A method for characterizing particle objects comprises generating a radiation beam, illuminating with the radiation beam an observation region transited by a particle object, collecting an interference image determined by an interference between a transmitted fraction and a part of the scattered fraction of the radiation beam that propagates around the direction of the optical axis, collecting a part of the scattered fraction that propagates at the scattering angle, and measuring at least one scattered radiation intensity value determined by the part of the scattered fraction, calculating, from the interference image, a pair of independent quantities that define the complex field of the first part of the scattered fraction, calculating, starting from the pair of independent quantities, a theoretical value of scattered radiation intensity, and comparing the measured value with the theoretical scattered radiation intensity value.

Provided is an apparatus for measuring particulate matter, the apparatus including an air inflow device configured to receive air including particulate matter particles, two or more light sources configured to respectively emit light of different wavelengths to the air received, a pattern measuring device configured to measure scattering patterns for each wavelength of light based on detecting light that is forward-scattered by the particulate matter particles and light that is back-scattered by the particulate matter particles, and a processor configured to obtain a size of the particulate matter particles and a concentration of the particulate matter particles based on the scattering patterns for each wavelength of light.

Methods and systems for detecting the presence of irregularities in milk, and for assessing a health state of a lactating mammal, are provided. A sample of milk is illuminated with a light beam. Scattering data resulting from an interaction between the light beam and the sample of milk is collected. The scattering data is processed to detect the presence or absence of light scattered at a predetermined angle relative to a normal orientation, for instance to determine at least one characteristic of the sample of milk. Based on the presence or absence of light, the presence of irregularities in the sample of milk can be determined, for instance to assess the health state of the lactating mammal based on the at least one characteristic of the sample of milk.

An optical measurement instrument is an integrated instrument that includes an optical cavity with a light source, a sample cuvette, and an optical sensor. The light source and sensor are on a bench that is on a translational or rotational mechanical platform such that optical beam can be moved to multiple sample containers. Each sample containers holds a distinct microorganism-attracting substance and a portion of a fluid sample containing an unknown microorganism. Each distinct microorganism-attracting substance is configured to bind with a single type of microorganism. The unknown microorganism in the fluid sample binds with the distinct microorganism-attracting substance in a single sample container. The instrument incubates the microorganism in the single sample container and detects the presence of the microorganism in the single sample container to thereby simultaneously identify the unknown microorganism.

Provided are a light scattering measuring apparatus. The light scattering measuring apparatus includes: light sources; a single light receiver; a sample holder including a cell, a frame body, a first opening formed in an incident portion of a first optical path used for forward measurement or side measurement, and a second opening formed in an incident portion of a second optical path used for back measurement, and an optical element; and a moving mechanism. The first optical path and the second optical path are separated from each other in vertical direction. The moving mechanism moves the first opening to a position of the incident portion of the first optical path when the forward or side measurement is to be performed, and to move the second opening to a position of the incident portion of the second optical path when the back measurement is to be performed.

Methods and systems for detecting the presence of irregularities in milk, and for assessing a health state of a lactating mammal, are provided. A sample of milk is illuminated with a light beam. Scattering data resulting from an interaction between the light beam and the sample of milk is collected. The scattering data is processed to detect the presence or absence of light scattered at a predetermined angle relative to a normal orientation, for instance to determine at least one characteristic of the sample of milk. Based on the presence or absence of light, the presence of irregularities in the sample of milk can be determined, for instance to assess the health state of the lactating mammal based on the at least one characteristic of the sample of milk.

Systems and methods for uniquely identifying fluid-phase products by endowing them with fingerprints composed of dispersed colloidal particles, and by reading out those fingerprints on demand using Total Holographic Characterization. A library of chemically inert colloidal particles is developed that can be dispersed into soft materials, the stoichiometry of the mixture encoding user-specified information, including information about the host material. Encoded information then can be recovered by high-speed analysis of holographic microscopy images of the dispersed particles. Specifically, holograms of individual colloidal spheres are analyzed with predictions of the theory of light scattering to measure each sphere's radius and refractive index, thereby building up the distribution of particle properties one particle at a time. A complete analysis of a colloidal fingerprint requires several thousand single-particle holograms and can be completed in ten minutes.

Sample cells, light scattering detectors utilizing the sample cells, and methods for using the same are provided. The sample cell may include a body defining a flowpath extending axially therethrough. The flowpath may include a cylindrical inner section interposed between a first outer section and a second outer section. The first outer section may be frustoconical. A first end portion of the first outer section may be in direct fluid communication with the inner section and may have a cross-sectional area relatively smaller than a cross-sectional area at a second end portion thereof. The body may further define an inlet in direct fluid communication with the inner section. The inlet may be configured to direct a sample to the inner section of the flowpath.

A device for dark-field optical inspection of a substrate comprises: a light source for generating an incident beam that is projected onto an inspection zone of the substrate and that is capable of being reflected in the form of diffuse radiation; at least one first and one second collecting device; and a reflecting device for directing at least a portion of the diffuse radiation originating from a focal point of collection coincident with the inspection zone in the direction of the collecting devices, with a first and second reflective zone from which a first portion of the diffuse radiation is directed toward a first focal point, which is optically conjugated with the focal point of collection, and a second portion of the diffuse radiation is reflected toward a second focal point, which is optically conjugated with the collection focal point and distinct from the first focal point of detection.

A system for optical imaging of defects on unpatterned wafers that includes an illumination module, relay optics, a segmented polarizer, and a detector. The illumination module is configured to produce a polarized light beam incident on a selectable area of an unpatterned wafer. The relay optics is configured to collect and guide, radiation scattered off the area, onto the polarizer. The detector is configured to sense scattered radiation passed through the polarizer. The polarizer includes at least four polarizer segments, such that (i) boundary lines, separating the polarizer segments, are curved outwards relative to a plane, perpendicular to the segmented polarizer, unless the boundary line is on the perpendicular plane, and (ii) when the area comprises a typical defect, a signal-to-noise ratio of scattered radiation, passed through the polarizer segments, is increased as compared to when utilizing a linear polarizer.