A fire detection apparatus 1F for detecting a fire in a monitored area, the fire detection apparatus 1F being attached to an installation surface of an installation object, the fire detection apparatus 1F comprises a detection space 60F in which detection of a detection target is performed; an incidence suppressing unit that inhibits ambient light from entering the detection space 60F, the incidence suppressing unit being able to allow a gas containing the detection target to flow into and out of the incidence suppressing unit; an accommodating unit that accommodates the incidence suppressing unit, the accommodating unit being able to allow the gas to flow into and out of the accommodating unit; and a light shielding wall 140F provided to surround the incidence suppressing unit on an inside of the accommodating unit, wherein the incidence suppressing unit includes a first incidence suppressing unit that covers a part of the detection space 60F, and a second incidence suppressing unit provided on an installation surface side of the first incidence suppressing unit, the second incidence suppressing unit covering another part of the detection space 60F, and the light shielding wall 140F is configured such that the light shielding wall overlaps a boundary between the first incidence suppressing unit and the second incidence suppressing unit when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the installation surface.

A cartridge for use with an instrument to perform measurement of a fluid, including a digital microfluidics substrate comprising a plurality of electrowetting electrodes operative to perform droplet operations on a liquid droplet in a droplet operations gap; a top plate separated from the digital microfluidics substrate to form a droplet operations gap and comprising openings for injecting liquids into the droplet operations gap; a fiber assembly comprising a fiber optic probe projecting into the droplet operations gap and having a sensing end situated in proximity with one or more of the electrowetting electrodes.

A method of fabricating a waveguide structure to form a solid-core waveguide from a waveguiding layer may include etching a fluid channel into the waveguiding layer, etching a first air-gap and a second air gap into the waveguiding layer, wherein etching the first and the second air-gaps creates a solid-core waveguide in the waveguiding layer between the first air-gap and the second air-gap. A method for fabricating a waveguide structure to form a solid-core waveguide may include forming a first trench, a second trench, and a third trench in a substrate layer, and depositing a waveguiding layer on the machined substrate layer, wherein depositing the waveguiding layer creates a hollow core of a fluid channel in a location corresponding to the first trench, and a solid-core waveguide portion in the waveguiding layer in a location corresponding to an area between the second trench and the third trench.

A method and instrument for determining optical density of a solution is disclosed. A flow cell 1 having at least three light paths (4a, 4b, 4c) is provided (100), wherein each light path has a respective predetermined path length, l. Absorbance readings are taken (400), A, of the solution at the at least three light paths (4a, 4b, 4c). For each pair of light paths, a slope, αc, is calculated (500) by dividing a difference in absorbance reading, ΔA, with a difference in path length, Δl. The calculated slopes, αc, are compared (600), and a) if the calculated slopes, αc, are the same, the slope is used for determining (700) optical density of the solution, or b) if he calculated slopes, αc, are not the same, the steepest slope of the calculated slopes is used for determining (701a) optical density of the solution, or the slope of the calculated slopes being in the range of an absorbance reading of 0.01 to 2 is used for determining (701b) optical density of the solution

Disclosed is an optical flow cell (100, 300) and a method (400) for bioprocessing applications. The optical flow cell (100, 300) comprises a fluid inlet (102, 302), a fluid outlet (104, 304), and a fluid flow channel (106, 306) provided between said fluid inlet (102, 302) and said fluid outlet (104, 304). The optical flow cell (100, 300) also comprises an output optical waveguide (108, 308) configured to emit light into said fluid flow channel (106, 306), and a collector optical waveguide (110, 310) configured to collect light from said fluid flow channel (106, 306). An optical pathlength adjuster (120, 320) for varying the optical pathlength (130, 330) between said output optical waveguide (108, 308) and said collector optical waveguide (110, 310) is also provided.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for Raman spectroscopy are described. In certain implementations, a spectrometer is provided. The spectrometer may include a plurality of optical elements, comprising an entrance aperture, a collimating element, a volume phase holographic grating, a focusing element, and a detector array. The plurality of optical elements are configured to transfer the light beam from the entrance aperture to the detector array with a high transfer efficiency over a preselected spectral band.

An apparatus for measuring the absorbance of a substance in a solution, includes at least one sample cell arranged to contain the solution that is at least partially transparent to light of a predefined wavelength spectrum, at least two light passages through the at least one sample cell, each of the light passages having a known path length, an LED light source arrangement including at least two LEDs, each arranged to emit a light output with a wavelength within the predefined wavelength spectrum. A plurality of optical fibers, one for each light passage, is arranged at each LED for receiving the light output and guiding it to the light passages. A method for measuring the absorbance of a substance in a solution includes providing the LED light source arrangement with an associate fiber bundle for each LED.

Exemplary optical scanner apparatus, method and computer-accessible medium for obtaining information regarding the sample can be provided. In certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical scanner, method and computer-accessible medium can utilize a container configured to hold the sample which is provided in a fluid. A light source can be provided which is configured to emit a light radiation to the container and the sample. Further, with an optic taper, it is possible to receive, taper and combine substantially parallel beams of an output radiation exiting the sample. The output radiation can be provided in response to an irradiation of the sample by the light radiation. Further, using a light detector, it is possible to receive and detect the combined tapered parallel beams so as to obtain the information regarding the sample.

A breath analyte capture device includes a breath input port into which a user exhales a breath sample, and a cartridge insertion port for receiving a disposable cartridge containing an interactant. During exhalation of a breath sample, at least a portion of the breath sample is routed through the cartridge such that the analyte (such as breath acetone) is captured by the interactant. In some embodiments, the concentration of the analyte in the breath sample is measured by monitoring a chemical reaction that occurs in the disposable cartridge. The chemical reaction may be monitored by illuminating the cartridge at each of multiple light wavelengths while measuring reflected light.

A sensor for determining a liquid type, includes: a plano-convex lens; a lens holder configured to support the plano-convex lens via an edge of the lens; an outputting optical fiber that abuts against a plane surface of the plano-convex lens to output light; a light-receiving optical fiber that abuts against the plane surface of the plano-convex lens to receive light; a light-emitting unit connected to the outputting optical fiber; and a light amount measuring unit connected to the light-receiving optical fiber to measure a light amount. The outputting optical fiber is provided so that an end face of the outputting optical fiber is disposed on the edge of the plano-convex lens, and preferably, a central axis thereof at the end face thereof passes through the plane surface of the plano-convex lens.