A lens assembly includes a lens having an inner surface and an outer surface. A lens barrel supports the lens and has outer and inner lens barrel ends separated by a longitudinal axis. The lens is arranged along the longitudinal axis to span the outer lens barrel end such that the inner surface of the lens is within the lens barrel and the outer surface of the lens is outside the lens barrel. A heater element is located within the lens barrel. The heater element has a heater element electrical lead extending radially and longitudinally therefrom to provide power to the heater element. A carrier ring extends circumferentially around at least a portion of an outside lens barrel surface adjacent the inner lens barrel end. The carrier ring includes at least one lead station radially aligned with the heater element electrical lead.

Disclosed is a lens holding block for positioning and retaining a lens substrate in a processing machine, including a bottom part that is able to immobilize the lens holding block in the processing machine and an upper part. The upper part includes a chamber wherein is housed and attached a porous article so as to receive the lens substrate to be processed and which is able to be impregnated with a fluid, and a method for positioning and retaining a lens substrate onto a lens holding block.

A liquid lens system includes first and second liquids disposed within a cavity. An interface between the first and second liquids defines a variable lens. A common electrode is in electrical communication with the first liquid. A driving electrode is disposed on a sidewall of the cavity and insulated from the first and second liquids. A controller supplies a common voltage to the common electrode and a driving voltage to the driving electrode. A voltage differential between the common voltage and the driving voltage is based at least in part on at least one of: (a) a first reference capacitance of a first reference electrode pair disposed within the first portion of the cavity and insulated from the first liquid or (b) a second reference capacitance of a second reference electrode pair disposed within the second portion of the cavity and insulated from the first liquid and the second liquid.

A flow cytometer, laser optics assembly thereof, and methods of assembling the same are provided. The flow cytometer is capable of yielding consistent and accurate results despite exposure to adverse environmental conditions such as, for example, temperature changes within a relatively wide temperature range and/or a relatively large amount of random-axis mechanical vibration. The flow cytometer of the present disclosure is additionally or alternatively relatively insensitive to real or apparent core stream shifts, employs a slowly converging beam along the axis perpendicular to core stream flow, and provides the ability to precisely measure time-of-flight.

A camera module includes a mounting frame defining a first through hole, a filter installed in the first through hole, and a circuit board including a first surface and a second surface. The mounting frame is on the first surface. An air escaping channel is recessed from the second surface, an air escaping hole penetrates the first surface and the second surface and communicates with the air escaping channel. The circuit board, the mounting frame, and the filter cooperate with each other to form a first cavity, the first cavity communicates with the air escaping hole. The air escaping channel includes a first channel portion and a second channel portion, an angle is formed between the first channel portion and the second channel portion. The air escaping hole communicates with the first channel portion, the second channel portion extends to an edge of the circuit board to form an opening.

Optical assembly comprising a variable focal length lens assembly comprising a variable focal length lens and an actuating unit, wherein an energy absorption rate of energy absorbed by the variable focal length lens assembly depends on the applied controlling signal. The optical assembly comprises a controlling unit configured to control focal length settings of the variable focal length lens by providing respective controlling signals and to apply a default controlling signal for providing a default focal length and default energy absorption rate. The controlling unit provides a thermal stabilisation functionality, the thermal stabilisation functionality is defined by applying a varying controlling signal related to a varying focal length and applying a compensation controlling signal related to a compensating focal length.

An opto-mechanical assembly includes a first thermal control element disposed on a region of a first section of an enclosure; a second thermal control element disposed on a region of a second section of the enclosure; and an optical element that includes a first portion and a second portion. The first thermal control element is configured to heat the first portion of the optical element and to cause the first portion of the optical element to be associated with a first temperature, and the second thermal control element is configured to heat the second portion of the optical element and to cause the second portion of the optical element to be associated with a second temperature. This causes a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature to satisfy a temperature difference threshold. Accordingly, this also causes a temperature gradient along an axis of the optical element to satisfy a temperature gradient threshold.

An objective lens assembly includes a first lens group configured to have a positive refractive power, the first lens group being positioned to receive visible light along an optical path extending therethrough. The objective lens assembly further includes a second lens group configured to have a negative refractive power, the second lens group being positioned along the optical path to receive the visible light from the first lens group. The objective lens assembly further includes a center lens disposed between the first lens group and the second lens group and an aperture stop centered along the optical path and positioned in front of the first lens group to direct visible light from a scene to the first lens group.

A variable focus lens system can include a variable focus lens, one or more electrodes, a signal generator configured to supply voltage to the one or more electrodes to vary the focal length of the variable focus lens, and a controller configured to apply a voltage to the one or more electrodes and receive information indicative of a capacitance that results from the applied voltage. The controller can be configured to determine a temperature of the variable focus lens based at least in part on the capacitance or applied voltage. The variable focus lens system can include a temperature sensor, and the controller can be configured to receive temperature information from the temperature sensor and calibrate the temperature sensor based at least in part on the received temperature information, the applied voltage, and the received capacitance information.

An optical sensor assembly is provided. The optical sensor includes a sensor and a lens assembly. The sensor may be configured to sense a light signal. The lens assembly may be configured to direct the light signal onto the sensor. The lens assembly may include a lens formed of a plastic material such that a thermal variation is introduced into a focal length of the lens based on temperature. The lens includes a thermal compensation spacer configured to induce a thermal correction in an opposite direction of the thermal variation to correct the focal length of the lens.