The present random access PCR reactor for biological analysis, comprises of a number of PCR reactors held on a platform, and one optical system to be shared by all of the PCR reactors on the platform. The optical system is held on a traverse mechanism to move it over any one of the PCR reactors that are ready to be imaged. Other PCR reactors on the platform can be accesses and replaced. The optical system has a lightpipe and a lightguide that distributes a uniform light over all the samples held on the reactor. The lightguide of the present optical system has a set of light reflecting structures that are strategically located to uniformly reflect an incoming light towards all the samples held in the PCR reactor that is being tested.

A fiber optic temperature probe is disclosed. The fiber optic temperature probe includes a probe shaft containing an optical fiber. An optical temperature sensor element is coupled to the probe shaft and configured to be excited by light from the optical fiber and emit light back to the optical fiber. A thermally conductive plate is coupled to the probe shaft and interfaces with the optical temperature sensor element. Baffling extends from the probe shaft and surrounds the edges of the thermally conductive plate.

A biological material measuring instrument is described. The biological material measuring instrument includes a rotating body and a main body. The rotating body includes one or more cartridge holders having cuvettes in which a reagent and an analyte in a sample react. The main body includes a pair of light-emitting parts and light-receiving parts to optically measure the analyte in the sample. The rotating body further includes a light-emitting optical waveguide for guiding the light of the light-emitting parts to the cuvette and a light-receiving optical waveguide for guiding.

The present invention relates to a method for in situ sensing of water stress in a plant by contacting a plant with a biosensor, where the biosensor comprises a material capable of giving a detectable response to changes in local water potential in the plant and detecting the detectable response thereby sensing water stress in the plant. The invention further relates to a method for determining water potential in a substance, a biosensor, a system for determining water potential in a substance, a method for determining water potential in a substance, a water potential measurement computing device, and a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining water potential in a substance.

An optical sensor system may include a light source. The optical sensor system may include a concentrator component proximate to the light source and configured to concentrate light from the light source with respect to a measurement target. The optical sensor system may include a collection component that includes an array of at least two components configured to receive light reflected or transmitted from the measurement target. The optical sensor system may include may a sensor. The optical sensor system may include a filter provided between the collection component and the sensor.

A photoelectric sensor includes: a placement table configured to allow a workpiece to be placed thereon; a light projecting device including a light emitting element configured to emit light and a converging element configured to converge the light emitted from the light emitting element toward a detection area; and a light receiving device configured to receive the light passing through the detection area from the converging element at a position located on a same plane as the placement table in a direction along an optical axis of the light. The optical axis of the light projected from the light projecting device is set such that the light is incident in a direction perpendicular to an incident surface of the light receiving device and focused on the incident surface of the light receiving device.

A photonic gas sensor and a method for producing a photonic gas sensor are disclosed. In an embodiment a photonic gas sensor includes a component housing with at least one cavity, a radiation-emitting semiconductor chip arranged in the cavity and configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation in a first wavelength range, a radiation-detecting semiconductor chip arranged in the cavity and configured to detect electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range and an active sensor element having a fluorescent dye configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range upon being excited by electromagnetic radiation in the first wavelength range, wherein an intensity of the emitted electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range changes reversibly in presence of a gas to be detected.

A sensor for determining a liquid type, includes: a plano-convex lens; a lens holder configured to support the plano-convex lens via an edge of the lens; an outputting optical fiber that abuts against a plane surface of the plano-convex lens to output light; a light-receiving optical fiber that abuts against the plane surface of the plano-convex lens to receive light; a light-emitting unit connected to the outputting optical fiber; and a light amount measuring unit connected to the light-receiving optical fiber to measure a light amount. The outputting optical fiber is provided so that an end face of the outputting optical fiber is disposed on the edge of the plano-convex lens, and preferably, a central axis thereof at the end face thereof passes through the plane surface of the plano-convex lens.

A digital speckle pattern interferometer (DSPI) is provided for long-range measurement of displacement of materials within a hazardous environments. A test arm of a portion of coherent beam from a laser is aimed at a selected angle to traverse a distance to a test surface. An input collimator has a lens wide enough to receive a reflected beam from the test surface and is focused at a corresponding distance. The reflected beam is combined with a reference beam split from the coherent radiation onto a camera for measuring displacement of the test surface based on an electronic speckle pattern interferometer (ESPI).

A measuring apparatus (100a, 1a) includes a light source (110) configured to emit probe light; a total reflection member (16) in contact with a to-be-measured object and configured to cause total reflection of the probe light that is incident; a light intensity detector (17) configured to detect light intensity of the probe light exiting from the total reflection member (16); an output unit (2) configured to output a measurement value obtained on the basis of the light intensity; a first support (31) supporting the light source (110) and the light intensity detector (17); and a second support (32) provided to the first support (31), detachable from the first support (31), and supporting the total reflection member (16).