An optical computing device including a detector having a non-planar semiconductor structure is provided. The detector may include one or more structures having structure characteristics that may be optimized to respond to and weight predetermined wavelengths of light radiated from a sample that are related to characteristics of the sample. The detector may include an array of the one or more structures, wherein each of the structure units may be individually addressable to program or tune the detector to respond to and weight a spectra of light and generate an output signal based on the weighted spectra of light that is proportional to the characteristics of the sample.

A spectral instrument including a light source configured to produce a light beam, the light beam comprising a plurality of wavelengths, and the light beam being about collimated or pseudo-collimated. The spectral instrument also includes a spectral dispersion device in optical communication with the light source. The spectral instrument also includes a screen disposed in the optical path after the spectral dispersion device. The screen comprises a material configured to be substantially opaque to at least some of the plurality of wavelengths. The screen is sized and dimensioned to at least partially block selected ones of the plurality of wavelengths. The screen is movable with respect to an axis of the screen. The spectral instrument also includes an imaging lens disposed in the optical path and disposed either after the screen or before the screen.

A spectrometer (10) for gas analysis is provided, the spectrometer comprising a measurement cell (28) having a gas to be investigated, a light source (12) for the transmission of light (14) into the measurement cell (28) on a light path (16), a filter arrangement (22) having a Fabry-Perot filter (24a-c) in the light path (16), in order to set frequency properties of the light (14) by means of a transmission spectrum of the filter arrangement (22), as well as a detector (36, 38) which measures the absorption of the light (14) by the gas (30) in the measurement cell (28). In this connection the filter arrangement (22) has a plurality of Fabry-Perot filters (24a-c) arranged behind one another in the light path (14) and a control unit (44) for the filter arrangement (22) is provided in order to change the transmission spectrum by setting at least one of the Fabry-Perot filters (24a-c).

Optical analysis systems and methods may be used for analyzing the characteristics, including compositions, of cement additives, which may be used in formulating a cement slurry. For example, a cement additive may be optically interacting with an integrated computational element (ICE) configured to detect a characteristic of the cement additive. An output signal may then be generated corresponding to the characteristic of the cement additive detected by the ICE, which may be received and processed with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the cement additive. The value of the characteristic of the cement additive may then be used to determine an amount of the cement additive for use in producing a cement slurry.

The invention generally relates to methods for analyzing a heterogeneous sample. In certain aspects, the invention provides methods that involve illuminating a heterogeneous sample including a target analyte with polychromatic light, receiving luminous data of the heterogeneous sample and the target analyte is received to a detector without splitting the polychromatic light into individual wavelengths and generating spectral data therefrom. The analysis can be conducted without reacting the target analyte with chemical reagents.

The present invention relates to a method for measuring the uniform diffuse reflectance R.sup.OBJ() at least at one point on an object (30) using a device (10) comprising a means (11) capable of emitting color illuminants expressed in the form of luminous flux and an electronic color image sensor (12). The present invention also relates to a device (10) comprising a means (11) for emitting color illuminants expressed as luminous flux of colors and an electronic color image sensor (12), for measuring the uniform diffuse reflectance R.sup.OBJ() at least at one point on an object (30) placed in a zone located opposite and substantially perpendicular to the said means (11) capable of emitting colors and located in the field of vision of the said electronic color image sensor (12) and being subjected to an external illuminant expressed as a constant and unknown external environmental luminous flux (40) denoted I.sup.ext().

A series combination of a shortwave pass (SWP) filter and a longwave pass (LWP) filter is provided in an arrangement where the filters are separately and independently controlled by voltages applied to the respective filters. The applied voltages modify the response profile of the associated filters, where changes in the voltage applied to the SWP filter changes its cut-off wavelength .sub.S and changes in the voltage applied to the LWP filter changes its cut-on wavelength .sub.L (the bandwidth of the combined arrangement between the span between .sub.L and .sub.S). The ability to independently tune both the SWP and LWP filters allows for the combined result of their series combination to modify both the center wavelength (CWL) and bandwidth (BW) of the overall filter resulting from their combination.

An infrared-sensor filter member includes an optical filter disposed in an opening portion of a second member and a first member. The infrared-sensor filter member includes a recess portion formed from a light-incident surface of the optical filter and the first member. At least a part of a bottom surface of the recess portion is formed by the light-incident surface and side walls of the recess portion, which are formed by the first member.

A hyperspectral imaging system having an optical path. The system including an illumination source adapted to output a light beam, the light beam illuminating a target, a dispersing element arranged in the optical path and adapted to separate the light beam into a plurality of wavelengths, a digital micromirror array adapted to tune the plurality of wavelengths into a spectrum, an optical device having a detector and adapted to collect the spectrum reflected from the target and arranged in the optical path and a processor operatively connected to and adapted to control at least one of: the illumination source; the dispersing element; the digital micromirror array; the optical device; and, the detector, the processor further adapted to output a hyperspectral image of the target. The dispersing element is arranged between the illumination source and the digital micromirror array, the digital micromirror array is arranged to transmit the spectrum to the target and the optical device is arranged in the optical path after the target.

A device for improving the suppression of light from a Pulsed Xenon light source for spectrometry by combining a Variable Longpass Order-Sorting filter with a Dichroic Balancing filter coated on a fused Silica substrate is disclosed.