Provided is a printer including an ink tank, a print head, a light source irradiating the ink tank with infrared light, a photoelectric conversion device detecting light incident from the ink tank in a period during which the light source emits light, a processing unit detecting an amount of ink based on an output of the photoelectric conversion device, and a window portion for visually recognizing ink.

A method for determining a position of a component in a medical apparatus along a travel distance. The method comprising the steps of generating light by a light source; fixing the component movably along a travel distance; providing a photosensitive sensor surface, and generating a silhouette of the component on the sensor surface by irradiating the component with light from the light source. Data relating to the silhouette is converted by a data processing unit into the position of the component along the travel distance. The component whose position is determined may comprise a stopper of a cartridge.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to devices, systems and methods for measuring a volume or number of doses remaining in a drug delivery device that is used for delivering a dose to a patient. In some embodiments, a dose measurement system for measuring the liquid volume in a container includes a light guide disposed and configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation toward the container. The dose measurement system also includes a light guide disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation into the light guide. A plurality of sensors are located in the apparatus that are optically coupleable to the light guide and are disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the light guide. The apparatus also includes a processing unit configured to receive data representing the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors. The processing unit is further operable to convert the received data into a signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

A system for capturing a panoramic image of a shoe sole includes a processor and a panoramic image capturing device that is disposed apart from an attachment surface of the shoe sole. The panoramic image capturing device captures a panoramic image of the attachment surface and an inner surface of a sidewall of the shoe sole. The panoramic image capturing device outputs the panoramic image. The processor obtains the panoramic image outputted by the panoramic image capturing device.

A liquid level detection system and a liquid level detection method comprising a light source, a light guiding medium, a photoelectric conversion receiver and a processing module is provided. The light guiding medium has an incident surface, a first reflection surface, and an exiting surface. The first reflection surface comprises a first sub-reflection surface and a second sub-reflection surface, with a liquid surface as a boundary line. When the light beam is incident on the first and second sub-reflection surfaces at the same angle, the refraction angle and light intensity loss is different, so there is an abrupt change in the generated light intensity image. The position of the abrupt change is the position of the liquid surface. The position of the liquid surface can thereby be obtained according to the position of abrupt change in light intensity after the light beam passes through the light guiding medium.

A liquid level sensing system provides a removable reservoir incorporating a reflective surface that can be interrogated by a stationary optical sensor in a receptacle receiving the removable reservoir. The optical sensor may detect the presence of the liquid within the reservoir without connection to the reservoir simplifying the process of making the reservoir removable while still allowing sensing of its contents. By aligning the optical axis with the insertion axis of the reservoir sensitive optical alignment problems are minimized.

A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus includes a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid, and a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid. The dispensing assembly includes multiple apertures structured and arranged to retain vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus also includes a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly. In certain embodiments, one or more positive displacement pumping mechanisms are configured to pump additive liquid from additive containers into a beverage chamber.

A trap bowl is provided to accumulate liquid droplets from a filter, as a liquid content. The trap bowl includes a transparent vertical prism. The transparent vertical prism includes a face that forms a vertical transparent surface facing against a content of the section. The face can provide a first angle of total reflection when content of the section is a type of gas, and a second angle of total reflection when the content of the section is the liquid content. A light source may emit a light beam incident on the face at an angle of incidence. The angle of incidence results in reflection of the light beam, striking the light receiver, when the face has the first angle of total reflection, and results in refraction of the light beam, missing the light receiver, when the face has the second angle of total reflection.

A trap bowl is provided to accumulate liquid droplets from a filter, as a liquid content. The trap bowl includes a transparent vertical prism. The transparent vertical prism includes a face that forms a vertical transparent surface facing against a content of the section. The face can provide a first angle of total reflection when content of the section is a type of gas, and a second angle of total reflection when the content of the section is the liquid content. A light source may emit a light beam incident on the face at an angle of incidence. The angle of incidence results in reflection of the light beam, striking the light receiver, when the face has the first angle of total reflection, and results in refraction of the light beam, missing the light receiver, when the face has the second angle of total reflection.

An optical probe that measures the level of a liquid in a tank includes a transparent and refracting optical waveguide for receiving an injection of a collimated light beam. The optical waveguide internally reflects the collimated light beam according to a total reflection regime in any part of the optical waveguide located in a gaseous medium and refracts the collimated light beam according to a refraction regime in any part of the optical waveguide immersed in a liquid medium. The optical waveguide switches from the total reflection regime to the refraction regime at the interface between the gaseous medium and the liquid medium, and mirrors are arranged around said optical waveguide and reverse the path of a light beam collimated and refracted by the optical waveguide, the optical path covered by the collimated light beam representing the level of the liquid in the tank.