The present invention further relates to the selection of the specific filter combinations, which can provide sufficient information for multivariate calibration to extract accurate analyte concentrations in complex biological systems. The present invention also describes wavelength interval selection methods that give rise to the miniaturized designs. Finally, this invention presents a plurality of wavelength selection methods and miniaturized spectroscopic apparatus designs and the necessary tools to map from one domain (wavelength selection) to the other (design parameters). Such selection of informative spectral bands has a broad scope in miniaturizing any clinical diagnostic instruments which employ Raman spectroscopy in particular and other spectroscopic techniques in general.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for providing integrated waveguide-based spectrometer systems. In one aspect, the system includes an optical spectrometer comprising one or more waveguides configured to support propagation of optical radiation (i.e. light) through the waveguides to a photodetector. The spectrometer further includes an input coupler for each waveguide, the input coupler configured to couple the radiation from free space into the waveguide in absence of fiber-optic coupling of the radiation into the waveguide. Because at least a portion of the light propagated through the waveguides has interacted with a sample to be spectroscopically evaluated, the light detected by the photodetector allows to carry out the spectroscopic evaluation of the sample. At least some components of the spectrometer are provided on a single die using conventional CMOS techniques, yielding a compact and low cost device.

The present concept is a method of preparing an egg to determine the color of the egg using an egg yolk cover. The egg yolk cover is dome-shaped with a base edge and inspection area. The egg yolk cover eliminates ambient light from impinging on the egg yolk and is used in combination with a light sensor to determine the color of egg yolks. The light sensor includes a single flat printed circuit board with a top and bottom side which includes at least one LED light and one color sensor, at least one light pipe receiving light from the LED and transmitting it onto a substrate at an angle theta and a tube frame including an optical tube for receiving light reflections from the substrate. The light pipes and the tube frame are compression fit between the printed circuit board and a lower housing. To determine the color of the egg yolk, the egg is first cracked onto a flat surface. The egg yolk cover is then placed over the egg yolk and the color sensor is placed onto the inspection area to measure the color.

Modular systems can be used for optical analysis, including in-situ analysis, of stimulated liquids. An excitation module can include a radiation sources, e.g., a laser, LED, lamp, etc. A detection module can include one or more detectors configured to receive spectral and/or temporal information from a stimulated liquid. Such systems can be used to identify or measure optical emissions including fluorescence or scattering. The efficient excitation of liquid samples and collection of emissions from the samples provides substantial, up to four-fold increase in the emission signal over prior systems. In an example, emission measurements can be conducted in an isolated sample compartment, such as using interchangeable modules for discrete sampling, flow-through sampling, or sampling via fiber probe. The systems and methods described herein can be used to characterize natural aquatic environments, including assessments of phytoplankton pigments, biomass, structure, physiology, organic matter, and oil pollution.

A displacement sensor includes a light source unit configured to apply light with different plural wavelengths in a direction oblique to a measurement region of a planar measured object, a spectroscope configured to measure spectral distribution of light reflected by the measurement region, a feature amount extracting module configured to extract a feature amount of the spectral distribution, and a displacement calculating module configured to calculate displacement of the measurement region based on the extracted feature amount and a relation between displacement and a feature amount acquired previously.

The present disclosure relates to an optical gas sensor including at least: an optical wave guide including a first elliptical mirror formed along at least part of a first 3-dimensional ellipsoid and having a first focal point and a second focal point, a second elliptical mirror formed along at least part of a second 3-dimensional ellipsoid and having the first focal point and a third focal point, and a third elliptical mirror formed along at least part of a third 3-dimensional ellipsoid and having the first focal point and a fourth focal point; one or more optical sensors installed at at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth focal points; and one or more light sources installed at at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth focal points where the one or more optical sensors are not installed.

A detector for determining a position of at least one object, where the detector includes: at least one optical sensor, where the optical sensor has at least one sensor region, where the optical sensor is designed to generate at least one sensor signal in a manner dependent on an illumination of the sensor region by illumination light traveling from the object to the detector; at least one beam-splitting device, where the beam-splitting device is adapted to split the illumination light in at least two separate light beams, where each light beam travels on a light path to the optical sensor; at least one modulation device for modulating the illumination light, where the at least one modulation device is arranged on one of the at least two light paths; and at least one evaluation device, where the evaluation device is designed to generate at least one item of information from the at least one sensor signal.

A terahertz-wave generating element includes a waveguide including an electro-optic crystal; an optical coupling member that extracts a terahertz wave, which is generated from the electro-optic crystal as a result of light propagating through the waveguide, to a space; and at least two electrodes that cause a first-order electro-optic effect in the electro-optic crystal by applying an electric field to the waveguide so as to change a propagation state of the light propagating through the waveguide. A crystal axis of the electro-optic crystal of the waveguide is set such that the terahertz wave generated by a second-order nonlinear optical process and the light propagating through the waveguide are phase-matched.

An apparatus is provided for measuring far-field luminous intensity and color characteristics of a light source that includes a lamp test location for receiving a lamp for testing and a mirror positioned in a fixed light receiving position relative to the lamp test location and positioned in a fixed light transmitting position for reflecting a light beam from the lamp at a predetermined angle relative to the light receiving position. A measurement screen is positioned in a location relative to the mirror to receive the parabolically-condensed light image reflected from the mirror at the predetermined angle and a light detector is positioned to capture a light image reflected from the measurement screen. The light detector is configured to convert the reflected light image on the measurement screen to a digital signal and output the digital signal. A computer is configured for receiving and processing the digital signal corresponding to the reflected light image and calibrated for measuring luminous intensity according to an algorithm programmed in the computer.

A pixel structure having a cladding and tapered core waveguide, the core dimensioned to refract EM radiation through the cladding at differing depth dependent on the wavelength of the radiation, and a plurality of transducers disposed to convert the band of radiation they receive into electrical signals. In some embodiments the transducers are disposed within lateral waveguides, and in some embodiments below the tapered core waveguide. Further disclosed is an image array sensor comprising a plurality of such pixel structures. Further disclosed is an array comprising stacked layered waveguides having transducers disposed therewithin, and a plurality of refractors to refract different bands of EM radiation into differing waveguides.