An apparatus (100) for optically characterizing a textile sample (106) comprises a presentation subsystem (102) comprising a viewing window (108). A radiation subsystem (114) comprises a radiation source (120) for directing a first, ultraviolet radiation (122) and a second, visible radiation (123) toward the sample (106), and causing the sample (106) to produce a fluorescent radiation (124) and a reflected radiation (125). A sensing subsystem (126) comprises an imager (130) for capturing the fluorescent radiation (124) and the reflected radiation (125) in an array of pixels (408). A control subsystem (132) comprises a processor (136) for controlling the presentation subsystem (102), the radiation subsystem (114), and the sensing subsystem (126), and for creating a fluorescent and reflected radiation image (400) containing both spectral information and spatial information in regard to the fluorescent radiation (124) and the reflected radiation (125).

A method for measuring photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and particularly fraction-absorbed PAR (faPAR) measurements, which shows a relationship between how much energy is available compared with how much energy is actually used, or absorbed, by plants in a region of interest, can include calibrating multiband image data to generate reflectance-calibrated values for each band of the multiband image data. The weighted reflectance data of the bands can be combined, along with down-welling light data captured at the time of the multi-spectral images to generate a faPAR image. In some cases, faPAR is generated using a ratio of up-welling PAR (uPAR) to down-welling PAR (dPAR). The dPAR can be generated using partially-reflectance-calibrated data and fully-reflectance-calibrated data and the uPAR can be generated using the partially-reflectance-calibrated data.

A fluorescence detection apparatus for analyzing samples located in a plurality of wells in a thermal cycler and methods of use are provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a support structure attachable to the thermal cycler and a detection module movably mountable on the support structure. The detection module includes one or more channels, each having an excitation light generator and an emission light detector both disposed within the detection module. When the support structure is attached to the thermal cycler and the detection module is mounted on the support structure, the detection module is movable so as to be positioned in optical communication with different ones of the plurality of wells. The detection module is removable from the support structure to allow easy replacement.

The invention relates to an optical measurement device for a reaction vessel, and a method therefor. An object is to measure the optical state within a reaction vessel in an efficient, rapid, and highly reliable manner, without an expansion of the device scale. The configuration includes: a vessel group in which two or more reaction vessels are arranged; a light guide stage having two or more linking portions to which front ends of light guide portions, which have a flexibility, that optically connect with the interior of the linked reaction vessels, are provided; a connecting end arranging body that has an arranging surface that arranges and supports along a predetermined path two or more connecting ends, to which back ends of the light guide portions, in which the front ends thereof are provided to the linking portions, are provided, the connecting ends are provided corresponding to the respective linking portions; a measurement device provided approaching or making contact with the arranging surface that has measuring ends that are successively optically connectable with the respective connecting ends along the predetermined path, and in which light from within the reaction vessels is receivable by means of optical connections between the connecting ends and the measuring ends; and a light guide switching mechanism that relatively moves the respective connecting ends arranged on the connecting end arranging body and the respective measuring ends such that they are successively optically connected.

A system including an optical signal detector and a controller operatively coupled to the optical signal detector and configured to determine an operational performance status of the optical signal detector. The optical signal detector includes a detection channel having a light source and a sensor, where the detection channel is configured to emit and focus light generated by the light source at a detection zone and to receive and focus light on the sensor. The optical performance status of the optical signal detector is based on a measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a non-fluorescent surface is in the detection zone and/or a measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a void is in the detection zone.

In some examples, an apparatus can include a light transmitter, a light sensor aligned along a light transmittance axis of the light transmitter, an impeller positioned between the light transmitter and the light sensor. The impeller can in some examples include a blade to pass through the light transmittance axis during rotation of the impeller. The blade can in some examples be translucent to permit calibration of the light sensor based on a comparison of a first light sensor reading when the blade intersects the light transmittance axis and a second light sensor reading when the blade does not intersect the light transmittance axis.

The analysis device includes processing circuitry configured to measure absorbances at multiple measurement positions from one end to the other end in the width direction of a cuvette which is open at one end in the height direction; acquire blank data measured by the processing circuitry in a state where a blank liquid is placed in the cuvette, and sample data measured by the processing circuitry in a state where a reaction liquid in which a sample and a reagent are reacted is placed in the cuvette; and perform correction to align measurement positions of the blank data and the sample data based on correlation processing of the measurement positions of the blank data and the sample data.

Described is a method for quantifying the amount of optically interfering gas impurities in a gas detection system comprising a sample gas inlet, a reference gas inlet, a gas modulation valve, and an infrared absorption gas detector used for analysis of methane or natural gas, wherein the gas modulation valve alternatingly connects the sample gas inlet to the gas detector during a sample gas time period and the reference gas inlet to the gas detector during a reference gas time period. The method includes measuring an infrared absorption for at least two different sample gas concentrations in the gas detector achieved via respective different ratios from the sample gas time period and the reference gas time period, and comparing amplitudes of different measurement signals of the at least two different sample gas concentrations with calibration functions to assess an actual gas impurity concentration in the sampled gas.

A system for measuring optical signal detector performance includes an optical signal detector comprising a first detection channel having a first light source and a first sensor. The first detection channel is configured to emit and focus light generated by the first light source at a first detection zone, and to receive and focus light on the first sensor. The system also includes a controller operatively coupled to the optical signal detector and configured to determine an operational performance status of the optical signal detector based on at least one of (i) a first measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a first non-fluorescent surface portion is in the first detection zone and (ii) a second measured characteristic of light focused on the sensor while a void is in the first detection zone. The optical signal detector can be a fluorometer.

Method for wide range gas detection using a gas detection system comprising a sample gas inlet, a reference gas inlet, a gas modulation valve and a gas analyzer, wherein the gas modulation valve alternatingly connects the sample gas inlet to the gas analyzer during a sample gas time period and the reference gas inlet to the gas analyzer during a reference gas time period, characterized in that the sample gas time period is shorter than the reference gas time period such that the sample gas concentration in the gas analyzer is reduced.