A spectrometer is provided. In one implementation, for example, a spectrometer comprises an excitation source, a focusing lens, a movable mirror, and an actuator assembly. The focusing lens is adapted to focus an incident beam from the excitation source. The actuator assembly is adapted to control the movable mirror to move a focused incident beam across a surface of the sample.

A measurement system is provided with an array of laser diodes with one or more Bragg reflectors. At least a portion of the light generated by the array is configured to penetrate tissue comprising skin. A detection system configured to: measure a phase shift, and a time-of-flight, of at least a portion of the light from the array of laser diodes reflected from the tissue relative to the portion of the light generated by the array; generate one or more images of the tissue; detect oxy- or deoxy-hemoglobin in the tissue; non-invasively measure blood in blood vessels within or below a dermis layer within the skin; measure one or more physiological parameters based at least in part on the non-invasively measured blood; and measure a variation in the blood or physiological parameter over a period of time.

A device including an array of pixels and a filter wheel may capture a plurality of images by exposing the array of pixels. The device may spin, while capturing the plurality of images, the filter wheel, and the filter wheel may include filter segments. In some implementations, a portion of the filter wheel in front of the array of pixels includes two or more filter segments.

An active remote sensing system is provided with an array of laser diodes that generate light directed to an object having one or more optical wavelengths that include at least one near-infrared wavelength between 600 nanometers and 1000 nanometers. One of the laser diodes pulses at a modulation frequency between 10 Megahertz and 1 Gigahertz and has a phase associated with the modulation frequency. A detection system includes a photo-detector, a lens, a spectral filter at an input to the photo-detector, and a processor that processes digitized signals received from the photo-detector to generate an output signal. The detection system uses a lock-in technique that synchronizes pulsing the one laser diode. The active remote sensing system is configured to be mounted on a vehicle or an airborne platform to provide distance information based on a time-of-flight measurement.

The invention relates to a surface refractive index scanning system for characterization of a sample. The system comprises a grating device for holding or receiving the sample, the device comprising at least a first grating region having a first grating width along a transverse direction, and a second grating region having a second grating width in the transverse direction. The first grating region and the second grating region are adjacent in the transverse direction, wherein the first grating region has a grating period Λ.sub.1 in a longitudinal direction, and the second grating region has a grating period Λ.sub.2 in the longitudinal direction, where the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the transverse direction. A grating period spacing ΔΛ=Λ.sub.1-Λ.sub.2 is finite. Further, the first and second grating periods are chosen to provide optical resonances for light respectively in a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band, light is being emitted, transmitted, or reflected in an out-of-plane direction, wherein the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band are at least partially non-overlapping in wavelength. The system further comprises a light source for illuminating at least a part of the grating device with light at an illumination wavelength band. Additionally, the system comprises an imaging system for imaging the emitted, transmitted or reflected light from the grating device. The imaging system comprises an optical element, such as a cylindrical lens or a bended mirror, configured for focusing light in a transverse direction and for being invariant in an orthogonal transverse direction, the optical element being oriented such that the longitudinal direction of the grating device is oriented to coincide with the invariant direction of the optical element, and an imaging spectrometer comprising an entrance slit having a longitudinal direction oriented to coincide with the invariant direction of the optical element. The imaging spectrometer further comprises a 2-dimensional image sensor. The invention further relates to a method.

A spectrometer for examining the spectrum of an optical emission source may include: an optical base body, a light entry aperture connected to the optical base body to couple light into the spectrometer, at least one dispersion element to receive the light as a beam of rays and generate a spectrum, and at least one detector for measuring the generated spectrum. A light path may run from the light entry aperture to the detector. A mirror group with at least two mirrors may be provided in a section of the light path between the light entry aperture and the at least one detector, in which the beam does not run parallel, which may compensate for temperature effects. In the mirror group, at least one mirror or the entire mirror group may be moveable relative to the optical base body and may be coupled to a temperature-controlled drive.

A device including an array of pixels and a filter wheel may capture a plurality of images by exposing the array of pixels. The device may spin, while capturing the plurality of images, the filter wheel, and the filter wheel may include filter segments. In some implementations, a portion of the filter wheel in front of the array of pixels includes two or more filter segments.

An example system for inspecting a surface includes a laser, an optical system, a gated camera, and a control system. The laser is configured to emit pulses of light, with respective wavelengths of the pulses of light varying over time. The optical system includes at least one optical element, and is configured to direct light emitted by the laser to points along a scan line one point at a time. The gated camera is configured to record a fluorescent response of the surface from light having each wavelength of a plurality of wavelengths at each point along the scan line. The control system is configured to control the gated camera such that an aperture of the gated camera is open during fluorescence of the surface but closed during exposure of the surface to light emitted by the laser.

A measurement system is provided with an array of laser diodes with one or more Bragg reflectors. At least a portion of the light generated by the array is configured to penetrate tissue comprising skin. A detection system configured to: measure a phase shift, and a time-of-flight, of at least a portion of the light from the array of laser diodes reflected from the tissue relative to the portion of the light generated by the array; generate one or more images of the tissue; detect oxy- or deoxy-hemoglobin in the tissue; non-invasively measure blood in blood vessels within or below a dermis layer within the skin; measure one or more physiological parameters based at least in part on the non-invasively measured blood; and measure a variation in the blood or physiological parameter over a period of time.

A system for non-invasively interrogating an in vivo sample for measurement of analytes comprises a pulse sensor coupled to the in vivo sample for detect a blood pulse of the sample and for generating a corresponding pulse signal, a laser generator for generating a laser radiation having a wavelength, power and diameter, the laser radiation being directed toward the sample to elicit Raman signals, a laser controller adapted to activate the laser generator, a spectrometer situated to receive the Raman signals and to generate analyte spectral data; and a computing device coupled to the pulse sensor, laser controller and spectrometer which is adapted to correlate the spectral data with the pulse signal based on timing data received from the laser controller in order to isolate spectral components from analytes within the blood of the sample from spectral components from analytes arising from non-blood components of the sample.