The invention relates to an apparatus for generating light, comprising a plurality of light sources (1), a control device (2), which drives the light sources (1), and a superimposition optical unit, which superimposes the light emitted by the light sources (1) in an exit opening (3). It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is improved compared with the prior art. For this purpose, the invention proposes that the superimposition optical unit comprises a first concave mirror (4), in the focal plane of which the light sources (1) are situated, an optical grating (5), onto which the first concave mirror (4) reflects the light (6) emitted by the light sources (1), and a second concave mirror (7), which reflects the light (8) diffracted at the optical grating (5) onto the exit opening (3) situated at the focus of the second concave mirror (7).

A polychromator includes a substrate and a functional element having an optical spectral decomposition action. The functional element having an optical spectral decomposition action is configured to spectrally decompose electromagnetic radiation originating from an entry opening, e.g. light which originates from an optional radiation source and is reflected at a sample, so that a spectrally decomposed spectrum is obtained, and to image the spectrally decomposed spectrum onto a spatial area of the substrate. The substrate includes at least two transparent zones at different positions within the spatial area, so that two different spectral components of the spectrums are detectable at the two transparent zones.

Dual laser frequency combs can rapidly measure high resolution linear absorption spectra. However, one-dimensional linear techniques cannot distinguish the sources of resonances in a mixture of different analytes, nor separate inhomogeneous and homogeneous broadening. These limitations are overcome by acquiring high resolution multi-dimensional non-linear coherent spectra with frequency combs.

An analyser 10 for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a liquid based drug sample 16 comprising: an electromagnetic radiation source 11 for emitting electromagnetic radiation 14a in at least one beam at a sample 16, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths, a sample detector 17 that detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample, and a processor 18 for identifying or verifying the sample from the detected affected electromagnetic radiation, wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm, and each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the liquid spectrum between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

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.

A measuring apparatus, comprising at least a first light source and a second light source for transmitting light; at least one light receiver for receiving light at least of a first received wavelength and a second received wavelength; at least one dispersing element for bending and/or refracting light; wherein the light transmitted by the light sources strikes the dispersing element and is so turned by the dispersing element that it strikes the light receiver. The first light source is arranged at a first angle relative to the dispersing element and the second light source at a second angle relative to the dispersing element, wherein the second angle differs from the first angle. The first angle is so embodied that the wavelength of the light turned by the dispersing element corresponds to the first received wavelength, and wherein the second angle is so embodied that the wavelength of the light turned by the dispersing element corresponds to the second received wavelength.

An analyser and related methods for characterising a sample. The analyser includes an integrated laser for emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample. The electromagnetic radiation can include at least two different wavelengths. A sample detector detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample and provides output representing the detected affected radiation. The analyser also includes a processor for characterising the sample from the detector output representing the detected affected electromagnetic radiation.

A system for illuminating a sample with a spectrally filtered illumination source includes an illumination source configured to generate a beam of illumination having a first set of wavelengths. In addition, the system includes a wavelength filtering sub-system, a sample stage, an illumination sub-system, a detector, and an objective to focus illumination from the surface of one or more samples and focus the collected illumination to the detector. Further, the wavelength filtering sub-system includes one or more first dispersive elements positioned to introduce spatial dispersion into the beam, a spatial filter element, and one or more dispersive elements positioned to remove spatial dispersion from the beam. The spatial filter element is further positioned to pass at least a portion of the beam including a second set of wavelengths, wherein the second set of wavelengths is a subset of the first set of wavelengths.

An analyzer 10 for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterizing a liquid based drug sample 16 comprising: an electromagnetic radiation source 11 for emitting electromagnetic radiation 14a in at least one beam at a sample 16, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths, a sample detector 17 that detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample, and a processor 18 for identifying or verifying the sample from the detected affected electromagnetic radiation, wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm, and each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the liquid spectrum between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

An example system can include a support and two or more sensor elements mounted to the support. Each sensor element can be electrically connected to a common electrical node and may include: a respective quench resistor connected to a respective internal node; and a respective photodiode (PD) connected to the respective internal node; a differentiating element fed by at least one of the photodiodes; a first readout electrode fed by the common electrical node; and a second readout electrode fed by the differentiating element. The common electrical node may be connected to at least one of the quench resistors or at least one of the photodiodes.