The present disclosure includes an optical measuring system having at least one light source that radiates excitation light into a medium to be measured. The excitation light is converted into fluorescent light by the medium. The optical measuring system also includes a first photodiode that receives a decay curve of the fluorescent light and converts it into a first signal and at least one optical component that receives the fluorescent light and converts it into a second signal. A data processing unit determines an oil-in-water content based on the first signal and the second signal.

A sensor and analyzer for measuring an analyte in a liquid sample are disclosed. The sensor includes a substrate with a reservoir disposed therein. The reservoir may include a top surface and a bottom surface, at least one transparent portion forming at least a part of the bottom surface of the reservoir, and a reflector disposed on the upper surface of the reservoir at a location opposite the at least one transparent portion. The analyzer may include a support surface, an aperture extending through the support surface, a light source disposed below the support surface and oriented so that at least a portion of the light emitted from the light source passes through the aperture, and a detector configured to measure an intensity of light received at the detector.

Transdermal optical sensing systems and methods of use are described. The systems include a main body, an internal reflection element arranged within the main body, with an internal reflection element surface exposed for contact with an epidermis, an optical source configured to project light into the internal reflection element, an optical detector arranged to detect reflected light that reflects internally within the internal reflection element from the internal reflection element surface, a controller configured to measure the light at the optical detector to determine the presence of one or more compounds within the epidermis, and a retention member attached to the main body, the retention member configured to wrap about a wrist of a patient.

An illuminator/collector assembly can deliver incident light to a sample and collect return light returning from the sample. A sensor can measure ray intensities as a function of ray position and ray angle for the collected return light. A ray selector can select a first subset of rays from the collected return light at the sensor that meet a first selection criterion. In some examples, the ray selector can aggregate ray intensities into bins, each bin corresponding to rays in the collected return light that traverse within the sample an estimated optical path length within a respective range of optical path lengths. A characterizer can determine a physical property of the sample, such as absorptivity, based on the ray intensities, ray positions, and ray angles for the first subset of rays. Accounting for variations in optical path length traversed within the sample can improve accuracy.

Embodiments described herein provide for a method and system for the inspection of fluids for defects. A plurality of containers with fluids disposed therein are inspected for defects in an inspection system. A timing sequence is used to control the timing of light pulses directed to the fluid residing in the plurality of containers. A high-resolution camera is utilized to obtain images of the fluid disposed in the plurality of containers. An illumination time of pulses of light in the inspection zone is less than an exposure time of each frame of a plurality of frames of the high-resolution camera. As such, the inspection system and method of utilizing the inspection system allows for high-resolution images of the fluid to be captured without smearing of the defects in the captured images.

System and methods for analyzing single molecules and performing nucleic acid sequencing. An integrated device includes multiple pixels with sample wells configured to receive a sample, which when excited, emits radiation. The integrated device includes at least one waveguide configured to propagate excitation energy to the sample wells from a region of the integrated device configured to couple with an excitation energy source. A pixel may also include at least one element for directing the emission energy towards a sensor within the pixel. The system also includes an instrument that interfaces with the integrated device. The instrument may include an excitation energy source for providing excitation energy to the integrated device by coupling to an excitation energy coupling region of the integrated device. One of multiple markers distinguishable by temporal parameters of the emission energy may label the sample and configuration of the sensor within a pixel may allow for detection of a temporal parameter associated with the marker labeling the sample.

A method for measuring an amount of a gaseous species present in a gas, the gaseous species absorbing light in an absorption spectral band, comprises placing the gas between a light source and a measuring photodetector. The light source is configured to emit a light wave that propagates through the gas to the measuring photodetector. The light source is activated so as to illuminate the gas, so that the light source emits a light pulse. The method also includes measuring, with the measuring photodetector, a measurement intensity of a light wave transmitted by the gas during the illumination, in a measurement spectral band. The measurement spectral band comprises the absorption spectral band. The light source is activated using a pulsed activation signal, each pulse having a specific form, notably to reduce aging of the source.

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 method is proposed for ascertaining the quality and/or the composition of milk, in particular during a milking operation, in which the fill level of the milk in a chamber is determined. After the fill level of the milk in the chamber has been determined, the milk is irradiated using at least one radiation of a predefined wavelength. The intensity of the reflected radiation is measured. The fill level and the intensity of the reflected radiation represent a value pair. Characteristic values are stored in a memory. A characteristic value is assigned to the ascertained value pair. A statement about the quality and/or the composition of the milk can be made from the characteristic value thus ascertained.

A light source apparatus generates wavelength scanning light. A pulsed light source generates pulsed light including a continuous spectrum. An optical divider spatially divides the broadband pulsed light L into a plurality of n (n≥2) beams according to wavelengths. A plurality of n fibers give different delays to the n beams. The coupler multiplexes n beams output from the n fibers. In the light source apparatus, at least a part from an incident end of the optical divider to emission ends of the n fibers has a continuous waveguide structure. A light monitoring device extracts and measures part of light propagating through the continuous waveguide structure.