An illumination unit is described that includes a first light source positioned on a first axis and a second light source on a second axis that intersects and is angularly offset with respect to the first axis. The illumination unit includes a reflector having an aperture through which the first axis extends and a reflective surface angled with respect to the first axis and second axis.

A spectroscopy system includes an array of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) that emits an array of non-coincident laser beams. A lens array coupled to the QCL array substantially collimates the laser beams, which propagate along parallel optical axes towards a sample. The beams remain substantially collimated over the lens array's working distance, but may diverge when propagating over longer distances. The collimated, parallel beams may be directed to/through the sample, which may be within a sample cell, flow cell, multipass spectroscopic absorption cell, or other suitable holder. Alternatively, the beams may be focused to a point on, near, or within the target using a telescope or other suitable optical element(s). When focused, however, the beams remain non-coincident; they simply intersect at the focal point. The target transmits, reflects, and/or scatters this incident light to a detector, which transduces the detected radiation into an electrical signal representative of the target's absorption or emission spectrum.

Provided is a spectrophotometer having a sample container 30, a light-source unit 10 for casting measurement light into the sample container 30, a photodetector 40 for detecting light obtained from the sample container 30 illuminated with the measurement light, a light separator 20 placed between the light-source unit 10 and the sample container 30, an A/D converter 50 for converting detection signals from the photodetector 40 into digital signals, and an A/D conversion time controller 65 for controlling an A/D conversion time in the A/D converter 50. The A/D converter 50 receives, for each A/D conversion time, detection signals sequentially produced by the photodetector 40, and sequentially outputs values corresponding to the amounts of signals received. The A/D conversion time controller 65 controls the A/D conversion time at five times (preferably, ten times) the cycle of commercial power supplies or longer during wavelength-correctness validation of the light separator 20.

Apparatus for determining a property of products, in particular plant or animal products, the apparatus comprising: a conveyor configured for conveying products one-by-one along a transport path in a transport direction; a light source configured for illuminating a first illumination area of the transport path, wherein the first illumination area extends substantially across the transverse width of the transport path; and a sensor structure configured for receiving light from a sensing area of the transport path, wherein the sensing area extends substantially across the transverse width of the transport path, wherein the sensing area is adjacent to the first illumination area.

Disclosed is a spectroscopy device, including an analysis zone for receiving a sample; at least one light-emitting diode arranged to emit a light beam towards the analysis zone, having a luminous intensity spectral profile in a working wavelength interval; unit for varying with time the luminous intensity spectral profile emitted by the diode in the working wavelength interval of the diode; a detector, arranged to receive, during a variation with time of the luminous intensity spectral profile emitted by the diode, the light beam emitted by the diode and having crossed the analysis zone, and supplying a detection signal of the light beam emitted by the diode and received by the detector, in the form of a signal which depends on at least one characteristic representative of the luminous intensity spectral profile of the light-emitting diode. Application to derivative spectroscopy.

A white light spectroscopy system includes a super continuum light source having an input light source including semiconductor diodes to generate an input beam having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns. The light source includes a cladding-pumped fiber optical amplifier to receive the input beam, and a photonic crystal fiber to receive the amplified optical beam to broaden the spectral width to 100 nm or more forming an output beam in the visible wavelength range. The output beam is pulsed with a repetition rate of 1 Megahertz or higher. The system also includes a lens and/or mirror to receive the output beam, to send the output beam to a scanning stage, and to deliver the received output beam to a sample. A detection system includes dispersive optics and narrow band filters followed by one or more detectors to permit approximately simultaneous measurement of at least two wavelengths from the sample.

An approach for controlling light exposure of a light sensitive object is described. Aspects of this approach involve using a first set of radiation sources to irradiate the object with visible radiation and infrared radiation. A second set of radiation sources spot irradiate the object in a set of locations with a target ultraviolet radiation having a range of wavelengths. Radiation sensors detect radiation reflected from the object and environment condition sensors detect conditions of the environment in which the object is located during irradiation. A controller controls irradiation of the light sensitive object by the first and second set of radiation sources according to predetermined optimal irradiation settings specified for various environmental conditions. In addition, the controller adjusts irradiation settings of the first and second set of radiation sources as a function of measurements obtained by the various sensors.

Disclosed is a process for determining a plurality of color quality indicators for controlling the color of a coating. Colorimetric coordinates of a color reference and the coating are ascertained for a plurality of coated surface elements using a spectrophotometer at a number of measurement geometries and a number of light sources. For each measurement geometry and each light source, color differences are calculated from the colorimetric coordinates of the color reference and the coating of the plurality of coated surface elements. The respective colorimetric coordinates are normalized with one weighting factor. Each of the plurality of color quality indicators is determined by means of a mapping, of functional values onto a scale value of a predetermined scale. The functional values are determined in each case for the number of measurement geometries and the number of light sources by means of a mathematical relationship.

A hyperspectral detection system of luminescence from solid phase samples that are stimulated with radiation sources. includes an observation region, a sample holder configured to hold one or more solid-phase samples, at least one radiation source configured to irradiate the observation region, and a collector configured to collect the radiation emitted through or reflected by the sample upon irradiation by the at least one radiation source. The collector has a magnification factor value (M) equal to or lower than 20, and has a numerical aperture value equal to or higher than 0.25. A multichannel filter is configured to selectively filter the wavelength of the radiation collected by the collector, and an image sensor is configured to receive the filtered radiation and generate an image that is a two-dimensional map of the sample.

A non-contact multispectral measurement device for measuring reflectance properties of a surface of interest may include a multispectral measurement system, a position measurement system for measuring position values of the multispectral measurement system relative to the surface of interest, and means to correct multispectral values from the multispectral measurement system based on detected position values from the position measurement system. In some embodiments the multispectral measurement system is configured with a retro-reflection measurement geometry, where the illumination light path and observation light path are inclined with respect to a surface normal of the surface of interest to reduce detection of gloss or surface reflections while obtaining multispectral values. The position measurement system may be selected from the group consisting of: a pattern projector and a camera, a camera autofocus system, a stereo vision system, a laser range finder, and a time of flight distance sensor.