing a specimen, specimen testing apparatus including a quality check module, and specimen container carriers including one or more stray light patches are provided, as are other aspects.

Abstract: Photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy system and method for accumulating separately a “pump on” light beam and a “pump off light beam reflecting off a sample. The system comprises: (a) a probe source for producing a probe beam, the probe beam is used for measuring spectral reflectivity of a sample, (b) a pump source for producing a pump beam, (c) at least one spectrometer, (d) a first modulation device to allow the pump beam to alternatingly modulate the spectral reflectivity of the sample, so that, a light beam reflecting from the sample is alternatingly a “pump on” light beam and a “pump off light beam, (e) a second modulation device in a path of the light beam reflecting off the sample to alternatingly direct the “pump on” light beam and the “pump off light beam to the at least one spectrometer, and (f) a computer.

Abstract: A turbidity sensor for a water-bearing domestic appliance includes a sensor housing having a housing main part and two housing projections protruding from the housing main part side by side and at a distance from one another, where the two housing projections delimit between them a measuring channel for a liquid to be measured. One of the housing projections emits a measuring light beam along a measuring path which runs transversely through the measuring channel to the other housing projection. The measuring path crosses the measuring channel in the channel longitudinal direction remote from a point of smallest channel width of the measuring channel or the measuring channel has a constriction at a longitudinal distance from its longitudinal midpoint, at which constriction the channel width is smaller than in a region of a longitudinal midpoint.

Abstract: A spectrometer probe is disclosed herein including a shaft having a first end and a second end, a fiberoptic bundle located within the shaft, the fiberoptic bundle having a first end and a second end, a mirror, a transparent window, a prism, a prism support, an elastically deformable material, an index-matching elastomer, wherein the prism is completely encompassed by the index-matching elastomer, and a penetration cone operatively attached to the second end of the fiberoptic bundle, the mirror located within the second end of the shaft, wherein the transparent window is substantially parallel with the fiberoptic bundle and the shaft, wherein the prism is angled at approximately a 45 degree angle in relation to the window and the fiberoptic bundle, wherein the prism is flush with the prism support, wherein the elastically deformable material is biasly connected to the prism support.

Abstract: A system for evaluating a high voltage asset (HV asset) comprises a PD detector disposed in the HV asset. The PD detector comprises an electrical coupler configured to couple electrical disturbances indicative of a partial discharge from a high voltage conductor of the HV asset to an electrical-to-optical converter. The electrical-to-optical converter comprises a light emitter, and is configured to convert the electrical disturbances to a light signal. An optical power receiver is disposed in the high voltage asset and coupled to the PD detector. The optical power receiver is configured to receive optical power from an external optical power source via a non-conducting optical fiber arrangement. The electrical-to-optical converter is configured to communicate the light signal indicative of the partial discharge to an electronic device external of high voltage asset via the non-conducting optical fiber arrangement.

Abstract: An optically thin sample of a sample material is analyzed by propagating probe electromagnetic radiation from a beam source along a plurality of different ray paths, directing each ray so that each ray path intersects upon the sample at a plurality of different locations where the rays interact with the sample material to cause a modification of the ray. The rays received at each of a plurality of detection spatial region are measured separately and the measurements analyzed to provide information about at least one property of the sample material at each interaction location. An analysis is carried out to trace the path of probe radiation from a location at the probe beam source to the detection spatial region on the detection surface so as to identify the interaction locations so as to provide information about the presence of target material at each interaction location.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing photothermal dynamic imaging. An exemplary method includes: scanning a sample to produce a plurality of raw photothermal dynamic signals; receiving the raw photothermal dynamic signals of the sample; generating a plurality of second signals by matched filtering the raw photothermal dynamic signals to reject non-modulated noise; and performing an inverse operation on the second signals to retrieve at least one thermodynamic signal in a temporal domain.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a vertical position of at least one interface between a first component and at least one second component, the components comprised as different layers in a sample container. The apparatus comprises a first sensing unit and a first light detector configured to generate a first sensing signal, a second sensing unit comprising a second light detector configured to generate a second sensing signal, a driving unit configured to move the sample container, a position sensing unit configured to output a position sensing signal indicative of a vertical position of the sample container, a vertical position determining unit configured to match the first and the second sensing signal such that first and the second sensing signal correspond to identical vertical positions, and to determine the vertical position of the at least one interface in response to the matched sensing signals and the position sensing signal.

