An optical inspection device 1A includes a light selection unit 30, a detection element 40, and a first image formation element 20. The light selection unit 30 has the plurality of wavelength selection regions 32 that selectively transmits or reflects the light rays L of mutually different wavelength regions. The detection element 40 detects scattering characteristic information of the light rays L having reached the light receiving surface 41 via the light selection unit 30. The first image formation element 20 causes scattered light scattered by a subject S to enter a light receiving surface 41 via the light selection unit 30. The plurality of wavelength selection regions 32 has different azimuth angles with respect to the optical axis Z of the first image formation element 20.

One or more homogenizing elements are employed in a flow through, multi-detector optical measurement system. The homogenizing elements correct for problems common to multi-detector flow-through systems such as peak tailing and non-uniform sample profile within the measurement cell. The homogenizing elements include coiled inlet tubing, a flow distributor near the inlet of the cell, and a flow distributor at the outlet of the cell. This homogenization of the sample mimics plug flow within the measurement cell and enables each detector to view the same sample composition in each individual corresponding viewed sample volume. This system is particularly beneficial when performing multiangle light scattering (MALS) measurements of narrow chromatographic peaks such as those produced by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC).

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.

Described here are optical sampling architectures and methods for operation thereof. An optical sampling architecture can be capable of emitting a launch sheet light beam towards a launch region and receiving a detection sheet light beam from a detection region. The launch region can have one dimension that is elongated relative to another dimension. The detection region can also have one dimension elongated relative to another dimension such that the system can selectively accept light having one or more properties (e.g., angle of incidence, beam size, beam shape, etc.). In some examples, the elongated dimension of the detection region can be greater than the elongated dimension of the launch region. In some examples, the system can include an outcoupler array and associated components for creating a launch sheet light beam having light rays with different in-plane launch positions and/or in-plane launch angles.

A reflection characteristic measurement device is provided that comprises: a control unit configured to measure a reflection characteristic of an object based on target information and instruction information, wherein: the target information is information including a coordinate positional relationship among a light source position of an incident light, a light detection position of a reflected light and a measurement point at the object, and numerical values related to the incident light and the reflected light, the incident light is light irradiated to the measurement point, the reflected light is light that the incident light is irradiated to the measurement point and then reflected at the measurement point, the instruction information is information related to an existing measurement result of the reflection characteristic, and the number of combinations of the coordinate positional relationship included in the target information is 1 to 15.

Additive manufacturing, such as laser sintering or melting of additive layers, can produce parts rapidly at small volume and in a factory setting. To ensure the additive manufactured parts are of high quality, a real-time non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique is required to detect defects while they are being manufactured. The present invention describes an in-situ (real-time) inspection unit that can be added to an existing additive manufacturing (AM) tool, such as an FDM (fused deposition modeling) machine, or a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) machine, providing real-time information about the part quality, and detecting flaws as they occur. The information provided by this unit is used to a) qualify the part as it is being made, and b) to provide feedback to the AM tool for correction, or to stop the process if the part will not meet the quality, thus saving time, energy and reduce material loss.

The present invention relates in one aspect to a ballast water analysis system comprising fluorometer and light scattering meter. The fluorometer comprises a first light source arranged to illuminate a first ballast water sample for obtaining a first fluorescence measurement on a first ballast water sample. The light scattering meter comprises a second light source arranged to illuminate a second ballast water sample with a second light beam and first and second photodetectors arranged to receive light at respective angles relative to a direction of the second light beam. The second and third photodetectors are configured to receive scattered light resulting from interaction between light from the second light source and matter, such as viable or non-viable microorganisms and other particles, in the second ballast water sample.

An illumination system includes a measurement stage, a light-providing part, a light-receiving part, and a processing part. The light-providing part includes light sources arranged in a dome shape, which irradiate incident lights to a measurement target on the measurement stage. The light-receiving part acquires reflection lights. The processing part controls the light sources to be turned on/off according to a dome-shaped sine wave pattern. The processing part controls the light sources to be sequentially turned on/off by shifting N times according to the dome-shaped sine wave pattern for a specific measurement position of the measurement target, and calculates a phase at the specific measurement position, an average of intensities of N reflection lights, and a visibility of N reflection lights, from intensities of N reflection lights. Thus, material of the measurement target may be easily determined.

Microscatterometry system for generating an angularly resolved scattered light profile from the collected data.

A method of determining particle size distribution from multi-angle dynamic light scattering data, comprising: obtaining a series of measured correlation functions g(.sub.i) at scattering angles .sub.i; and solving an equation comprising

[00001]$\left[\begin{array}{c}g\left({}_1\right)\\ \mathrm{.Math.}\\ g\left({}_n\right)\end{array}\right]=\left[\begin{array}{c}{}_1.Math.K\left({}_1\right)\\ \mathrm{.Math.}\\ {}_n.Math.K\left({}_n\right)\end{array}\right].Math.x,$

wherein: K(.sub.i) is the instrument scattering matrix computed for angle i, x is the particle size distribution, and .sub.i is the scaling coefficient for angle i. The method comprises using the steps: a) providing initial estimates for scaling factors .sub.2 to .sub.n, and defining .sub.1=1; b) iterating scaling factors .sub.2 to .sub.n using a non-linear solver; c) solving for x using a linear solver; d) calculate residual; e) repeat steps b) to d) while the residual is greater than a predefined exit tolerance.