An apparatus for producing a hologram of an object includes a light source that emits an incoherent electromagnetic wave toward the object, and a masking device configured to display a mask, receive the incoherent electromagnetic wave emitted toward the object, mask the received incoherent electromagnetic wave according to the displayed mask, and produce a masked electromagnetic wave. The apparatus also includes an image recording device configured to capture an image of the masked electromagnetic wave, and a processing device configured to convert the image of the masked electromagnetic wave into the hologram of the object. A method for producing a hologram of an object is also described.

Methods, systems, and devices for particle characterization by optical phase modulation and detection of aerosol backscattering. In some aspects, a compact and cost effective particle detector device to measure the aerosol density and its size distribution by backscattered focusing using projected optical modified field distribution imaging into the aerosol medium (air). The disclosed device can be used in a variety of scientific and industrial applications, e.g., such as a particle sensor for automobiles able to detect harmful pollution which may then be filtered from the car cabin, or warnings provided to the driver. The device can also capture and store data, enabling detailed pollution maps of various roadways in real-time.

A method having the steps of obtaining prepared image data captured by an image sensor receiving light propagated across a sample volume, containing a fluid possibly comprising microscopic objects of foreign origin, while illuminating the sample volume by coherent light. The prepared image data comprising, for a microscopic object, a prepared hologram pattern with prepared spatially alternating intensity formed by the interference fringes; providing filtered image data, comprising automatically filtering the prepared image data by an edge enhancing filter. the filtered image data comprising, for a prepared hologram pattern, a filtered hologram pattern. The presence of the microscopic object associated with the filtered hologram pattern in the sample volume of the fluid is automatically detected on the basis of the filtered hologram pattern.

The invention relates to a method for observing a fluorescent sample (10), lying in a plane (P.sub.10), called the sample plane, the sample comprising a fluorescent agent (10f) able to emit a fluorescence light wave (.sub.f), in a fluorescence spectral band (.sub.f), when it is illuminated by an excitation light wave (.sub.e), in an excitation spectral band (.sub.e), the method comprising the following steps: a) illuminating the sample (10) using a first light source (11), in a first illumination spectral band (.sub.1), in the excitation spectral band (.sub.e0, and acquiring a first image (I.sub.1) of the sample, in the fluorescence spectral band, using an image sensor (30); b) illuminating the sample (10) using a second light source (12), in a second spectral band (.sub.2), outside of the fluorescence spectral band, and acquiring a second image (I.sub.2) of the sample, in the second apectral band, using the image sensor;
the image sensor (30) being coupled to an optical system (20) such that: in the fluorescence spectral band (.sub.f), the object focal plane (P.sub.1) of the optical system is coincident with the plane (P.sub.10) of the sample; in the second spectral band, the object focal plane (P.sub.2) of the optical system is offset with respect to the plane (P.sub.10) of the sample, the offset being larger than 20 m.

The present invention provides an ellipsometry device and an ellipsometry method whereby measurement efficiency can be enhanced. In this method, an object is illuminated by spherical-wave-like illumination light Q linearly polarized at 45 (S1), and an object light O, being a reflected light, is acquired in a hologram I.sub.OR using a spherical-wave-like reference light R having a condensing point near the condensing point of the illumination light Q, and a hologram I.sub.LR of the reference light R is furthermore acquired using a spherical-wave reference light L having the same condensing point as that of the illumination light Q (S2). The holograms are separated into p- and s-polarized light holograms I.sup.K.sub.OR, I.sup.K.sub.LR, =p, s and processed to extract object light waves, and object light spatial frequency spectra G.sup.K(u, v), =p, s are generated (S3) (S4). Ellipsometric angles (), () are obtained for each incident angle from the amplitude reflection coefficient ratio =G.sup.p/G.sup.s=tan .Math.exp(i). Through use of numerous lights having different incident angles included in the illumination light Q, data of numerous reflection lights can be acquired collectively in a hologram and can be processed.

Provided are on-axis and off-axis digital hologram generating device and method.

The on-axis and off-axis digital hologram generating device includes an object phase generator configured to access a phase file of an object stored in a storage device and generate object phase information from the phase file of the object; a digital object light generator configured to generate digital object light information based on a light property of object light input by a user and the object phase information generated by the object phase generator; a digital reference light generator configured to generate digital reference light information based on a light property of reference light input by the user; and a digital hologram generator configured to generate a digital hologram based on hologram property information input by the user, the digital object light information generated by the digital object light generator, and the digital reference light information generated by the digital reference light generator.

A device for extracting at least one object characteristic of an object (106) is presented, the device comprising: a light sensor (101) for recording a hologram of an object and a processing unit (102) coupled to the light sensor and configured for extracting at least one object characteristic from the hologram; wherein the processing unit is configured for extracting the at least one object characteristic from a section of the hologram without reconstructing an image representation of the object. Further, a device (200) for sorting an object (106), a method for identifying an object and a method for sorting objects is presented.

Disclosed is a method of measuring red blood cell membrane fluctuations based on dynamic cell parameters using a digital holographic microscope; the method including a step of modeling the three-dimensional images of red blood cells to be measured, and a step of measuring red blood cell membrane fluctuations based on the three-dimensional images. According to this method, since the three-dimensional images of red blood cells to be measured are modeled and red blood cell membrane fluctuations are measured based on the three-dimensional images, red blood cell membrane fluctuations can be measured more easily.

An analysis system features a confinement device, an optical measurement device, a flow device, a collecting conduit, and an actuation device. The confinement device comprises a measurement chamber, optically transparent first and second measurement surfaces that face each other across a distance that defines a thickness of the measurement chamber, and a flexible membrane that forms a seal with the measurement surfaces to laterally delimit the measurement chamber. When the collecting is sealed with a container, a connection is established that permits a liquid sample to be collected from the container. The optical measurement device emits light towards the chamber and detects light that has been transmitted through it, wherein the flow device causes liquid to flow through the collecting conduit between the container and the measurement chamber. The actuation device varies the thickness.

Techniques to improve image quality in holography utilizing lenses made from materials with non-quantized anisotropic electromagnetic properties, such as birefringent materials, to advantageously split an incoming beam of light into two coincident beams with different focal lengths that interfere with one another and thus create holograms free of electro-optical or pixelated devices are disclosed. Corresponding systems, methods and apparatuses are described.