A laser whose emission is modulated by ultrasound is presented. The laser is usually micron-sized. In response to ultrasound modulation, the laser emission increases and decreases. Such a change in emission can be detected by external optical detectors. This type of laser can be used as a new type of imaging modality, in which laser emission in combination with sound waves or ultrasound waves, is used for imaging Laser emission has a much narrower spectral linewidth and stronger intensity than fluorescence and therefore is able to achieve higher sensitivity, whereas sound waves are used to provide a better spatial resolution of the laser emission from the laser. In ultrasound modulated laser based imaging, multiple lasers can be placed inside cells or tissues.

A method and apparatus for sorting objects is described, and which provides high-speed image data acquisition to fuse multiple data streams in real-time, while avoiding destructive interference when individual sensors or detectors are utilized in providing data regarding internal and external features and characteristics and qualities of products being inspected.

A side illuminated multi point multi parameter optical fiber sensor that requires no sensitive coating is provided. This sensor comprises an optical fiber having at least one removed cladding section as the sensitive region, at least one probing light source that side illuminates the fiber, a power supply, a detector, a signal processor and a display. The sensitive optical fiber is optically affected by the presence of a measurand medium that can fluoresce, phosphoresce, absorb and/or scatter the probing light. This probing light is guided by the fiber core towards a detector which measures the light intensity and this light intensity is correlated with a measurand.

A system for remotely sensing light from within a monitored environment containing one or more retro-reflective optical elements. The system includes an illuminator including a light source and a reflector unit comprising a deformable mirror arranged to receive light from the light source and to reflect the received light. This outputs illumination light from the illuminator for illuminating the optical element(s) within the monitored environment. A detector is arranged to receive light returned by the one or more retro-reflective optical elements in response to the illumination light. The detector determines a wavefront of the returned light and detects a property of the monitored environment according to the returned light. The reflector unit is arranged to deform the deformable mirror according to the determined wavefront such that light from the light source is reflected by the deformable mirror so deformed to output illumination light with a modified wavefront.

A side illuminated multi point multi parameter optical fiber sensor that requires no sensitive coating is provided. This sensor comprises an optical fiber having at least one removed cladding section as the sensitive region, at least one probing light source that side illuminates the fiber, a power supply, a detector, a signal processor and a display. The sensitive optical fiber is optically affected by the presence of a measurand medium that can fluoresce, phosphoresce, absorb and/or scatter the probing light. This probing light is guided by the fiber core towards a detector which measures the light intensity and this light intensity is correlated with a measurand.

A working fluid monitoring system for monitoring a working fluid of a working fluid system of a piece of equipment. The working fluid monitoring system can include a housing member having a working fluid passage for receiving the working fluid therein and a sensor in operable communication with the working fluid within the working fluid passage of the housing member configured to monitor in situ the working fluid and output a sensor signal. The working fluid monitoring system can be quickly and conveniently retrofitted to existing machinery for in situ monitoring, detecting, testing, and/or validating of a working fluid, such as oil, hydraulic fluid, and the like.

The present disclosure provides a fluorescence analysis method for lithium ion determination using free-base phthalocyanine (FBPc) as a molecular probe, and relates to the technical field of fluorescent probes. The method includes the following steps: adding an alkaline organic medium separately into a plurality of reaction vessels, and adding a phthalocyanine organic solution having a same volume as that of the alkaline organic medium; adding lithium ion organic solutions with increasing concentrations in sequence; diluting an obtained reaction system, allowing to stand to conduct a reaction, scanning a fluorescence spectrum of the reaction system, and determining a relative fluorescence intensity at a fluorescence peak. A determination principle is that in organic media, especially an alkaline organic medium, lithium ions can react with the FBPc to emit strong red fluorescence, and generation of the fluorescence has the remarkable characteristics of ultra-sensitivity and high specificity.

Provided herein are assays utilizing oxygen-sensitive fluorescent materials for the detection of oxygen. In particular, oxygen-sensitive fluorescent particles are provided for monitoring the oxygen consumption rate and metabolic fitness of living cells.

A live biological specimen is imaged by generating a plurality of light sheets; directing the plurality of light sheets along an illumination axis through the biological specimen such that the light sheets spatially and temporally overlap within the biological specimen along an image plane, and optically interact with the biological specimen within the image plane; and recording, at each of a plurality of views, images of the fluorescence emitted along a detection axis from the biological specimen due to the optical interaction between the light sheets and the biological specimen. The temporal overlap is within a time shift that is less than a resolution time that corresponds to a spatial resolution limit of the microscope.

The invention provides novel non-invasive in vitro methods for assessing the metabolic condition of oocytes and/or embryos with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope, that can be used, for example, in assessment of oocytes and embryos in assisted reproductive technologies.