An analyzer of a component in a sample fluid includes an optical source and an optical detector defining a beam path of a beam, wherein the optical source emits the beam and the optical detector measures the beam after partial absorption by the sample fluid, a fluid flow cell disposed on the beam path defining an interrogation region in the a fluid flow cell in which the optical beam interacts with the sample fluid and a reference fluid; and wherein the sample fluid and the reference fluid are in laminar flow, and a scanning system that scans the beam relative to the laminar flow within the fluid flow cell, wherein the scanning system scans the beam relative to both the sample fluid and the reference fluid.

A confocal microscope unit according to an embodiment includes: a first subunit which includes a light source, a pinhole plate, and a photodetector; a second subunit which includes a light source, a pinhole plate, and a photodetector; a scan mirror which scans excitation light output from the first and second subunits on a sample via a microscope optical system and guides fluorescence generated from the sample in response to the excitation light and focused by the microscope optical system to the first and second subunits; and a main housing which is attachable to a connection port and to which the scan mirror, the first subunit, and the second subunit are fixed, wherein the first subunit and the second subunit are disposed in the main housing so that incident angles of two excitation lights to the scan mirror are displaced from each other by a predetermined angle.

Disclosed are photonic particles and methods of using particles in biological samples. The particles are configured to emit laser light when energetically stimulated by, e.g., a pump source. The particles may include a gain medium with inorganic materials, an optical cavity with high refractive index, and a coating with organic materials. The particles may be smaller than 3 microns along their longest axes. The particles may attach to each other to form, e.g., doublets and triplets. The particles may be injection-locked by coupling an injection beam into a particle while pumping so that an injection seed is amplified to develop into laser oscillation. A microscopy system may include a pump source, beam scanner, spectrometer with resolution of less than 1 nanometer and acquisition rate of more than 1 kilohertz, and spectral analyzer configured to distinguish spectral peaks of laser output from broadband background.

A multi-focal light-sheet structured illumination system that can be implemented as a part of a commercial fluorescence microscope or a module that is adaptable to fit a number of commercially available microscopes. The system provides simultaneous capture of 2D images from multiple planes within a 3D volume, which are resolved laterally and axially to provide improved resolution along the three dimensions (x,y,z). A Wollaston prism allows several axially-localized high-contrast structure illumination patterns to be generated.

Systems and methods are described for using a combination of high-resolution, optical-sectioning imaging modalities to provide quantitative measures of the distribution of a contrast agent in tissue samples by identifying its cellular distribution. In some instances, the systems and methods may be used in an intraoperative setting to guide a biopsy or surgical procedure.

An observation apparatus includes a first intensity modulation section arranged on an optical path of illumination light with which an observation object is to be irradiated, the first intensity modulation section modulating an intensity distribution of the illumination light, and a second intensity modulation section arranged on an optical path of observation light from the observation object irradiated with the illumination light, the second intensity modulation section modulating an intensity distribution of the observation light.

The invention provides a chromatic confocal system for inspecting an object. The system comprises a first light modulator for providing a spatially modulated light beam arranged to project on one or more parts of the object to form a reflected light beam carrying image information of the one or more projected parts of the object; a second light modulator for spatially filtering the reflected light beam to form a light beam carrying filtered image information of the one or more projected parts of the object; wherein operation of the first light modulator and the second light modulator is synchronized such that the spatial filtering of the second light modulator varies in concert with variations in the spatial modulation of the first light modulator.

A sensing device includes an aperture structure having an aperture and imaging optics configured to direct polychromatic light toward the aperture. The imaging optics separates the light according to spectral range longitudinally along a first axis The aperture substantially transmits a spectral range of the light and substantially blocks other spectral ranges of the light. An optical detector is arranged to receive the spectral range of the light that is transmitted through the aperture. The optical detector generate an electrical output that corresponds to a centroid of the spectral range of the light.

A spectral imaging device (1312) for capturing one or more, two-dimensional, spectral images (1313A) of a sample (1310) including (i) an image sensor (1328), (ii) an illumination source (1314), (iii) a beam path adjuster (1362), and (iv) a control system (1330). The illumination source (1314) that generates an illumination beam (1316) that is directed along an incident sample beam path (1360) at the sample (1310). The beam path adjuster (1362) selectively adjusts the incident sample beam path (1360). The control system (1330) controls (i) the illumination source (1314) to generate the illumination beam during the first capture time, (ii) the image sensor (1328) during the first capture time to capture first information for the first spectral image (1313A), and (iii) the beam path adjuster (1362) to selectively adjust the incident sample beam path (1360) relative to the sample (1310) during the first capture time while the image sensor (1328) is accumulating the information for the first spectral image (1313A).

Disclosed are a multi-mode thermal imaging device and an operation method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a first mode, a first sample is scanned with an optical signal from a light source, signals reflected from the first sample by the scanning are detected separately for each wavelength, a reflectance change spectrum according to the wavelength is derived on the basis of the signals detected separately for each wavelength, a wavelength is selected on the basis of the derived reflectance change spectrum, and a thermal image of the first sample is obtained, through a filter, by detecting an optical signal limited to the selected wavelength from among the signals reflected from the first sample. In a second mode, thermal radiation of a second sample is detected to obtain a thermal image of the second sample.