The invention provides a spectroscopic instrument, which comprises a projecting optical system for projecting a projecting light emitted from a light source, a photodetecting optical system for receiving a reflection light from an object to be measured and for guiding to a photodetection member, and a spectroscope for detecting a condition of the object to be measured based on the reflection light as received by the photodetection member, wherein the projecting optical system and the photodetecting optical system have a projecting system chromatic aberration decreasing component and a photodetecting system chromatic aberration decreasing component which eliminate chromatic aberrations, respectively.

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for intraoperative assessment of parathyroid gland viability in a surgery. The method includes diffusing a beam of light onto a tissue surface of a parathyroid gland of a patient to illuminate the tissue surface; acquiring images of the illuminated tissue surface, where each of the acquired images includes a speckle pattern; and processing the acquired images to obtain speckle contrast images for the intraoperative assessment of parathyroid gland viability.

Cure monitoring systems for and methods of monitoring polymerizable material to determine the degree of curing of the polymerizable material. A monitoring light source delivers visible monitoring light at one or more different visible wavelengths and a visible light detector detects the monitoring light diffusely reflected by the polymerizable material. The monitoring light has a wavelength of maximum emission (.sub.max-mon) that does not effectively induce polymerization of the polymerizable material. Change in intensity of the monitoring light reflected from the polymerizable material is used to determine when a selected degree of curing is reached in the polymerizable material.

The disclosure relates to a method for analyzing earth samples of a geological formation, comprising: performing a Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometry measurement on an earth sample collected in the formation by: Irradiating the sample with infrared energy Measuring a spectrum representative of the infrared energy absorbed by the earth sample, analyzing the measured spectrum and obtaining from the analyzed measured spectrum a reconstructed spectrum corresponding to a combination of a plurality of standard spectra representative of elements contained in the earth sample, based on the measured spectrum and on the reconstructed spectrum, detecting a tar layer in the geological formation.

A device for detecting rain on a pane includes a camera, a lighting source for emitting light and a diffusion element. The light emitted by the lighting source is diffused through and emerges as a light sheet from the diffusion element. The camera, the lighting source and the diffusion element are configured and arranged so that the camera can detect a signal from an image of the light sheet that is emitted by the lighting source, diffused through the diffusion element, impinges on the pane and is reflected or scattered by the pane and/or a raindrop on the pane. The signal detected by the camera is evaluated to detect whether there is rain on the pane.

Wide-angled incoherent millimeter or sub-millimeter electromagnetic waves from an extended active source are used to probe substrates and their protective coatings or outer layers, such as paint or thermal insulation. The incoherent waves provide dispersion and angular variation with respect to angular incidence to the substrate. Illumination of the substrate permits differentiation between un-corroded and corroded sections of the sample because reflectivity, emissivity and/or transmissivity from the substrate or protective coating various according to its homogeneousness. A detector/camera is arranged to identify and resolve differences in detected power within an observed frequency range of the area under test, with this contrast in power being relative to either adjacent areas or anticipated reference levels. The power differences therefore signify the presence or lack of corrosion or, indeed, the presence of anomalies within or on the substrate or in or under the protective coating or layer applied to the substrate.

The disclosure relates to a method for analyzing earth samples of a geological formation, comprising: performing a Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometry measurement on an earth sample collected in the formation by: Irradiating the sample with infrared energy Measuring a spectrum representative of the infrared energy absorbed by the earth sample, analyzing the measured spectrum and obtaining from the analyzed measured spectrum a reconstructed spectrum corresponding to a combination of a plurality of standard spectra representative of elements contained in the earth sample, based on the measured spectrum and on the reconstructed spectrum, detecting a tar layer in the geological formation.

Wide-angled incoherent millimetre or sub-millimetre electromagnetic waves from an extended active source are used to probe substrates and their protective coatings or outer layers, such as paint or thermal insulation. The incoherent waves provide dispersion and angular variation with respect to angular incidence to the substrate. Illumination of the substrate permits differentiation between un-corroded and corroded sections of the sample because reflectivity, emissivity and/or transmissivity from the substrate or protective coating various according to its homogeneousness. A detector/camera is arranged to identify and resolve differences in detected power within an observed frequency range of the area under test, with this contrast in power being relative to either adjacent areas or anticipated reference levels. The power differences therefore signify the presence or lack of corrosion or, indeed, the presence of anomalies within or on the substrate or in or under the protective coating or layer applied to the substrate.

A sheet discriminator includes a sheet loader on which a recording medium is loaded, an information detector to detect information of the recording medium loaded on the sheet loader, and a sheet distinguisher to distinguish a type of the recording medium based on the information detected by the information detector. The information detector detects the information of the recording medium with the recording medium being inserted between the sheet loader and the information detector. An image forming apparatus incorporates the sheet discriminator and an image forming part to form an image on the recording medium.

The invention provides a spectroscopic instrument, which comprises a projecting optical system for projecting a projecting light emitted from a light source, a photodetecting optical system for receiving a reflection light from an object to be measured and for guiding to a photodetection member, and a spectroscope for detecting a condition of the object to be measured based on the reflection light as received by the photodetection member, wherein the projecting optical system and the photodetecting optical system have a projecting system chromatic aberration decreasing component and a photodetecting system chromatic aberration decreasing component which eliminate chromatic aberrations, respectively.