A fine ratio measuring device that measures the fine ratio of fines adhering to the surface of the material in the form of lumps includes: an illumination unit that illuminates the material in the form of lumps; an imaging unit that captures an image of the material in the form of lumps and produces image data; and an arithmetic unit including a computation unit that computes a characteristic quantity of the image data produced by the imaging unit and a conversion unit that converts the characteristic quantity computed by the computation unit to the fine ratio.

An apparatus for analysing a sample of granular material, such as soil, is described. An elongated housing has a channel extending therethrough to define an optical path. A cavity is defined within the top of the housing to receive the sample, and a transparent sample-receiving surface is disposed within the cavity at a first elevation from the bottom of the housing. A lens assembly is positioned within the optical path at a second, lower, elevation. The lens assembly magnifies an image formed by light beams reflected by or transmitted through the sample. An image capturing device is disposed across the optical path at a third elevation that is lower than the second elevation. The image capturing device is thus lower than both the lens assembly and the transparent sample-receiving surface. A light source is mounted within the housing to emit light toward the sample-receiving surface.

A method for measuring one or more quantities characterizing a composition of a medium includes causing a first non-uniform spatially varying optical signal to impinge on a portion of the medium, processing a second optical signal emitted from the medium in response to the first optical signal including determining characteristics of a spatial variation of the second optical signal, and determining the one or more quantities characterizing the composition of the medium based on the characteristics of the spatial variation of the second optical signal.

Instruments, systems, and methods for measuring optical density of microbiological samples are provided. In particular, optical density instruments providing improved safety, efficiency, comfort, and convenience are provided. Such optical density instruments include a handheld portion and a base station. The optical density instruments may be used in systems and methods for measuring optical density of biological samples.

A method for stratifying a patient infected with a respiratory disease is disclosed. The method comprises providing (1510) a fluid sample (9) from the patient, producing (1520) a light signal from a laser (1), illuminating (1530) the fluid sample (9) with the light signal through a lens in a sensing probe (8), acquiring (1540) a spectrogram from the fluid sample (9), extracting (1550) a plurality of spectrogram features from the light signal, comparing (1560) the extracted plurality of spectrogram features with a model in a database to determine a degree of severity of the respiratory disease. A result is then output (1570) to indicate the degree of severity of the respiratory disease.

A method for detecting the presence of an analyte (1) in a solution (2) comprising: providing at least a first and a second probes (A, B) different from each other, each probe (A,B) comprising a nanoparticle conjugated with a receptor specific to the analyte (1); contacting the solution (2) suspected of including the analyte (1) with the first and the second probes (A, B) to form a sample solution (3), wherein the sample solution (3) comprises aggregates (4) comprising the analyte (1) combined with the first and the second probes (A, B); illuminating the sample solution (3) with a light source having at least a first and a second exciting wavelengths (.sub.eA, .sub.eB) different from each other wherein the first and the second wavelength are chosen to get specific optical responses from the first probe (A) and the second probe (B) respectively when illuminated; detecting as a function of time the light scattered by the first probe (A) at a first detection wavelength (.sub.dA) and the light scattered by the second probe (B) at a second detection wavelength (.sub.dB) to get a first signal and a second signal respectively; and detecting temporal coincidences between said first signal and second signal.

The invention relates to an analysis method for supporting classification, a determination method for determining analysis parameters Y.sub.s, E.sub.i, I.sub.i, .sub.i for the analysis method, a computer program product, and an optical analysis system for supporting classification, with which system analysis parameters Y.sub.s, E.sub.i, I.sub.i, .sub.i can be defined on the basis of first and second calibration data. The parameters provide classification support according to the discriminant analysis and on the basis of measured values P.sub.i of optical characteristics i, in particular of organic dispersions, and the information content thereof for classification, in particular the diagnosis of disease; and permit a classification proposal or a diagnosis proposal in comparison with a threshold Y.sub.s.

An infrared detection system comprises the following elements. A laser source provides radiation for illuminating a target (5). This radiation is tuned to at least one wavelength in the fingerprint region of the infrared spectrum. A detector (32) detects radiation backscattered from the target (5). An analyser determines from at least the presence or absence of detected signal in said at least one wavelength whether a predetermined volatile compound is present. An associated detection method is also provided. In embodiments, the laser source is tunable over a plurality of wavelengths, and the detector comprises a hyperspectral imaging system. The laser source may be an optical parametric device has a laser gain medium for generating a pump beam in a pump laser cavity, a pump laser source and a nonlinear medium comprising a ZnGeP.sub.2 (ZGP) crystal. On stimulation by the pump beam, the ZnGeP.sub.2 (ZGP) crystal is adapted to generate a signal beam having a wavelength in a fingerprint region of the spectrum and an idler beam having a wavelength in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum. The laser gain medium and the ZnGeP.sub.2 (ZGP) crystal are located in the pump wave cavity.

A system for measuring hematocrit in a whole blood sample is provided. An absorbent substrate is adapted to receive a whole blood sample. At least one light source is positioned to illuminate the sample on the substrate at first and second wavelengths. The first and second wavelengths are different from each other. A spectral sensor is positioned to measure a first intensity and a second intensity of light diffusely reflected from the sample at the first and second wavelengths, respectively. The diffusely reflected first and second intensities of light are compared to reference values to generate first and second reflectance values. A controller, coupled to the spectral sensor, is configured to determine a first differential reflectance between the first and second reflectances. The hematocrit level of the sample is determined based on a first stored relationship between hematocrit and a differential reflectance corresponding to the first and second wavelengths.

An apparatus for optically measuring fluidal matter having fluid as medium and particles non-dissolved in the medium wherein the apparatus comprises a measurement chamber, which is configured to contain the fluidal matter, and a nozzle. The nozzle receives flowable matter and emits a jet of the flowable matter towards or fromwards an optical detector which is associated with the measurement chamber and receives optical radiation from the fluidal matter in the measurement chamber.