The contamination sanitation inspection system (CSIS) allows a user to capture an image of a large scene (such as a food processing line, a food service facility, a food products storage area, or a plant production area/facility) and identify contamination within the scene and preferably represent the contamination on a spatially accurate map (or floorplan) so that contamination within the inspection map area is clearly identified and recorded for subsequent treatment. In an alternative embodiment, the CSIS also includes a decontamination system to sanitize any identified contamination.

Disclosed is apparatus (1) for measuring fluorescence and absorbance of a substance in a sample, said apparatus (1) comprising: a flow cell (2) for containing a sample, a first light source (3), a first conductor (5) for transmitting light from the first light source (3) to the flow cell (2) for irradiating a sample contained therein, a second conductor (7) for transmitting light from the flow cell (2) to a sample detector (9) arranged to detect an electromagnetic radiation that has passed through said cell (2), and a processing unit (16) arranged to receive a first signal (31) from a reference detector (15) and a second signal (32) from the sample detector (9) and to determine an absorbance based on said first and second signals (31,32), said apparatus (1) further comprising a second light source (4), a third conductor (6) for transmitting light from the second light source (4) to the cell (2) and wherein the sample detector (9) is further arranged to also detect fluorescence signals in the light that has passed through the flow cell (2). The invention also relates to a method for measuring the absorbance and the fluorescence of a substance in a sample.

A device and system for measuring the multidimensional distribution of a sample tagged with a short life fluorescent label. The substance applied to a sample holder can be scanned with an optical point source excitation and read back optical stage. The sample can be excited at each of a plurality of points with a fast, e.g., nanosecond pulse of light. The resulting fluorescence can be detected after the excitation is extinguished. A detection gate window can be optimized to maximize the fluorescence signal detected for a predetermined amount of time.

An apparatus for remote detection of plant growth dynamics is described. The apparatus includes an excitation LED (light emitting diode) module, a detection module and a controller module coupled to the excitation LED module and the detection module. The excitation LED module includes at least one LED. Each LED is configured to emit an excitation light in response to an excitation control signal. The excitation light has an emitted light spectrum.

The detection module includes a photodetector configured to detect an initial chlorophyll a fluorescence (“ChlF”) light and an excited ChlF light from a plant species. The photodetector is further configured to convert the detected initial ChlF light into an initial detection electrical signal and the detected excited ChlF light into an excited detection electrical signal. The excited ChlF light is emitted from the plant species in response to receiving the excitation light.

The controller module is configured to provide the excitation control signal to the excitation module, to capture the initial and excited detection electrical signals from the detection module and to determine chlorophyll fluorescence data based, at least in part, on the initial and excited detection electrical signals. The excitation LED module and the detection module are configured to be positioned remotely from the plant species. The chlorophyll fluorescence data represents a growth characteristic of the plant species.

To provide a concentration measurement method with which the concentrations of predetermined chemical components can be measured non-destructively, accurately, and rapidly by a simple means, up to the concentrations in trace amount ranges, as well as a concentration measurement method with which the concentrations of chemical components in a measurement target can be accurately and rapidly measured in real time up to the concentrations in nano-order trace amount ranges, and which is endowed with a versatility that can be realized in a variety of embodiments and modes. In the present invention, a measurement target is irradiated, in a time sharing manner, with light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength that have different optical absorption rates with respect to the measurement target. The light of each wavelength, arriving optically via the measurement target as a result of irradiation with the light of each wavelength, is received at a shared light-receiving sensor. A differential signal is formed, the differential signal being of a signal pertaining to the light of the first wavelength and a signal pertaining to the light of the second wavelength, the signals outputted from the light-receiving sensor upon receipt of the light. The concentration of a chemical component in the measurement target is derived on the basis of the differential signal.

A digital flashlamp controller, a flashlamp control system and a method of controlling a flashlamp bulb employing digital control electronics are provided herein. In one embodiment, the digital flashlamp controller includes: (1) a trigger interface configured to provide firing signals to control a trigger element for a flashlamp bulb and (2) digital electronics configured to generate the firing signals and control multiple pulsing of the flashlamp bulb.

Methods and systems for determining contamination in a petroleum-based sample, including irradiating the petroleum-based sample with a light beam from a light source such that a fluorescence signal is generated, guiding, by a mirror, the fluorescence signal to a gear-less rotating diffraction grating, the gear-less rotating diffraction grating spatially separating a fluorescence wavelength from the florescence signal, detecting, by an optical detector, fluorescence wavelength, transforming the fluorescence wavelength into a spectral contour diagram, the spectral contour diagram comprising a fluorescence wavelength variation over time, and determining, the contamination in the petroleum-based sample using the spectral contour diagram.

For determining concentration of a targeted molecule M in a liquid sample admixed with interfering molecules M.sub.J which overlap its absorption band, a NDIR reflection sampling technique is used. Besides the signal source, a reference and an interference source are added. M is calculated by electronics which use R.sub.ave(t) from a pulsed signal and reference channel output and a calibration curve which is validated by use of R.sub.Java(t.sub.2) from a pulsed interference and reference channel output. Signal, interference and reference sources are pulsed at a frequency which is sufficiently fast so that a given molecule of M or M.sub.J will not pass in and out of the liquid sampling matrix within the pulsing frequency.

A sensor for monitoring CO.sub.2 in a fluid regardless of the phase properties of the fluid, i.e., regardless of whether the fluid contacting the window is a liquid water-based phase, a liquid oil-based phase, a mixture of liquid water and liquid oil-based phases, or a gas phase. The sensor includes an internal reflection window for contacting with the fluid. A mid-infrared light source directs a beam of mid-infrared radiation into the window and the beam is internal reflected at an interface between the window and the fluid. The reflected beam is passed through three narrow bandpass filters which preferentially transmit mid-infrared radiation over bands of wavelengths corresponding to absorbance peaks of water, oil and CO.sub.2. The amount of CO.sub.2 is determined from the intensities of the mid-infrared radiation passing through the three filters

A solution for evaluating a sample gas for a presence of a trace gas, such as ozone, is provided. The solution uses an ultraviolet source and an ultraviolet detector mounted in a chamber. The chamber can include reflecting walls and/or structures configured to guide ultraviolet light. A computer system can operate the ultraviolet source in a high power pulse mode and acquire data corresponding to an intensity of the ultraviolet radiation detected by the ultraviolet detector while a sample gas is present in the chamber. Using the data, the computer system can determine a presence and/or an amount of the trace gas in the sample gas.