A method of optical analysis comprises receiving light at an optical spectrometer module from a light source, distributing the received light into two or more light beams with a light distribution component of the optical spectrometer module, concurrently exposing each of a reference and one or more test samples to one of the two or more light beams, and concurrently measuring a property of the light associated with each of the reference sample and one or more test samples with a corresponding detector.

The present invention provides a time-resolved single-photon counting apparatus, including an excitation light source for generating pulsed excitation light, a specimen optics for collecting an optical signal caused by irradiating the pulsed excitation light to a specimen, a photoelectric converter for photoelectrically converting the optical signal to generate an analog single-photon signal, an analog-to-digital (AD) signal converter for sampling the analog single-photon signal to convert the same into a digital single-photon signal, a digital photon-discrimination and timing detector for generating a photon-discrimination signal by discriminating the single-photon property of the digital single-photon signal to count a pulse time point of the digital single-photon signal to generate a delay time signal having delay time information, and a time-signal processor for counting valid single-photon detection events according to the delay time with reference to the photon-discrimination signal.

The present invention provides a time-resolved single-photon counting apparatus, including an excitation light source for generating pulsed excitation light, a specimen optics for collecting an optical signal caused by irradiating the pulsed excitation light to a specimen, a photoelectric converter for photoelectrically converting the optical signal to generate an analog single-photon signal, an analog-to-digital (AD) signal converter for sampling the analog single-photon signal to convert the same into a digital single-photon signal, a digital photon-discrimination and timing detector for generating a photon-discrimination signal by discriminating the single-photon property of the digital single-photon signal to count a pulse time point of the digital single-photon signal to generate a delay time signal having delay time information, and a time-signal processor for counting valid single-photon detection events according to the delay time with reference to the photon-discrimination signal.

A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and depth data for each point in the array, thereby providing a three-dimensional color virtual model of the surface of the structure. A corresponding method for determining the surface topology and associate color of a structure is also provided.

A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and depth data for each point in the array, thereby providing a three-dimensional color virtual model of the surface of the structure. A corresponding method for determining the surface topology and associate color of a structure is also provided.

Aspects relate to a compact and low-cost gas analyzer that can be used for different types of gas analysis, such as air quality analysis. The gas analyzer can include a light source, a gas cell configured to receive a sample (e.g., a gas under test), a spectral sensor including a spectrometer and a detector, and an artificial intelligence (AI) engine. Light can enter the gas cell and interact with the sample to produce output light that may be measured by the spectral sensor. The resulting spectrum produced by the spectral sensor may be analyzed by the AI engine to produce a result. The gas analyzer further includes a self-calibration component configured to enable calibration of the sample spectrum to compensate for spectral drift of the spectral sensor.

In an optical device, a base and a movable unit are constituted by a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor layer, an insulating layer, and a second semiconductor layer in this order from one side in a predetermined direction. The base is constituted by the first semiconductor layer, the insulating layer, and the second semiconductor layer. The movable unit includes an arrangement portion that is constituted by the second semiconductor layer. The optical function unit is disposed on a surface of the arrangement portion on the one side. The first semiconductor layer that constitutes the base is thicker than the second semiconductor layer that constitutes the base. A surface of the base on the one side is located more to the one side than the optical function unit.

A spectroscopic laser sensor based on hybrid III-V/IV system-on-a-chip technology. The laser sensor is configured to either (i) be used with a fiber-optic probe connected to an intravenous/intra-arterial optical catheter for direct invasive blood analyte concentration level measurement or (ii) be used to measure blood analyte concentration level non-invasively through an optical interface attached, e.g., to the skin or fingernail bed of a human. The sensor includes a III-V gain-chip, e.g., an AlGaInAsSb/GaSb based gain-chip, and a photonic integrated circuit, with laser wavelength filtering, laser wavelength tuning, laser wavelength monitoring, laser signal monitoring and signal output sections realized on a chip by combining IV-based semiconductor substrates and flip-chip AlGa1-nAsSb/GaSb based photodetectors and embedded electronics for signal processing. Embodiments of the invention may be applied for real-time monitoring of critical blood analyte concentration levels such as lactates, urea, glucose, ammonia, albumin, etc.

Building blocks are provided for on-chip chemical sensors and other highly-compact photonic integrated circuits combining interband or quantum cascade lasers and detectors with passive waveguides and other components integrated on a III-V or silicon. A MWIR or LWIR laser source is evanescently coupled into a passive extended or resonant-cavity waveguide that provides evanescent coupling to a sample gas (or liquid) for spectroscopic chemical sensing. In the case of an ICL, the uppermost layer of this passive waveguide has a relatively high index of refraction that enables it to form the core of the waveguide, while the ambient air, consisting of the sample gas, functions as the top cladding layer. A fraction of the propagating light beam is absorbed by the sample gas if it contains a chemical species having a fingerprint absorption feature within the spectral linewidth of the laser emission.

Configurations for light source modules and methods for mitigating coherent noise are disclosed. The light source modules may include multiple light source sets, each of which may include multiple light sources. The light emitted by the light sources may be different wavelengths or the same wavelength depending on whether the light source module is providing redundancy of light sources, increased power, coherent noise mitigation, and/or detector mitigation. In some examples, the light source may emit light to a coupler or a multiplexer, which may then be transmitted to one or more multiplexers. In some examples, the light source modules provide one light output and in other examples, the light source modules provide two light outputs. The light source modules may provide light with approximately zero loss and the wavelengths of light may be close enough to spectroscopically equivalent respect to a sample and far enough apart to provide coherent noise mitigation.