Abstract: A photoacoustic detection system (20) includes a detector (22) that has a chamber (24), a pulsed light source (26), piezoelectric tuning forks (28), and a photosensor (30). The chamber has an inlet and an outlet for flow of an analyte. The pulsed light source is adjacent the chamber and is operable to emit a light beam along a path through the chamber. The tuning forks are arranged along the path, and each of the tuning forks is operable to emit first sensor signals. The photosensor is arranged along the path and is operable to emit second sensor signals. A controller (38) is connected to receive the first and second sensor signals. The controller is configured to determine whether a target species is present in the analyte based on the first sensor signals and determine whether the target species is present in the analyte based on the second sensor signals.

Abstract: A fabrication method of a SERS substrate includes (a) preparing a hydrophilic membrane; (b) dipping the hydrophilic membrane in an alcohol; (c) immersing the hydrophilic membrane in a chloride ion aqueous solution; and (d) depositing Ag or Au nanoparticles on the hydrophilic membrane by suction filtration to form the SERS substrate. The hydrophilic membrane includes 10˜20 wt % PVDF, PTFE, PC, PES, nylon, or mixtures thereof, 10˜20 wt % PVP, and 0.2˜1.6 wt % PMMA, PHEMA, or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inspection system includes an illuminator, an imager, and a processor. The illuminator irradiates light into an interior of a hole. The imager acquires a first image by imaging the interior of the hole where the light is irradiated. The processor detecting a blockage of at least a portion of the hole based on a luminance of the hole inside the first image.

Abstract: An apparatus related method for measuring a property of a target material. The system may include a pump device that generates a pump beam. A modulation device may receive the pump beam and generate a modulated pump beam by modulating an intensity amplitude of the pump beam, which may be directed to the target material. A probe device may generate a probe beam, which is directed to the target material. A part of the probe beam may be reflected off of the target material, and has similar frequency characteristic as the modulated pump beam. A detection device may detect the reflected probe beam and produce a signal. An analyzing device may receive the signal and calculate the target material property by comparing the modulated frequency characteristics of the signal to those of the pump beam. At least one of the pump and the probe beams may be infrared light.

Abstract: Mid-infrared photothermal heterodyne imaging (MIR-PHI) techniques described herein overcome the diffraction limit of traditional MIR imaging and uses visible photodiodes as detectors. MIR-PHI experiments are shown that achieve high sensitivity, sub-diffraction limit spatial resolution, and high acquisition speed. Sensitive, affordable, and widely applicable, photothermal imaging techniques described herein can serve as a useful imaging tool for biological systems and other submicron-scale applications.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical particle sensor (1) comprising: at least one light source (2, 2r, 2g, 2b) configured to emit light rays (20), at least one channel (3) intended to receive a fluid transporting at least one particle (30), and to at least partially receive the light rays (20) emitted by the at least one source (2, 2r, 2g, 2b), such that said light rays (20) are partially scattered by the at least one particle (30), at least one photodetector (4) capable of receiving said scattered light rays (20), said sensor (1) being characterised in that the at least one source (2, 2r, 2g, 2b) has an emission face (21) facing one side (D) of the sensor and in that the at least one photodetector (4) has a receiving face (41) facing the same side (D) of the sensor (1), such that the light rays received by the at least one photodetector are light rays (20b) backscattered by the at least one particle (30), for at least 90% of them.

Abstract: A object detection apparatus may include: an object detection sensor having a cover for protecting the object detection sensor from foreign matter, and configured to sense a target object by transmitting a scan signal to the target object and receiving a sensing signal reflected from the target object; a protection film part including a protection film disposed on an outer surface of the cover to prevent contamination of the cover by foreign matter; and a control unit configured to replace the protection film disposed on the outer surface of the cover through a winding operation for the protection film part when a protection film replacement condition is satisfied due to contamination of the protection film, in order to prevent a reduction in sensing performance of the object detection sensor due to contamination by foreign matter.

