Aspects relate to mechanisms for enhancing the coupling of scattered light from a sample under test into a spectrometer. An optical device can include a reflective surface positioned apart from the sample and configured to receive a first portion of scattered light from the sample and to redirect the first portion of the scattered light back to one or more discrete spots on the sample in a non-random manner to produce redirected scattered light from the sample. The spectrometer may then be configured to receive coupled light from the sample including at least a portion of the redirected scattered light.

An illumination device for a spectral optical measurement device includes arranged with respect to an optical axis of the illumination device which, during a measurement operation, extends along a normal to a center point of an area of a sample to be illuminated. One or more segments of a mirror in a shape of a ring are centered on the optical axis. The mirror has an internal reflective surface arranged such that, during the measurement operation, the internal reflective surface receives light emitted from the light source and reflects the light over the area of the sample to be illuminated. The internal reflective surface has a freeform shape in a cross-section through the internal reflective surface in a plane parallel to the optical axis (for example in which the optical axis lies), and, in a cross-section of the mirror in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, the internal reflective surface is represented by a straight line.

A system for analyzing a tissue sample includes two wavelength-division multiplexers and a fiber coupler. The first wavelength-division multiplexer combines visible and near infrared electromagnetic radiation and directs the combined electromagnetic radiation to the fiber coupler. The fiber coupler emits a sample beam of visible and near infrared electromagnetic radiation toward a tissue sample, and a reference beam of visible and near infrared electromagnetic radiation toward a reference mirror. The sample beam reflects off the tissue sample back to the fiber coupler. The reference beam reflects off the reference mirror back to the fiber coupler. The fiber coupler combines the reflected sample and reference beams and directs the combined electromagnetic radiation to the second wavelength-division multiplexer. The second wavelength-division multiplexer sends visible electromagnetic radiation from the sample and reference beams to a first spectrometer, and near infrared electromagnetic radiation from the sample and reference beams to a second spectrometer.

Measurement device for the detection and/or characterization of fluid-borne particles (9), the measurement device comprising means (1, 10) for producing a flow of fluid along a fluid flow path, a laser (2) positioned for emitting pulses of laser light polarized in a first direction of polarization, in a measurement volume of the fluid flow path, each pulse having a pulse duration, means (3) for directing pulses of laser light polarized in a second direction of polarization in the measurement volume, wherein the second direction of polarization is different from the first direction of polarization, a first optical spectrometer for capturing fluorescent light emitted by individual fluid-borne particles (9) in the measurement volume and measuring intensity of the captured fluorescent light at at least one determined wavelength at a sampling rate of at least three samples per pulse duration, wherein the means (3) for directing are configured such that they direct a pulse of laser light polarized in the second direction of polarization in the measurement volume each time a pulse of laser light emitted by the laser (2) and polarized in the first direction has crossed the measurement volume, the time delay between the moment of crossing the measurement volume by the pulse emitted by the laser and the moment of crossing the measurement volume by the pulse directed by the means (3) for directing is longer than the pulse duration and shorter than a travel time of the fluid in the measurement volume. Measurement method for the detection and/or characterization of fluid-borne particles (9) using the measurement device of the invention.

A device for real-time tissue diagnosis of biological tissue having: a means for preparing a tissue sample before a measurement procedure; a means for positioning an ATR element and mirrors so as to perform a system calibration; a means for irradiating a sample with IR radiation using the ATR element and an opto-mechanical assembly; a means for recording the absorption spectrum of a sample being tested; a means for carrying out a Fourier transformation of the absorption spectrum obtained into a FT-IR spectrum; a means for calculating tissue characteristics on the basis of signal processing; a means for comparing the characteristics in a pre-selected wavenumber range with the reference spectra prepared and stored in a database. Also, a method for real-time tissue diagnosis of biological tissue having solely the following steps: setting operating parameters: scanning ambient background air to obtain a background spectrum; placing a tissue under test in tight contact with an ATR; drying the tissue so as to at least reduce moisture content of the tissue sample; automatically adjusting at least one system mirror thereby performing a system calibration; and obtaining a spectrum of the tissue sample.

An irradiation probe is, for example, an irradiation probe in which a plurality of optical fibers are bundled together, each of the optical fibers having, as at least a partial section in a longitudinal direction, a leakage section that outputs leakage light radially outward. Each of the optical fibers has directivity in which intensity of leakage light in a specific radial direction is higher than intensity of leakage light in another radial direction in a cross section intersecting an axial direction of the leakage section. The optical fibers are disposed apart from a central axis of the irradiation probe in radial directions different from each other, and the optical fibers are bundled together in a posture in which leakage light to the specific radial direction from the leakage section is directed radially outward of the irradiation probe.

A chemical detector for rapid, simultaneous detection of multiple chemicals including chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and explosives having one or more gas chromatography columns each with a chemosorbent or a chemo-reactive stationary phase and an infrared-transparent base, a bright infrared light source, a mechanism to direct the light source to any point along any of the columns, and an infrared sensor. Another disclosed detector has one or more gas chromatography columns each on the surface of a substrate having at least one infrared-transparent waveguide pattern, a bright infrared light source, and at least one ring resonator for each column, where each ring resonator is coated with a chemosorbent or a chemo-reactive stationary phase, and where each ring resonator spectroscopically probes the stationary phase. Also disclosed are the related methods for chemical detection.

To provide a multipass cell permitting a reduction in a volume of an inner space into which sample gas is introduced, there are provided: a cell main body with the inner space into which the sample gas is introduced; and a pair of mirrors provided oppositely to each other in the inner space, wherein light incident from an incidence window of the cell main body is subjected to multireflection between the pair of mirrors and is emitted from an emission window of the cell main body, wherein: each of the mirrors is shaped such that light spots formed on a reflecting surface of each of the mirrors are scattered in an elongated region of a predetermined width through the light multireflection; and each of the mirrors is formed into an elongated shape along a longitudinal direction of the elongated region.

A sample holder and method is disclosed. In one example, the sample holder is for spectrophotometric measurements of a sample using a transflection technique. The sample holder comprises a sample receiving chamber comprising a diffusive mirror, wherein a curvature of the diffusive mirror is adapted to a curvature of a surface of the sample and/or adapted to a curvature of a surface of a container comprising the sample. Further, a sample holder for spectrophotometric measurements of a sample using a transmission technique is disclosed. The sample holder comprises a hollow light guiding channel, wherein an inner wall of the hollow light guiding channel is covered by a smooth reflective coating and is configured to encase at least partially a tubular part of the sample or of a container containing the sample along a circumferential direction of the tubular part of the sample or of the container.

An optical coherence tomography device includes a light source, a mirror device including a movable mirror configured to perform a reciprocating operation, a support part configured to support an object, a beam splitter configured to generate interfering light, an optical sensor configured to detect the interfering light, and a control unit. Each of the plurality of pixels included in the optical sensor includes a light receiving part, a plurality of transfer gates, and a discharge gate. The control unit applies an electric signal to the optical sensor so that the plurality of transfer gates are sequentially brought into a charge transfer state in at least three time ranges separated from each other and the discharge gate is brought into a charge discharge state in a time range other than the at least three time ranges for each period of an interferogram signal of the interfering light.