According to the present invention, a light source and one pixel unit formed of at least one light reception element among a light reception element array (photodiode array) are provided in a one-to-one correspondence, and a light beam is detected from at least one light reception element (one pixel unit) corresponding to the light source, only when the light source emits light. Therefore, only one collimated or further substantially condensed light beam is incident into “a foreign substance/defect” in an object to be inspected, and only scattered light can be separated by the light reception element and be detected. Accordingly, even when an object to be inspected has a light scattering property and is thick, “a foreign substance/defect” can be detected with a good signal to noise ratio (crosstalk is extremely low).

Apparatus for analysing a surface which, in use, is subject to drag, the apparatus comprising, a light source for generating light of at least one predetermined wavelength, a light source holder for holding and positioning the light source so as to direct it at the surface, a light detector for detecting reflected light from the surface and generating a signal in response thereto, a light detector holder for holding the light detector and positioning it so as to detect the reflected light, and a connector for connecting the light detector to a microprocessor to analyse the signal. Also disclosed is a method of analysing a surface which, in use, is subject to drag.

Disclosed are an optical system for conditioning a beam of radiation, and an illumination system and metrology apparatus comprising such an optical system. The optical system comprises one or more optical mixing elements in an optical system. The optical system defines at least a first optical mixing stage, at least a second optical mixing stage, and at least one transformation stage, configured such that radiation entering the second optical mixing stage includes a transformed version of radiation exiting the first optical mixing stage. The first and second optical mixing stages can be provided using separate optical mixing elements, or by multiple passes through the same optical mixing element. The transformation stage can be a Fourier transformation stage. Both spatial distribution and angular distribution of illumination can be homogenized as desired.

Methods and devices for cytometric analysis are provided. A cytometry apparatus is provided which may be used with a stationary sample cuvette for analysis of a stationary sample or with a flow sample cuvette for analysis of a flowing sample. The methods and devices provided herein may be used to perform cytometric analysis of samples under a wide range of experimental and environmental conditions.

A moisture detecting apparatus includes: a light emitting unit including a first light source configured to emit light having a first wavelength as a peak wavelength, and a second light source configured to emit light having a second wavelength as a peak wavelength; a detecting unit configured to detect a first detection value indicating an extent to which the light emitted from the first light source is transmitted through a recording material, and a second detection value indicating an extent to which the light emitted by the second light source is transmitted through the recording material, based on a light receiving result of a light receiving unit; and a determination unit configured to determine a value related to a moisture content of the recording material based on the first detection value and the second detection value.

A sample analyzer with an optical detection device and a sample analysis method of the sample analyzer are disclosed. The optical detection device includes a fluid chamber, a light source and a light detector. The fluid chamber includes an illumination zone. An analyte flows through the illumination zone so as to form a sample stream. The light source illuminates the illumination zone to excite cell articles, reacted with a reagent, of the sample stream to emit a light signal. The light detector detects the fluorescent lights and transforms it into an electric signal. The light detector can include a silicon photomultiplier.

A tissue inflammation detection system (600) including: a light emitter (602) configured to emit light towards tissue (604); at least one light detector (606) configured to detect diffuse reflective light from the tissue; and a controller (613) including a tissue inflammation detection unit (614) configured to analyze the detected diffuse reflective light in its spectral components. The tissue inflammation detection unit is configured to: determine a tissue contribution from a first wavelength region of a diffuse reflective spectroscopy signal where the diffuse reflective spectroscopy signal is dominated by tissue; extrapolate the tissue contribution to a second wavelength region where the diffuse reflective spectroscopy signal includes at least one detectable hemoglobin absorption feature; subtract the extrapolated tissue contribution from the diffuse reflectance signal; and determine the degree of tissue inflammation.

A method for operating a sensor device for determining a road condition. Beams of at least one beam source are generated and emitted into a scanning area. Beams that are scattered or reflected back from the scanning area are ascertained by at least one detector and evaluated for determining the road condition with the aid of the control unit coupled to the detector. Temperature-dependent influences on at least one component of the sensor device are ascertained with the aid of at least one sensor. The temperature-dependent influences on the component of the sensor device are compensated for by a heating device and/or a cooling device and/or during the evaluation by the control unit. A control unit and a computer program are also described.

A hemispherical scanning optical scatterometer and method for its use for measuring scattered radiation, with a reflected scatter measurement laser, and/or a transmitted scatter measurement laser, an array of optical detectors, a computer controlled system to rotate the array of optical detectors, an electronic system, a computer interface and a computer for processing the signal.

A method and a device allow optical properties of a sample to be estimated. The method includes the illumination of the sample by a first light source, and the formation of an image of the sample thus illuminated, on the basis of which a first optical property is estimated, at various points on a surface of the sample. The method also includes measuring an auxiliary optical property of the sample and estimating the first optical property, taking account of the auxiliary optical property measured on the sample.