Abstract: A camera assembly for determining depth information for a local area includes a light source assembly, a camera assembly, and a controller. The light source assembly projects pulses of light into the local area. The camera assembly images a portion of the local area illuminated with the pulses. The camera assembly includes augmented pixels, each augmented pixel having a plurality of gates and at least some of the gates have a respective local storage location. An exposure interval of each augmented pixel is divided into intervals associated with the gates, and each local storage location stores image data during a respective interval. The controller reads out, after the exposure interval of each augmented pixel, the image data stored in the respective local storage locations of each augmented pixel to generate image data frames. The controller determines depth information for the local area based in part on the image data frames.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a communication unit including a first transmitter and a second transmitter. The communication unit is coupled to an on-board computing device including at least one processor coupled to a memory device. The processor is configured to obtain a position of the inspection apparatus, unprocessed image data, and fluid concentration data for at least one fluid. The processor geotags the data with the position of the inspection apparatus and transmits the data to a remote processing device. The geotagged image data is transferred using the first transmitter and the geotagged fluid concentration data is transmitted using the second transmitter.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for optimizing bitumen production from a plurality of wells employing steam-based recovery techniques such as SAGD, using hyperspectral imaging of produced emulsion samples to estimate total bitumen content at each well as a means of determining steam injection adjustment to enhance production.

Abstract: An organic electro-luminescent element having a luminescence peak in a near-infrared range, comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and at least one organic layer including a luminescent layer located between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the luminescent layer comprises a host material, a delayed fluorescent material and a luminescent material, wherein each of the delayed fluorescent material and the luminescent material have a structure with two or three benzene rings bonded to an N atom.

Abstract: A method of determining the transmittance of a transparent article (250) includes the steps of obtaining a measurement of a first intensity of electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted by reference surface (80) with an intensity measuring device (400), positioning the transparent article (250) over the reference surface (80), obtaining a measurement of a second intensity of electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the transparent article (250) that is reflected or emitted by a region (110) of the reference surface (80) that is covered by the transparent article (250) with the intensity measuring device (400); and calculating the transmittance using the measurements of the first intensity and the second intensity.

Abstract: A system and method for authentication of objects, which includes directing a laser beam onto a surface of an object to induce a thermoelastic excitation in bulk material of the object without altering the surface of the object, wherein the laser beam is pulsed. A surface ultrasonic wave at the surface of the object caused by the thermoelastic excitation is detected using a detector. A detection signal is generated using the detected surface ultrasonic wave. Digital data is generated using the detection signal. Authenticity of the object is determined by comparing the digital data and reference data stored in a database.

Abstract: A measuring device is provided for measuring the absorption of gases. The measuring device (1) includes a radiation source (2), a first detector element (3), a second detector element (9) and a reflector array (4). The reflector array (4) defines a first optical path (5) between the radiation source (2) and the first detector element (3) and defines a second optical path (10) between the radiation source (2) and the second detector element (9). The first optical path (5) has at least two points of intersection with itself and the second detector element (9) is arranged outside of a first plane which is defined by the radiation source (2) and two points of intersection (6) of the first optical path (5).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for optical imaging and scanning of holes machined, drilled or otherwise formed in a substrate made of composite or metallic material. The method utilizes an optical instrument for imaging and scanning a hole in combination with an image processor configured (e.g., programmed) to post-process the image data to generate one complete planarized image without conical optical distortion. The optical instrument includes an optical microscope with confocal illumination and a conical mirror axially positioned to produce a full 360-degree sub-image with conical distortion. In the post-processing step, a mathematical transformation in the form of computer-executable code is used to transform the raw conical sub-images to planar sub-images. The planarized sub-images may be stitched together to form a complete planarized image of the hole.

Abstract: For comparing first optical properties of a first fluid with second optical properties of a second fluid a first transparent grating having a grating constant is made of the first liquid, and a second transparent grating also having the grating constant is made of the second liquid. The second transparent grating is arranged at a lateral offset of less than 45% of the grating constant with regard to the first transparent grating such that grating bars of the first and second transparent gratings are arranged side by side. Coherent light is directed onto the first and second transparent gratings such that light which passed through the grating bars of the first and second transparent gratings forms a diffraction pattern comprising intensity maxima. Two light intensities of two intensity maxima of a same order higher than zero are measured and compared to each other.

Abstract: A photoacoustic remote sensing system (PARS) for imaging a subsurface structure in a sample has an excitation beam configured to generate ultrasonic signals in the sample at an excitation location; an interrogation beam incident on the sample at the excitation location, a portion of the interrogation beam returning from the sample that is indicative of the generated ultrasonic signals; an optical system that focuses at least one of the excitation beam and the interrogation beam with a focal point that is below the surface of the sample; and a detector that detects the returning portion of the interrogation beam.