The invention provides systems for characterizing a biological sample by analyzing emission of fluorescent light from the biological sample upon excitation and methods for using the same. The system includes a laser source, collection fibers, a demultiplexer and an optical delay device. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety as though fully set forth. Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of-ordinary skill in the art in which this invention belongs.

The present invention provides a time-resolved single-photon counting apparatus, including an excitation light source for generating pulsed excitation light, a specimen optics for collecting an optical signal caused by irradiating the pulsed excitation light to a specimen, a photoelectric converter for photoelectrically converting the optical signal to generate an analog single-photon signal, an analog-to-digital (AD) signal converter for sampling the analog single-photon signal to convert the same into a digital single-photon signal, a digital photon-discrimination and timing detector for generating a photon-discrimination signal by discriminating the single-photon property of the digital single-photon signal to count a pulse time point of the digital single-photon signal to generate a delay time signal having delay time information, and a time-signal processor for counting valid single-photon detection events according to the delay time with reference to the photon-discrimination signal.

An optical manufacturing process sensing and status indication system is taught that is able to utilize optical emissions from a manufacturing process to infer the state of the process. In one case, it is able to use these optical emissions to distinguish thermal phenomena on two timescales and to perform feature extraction and classification so that nominal process conditions may be uniquely distinguished from off-nominal process conditions at a given instant in time or over a sequential series of instants in time occurring over the duration of the manufacturing process. In other case, it is able to utilize these optical emissions to derive corresponding spectra and identify features within those spectra so that nominal process conditions may be uniquely distinguished from off-nominal process conditions at a given instant in time or over a sequential series of instants in time occurring over the duration of the manufacturing process.

An apparatus for measuring time-resolved optical spectrum includes a light source, a sensor for collecting, forming, manipulating and measuring the intensity of the optical radiation, and a controller coupled to the light source and sensor. The sensor includes at least one optical delay element to provide a time delay to a first portion of the optical radiation. The sensor arrangement further includes an optical spectral disperser to split the delayed first portion and the second portion of the optical radiation into dispersed radiation having a plurality of wavelengths, and a sensor element configured to receive each wavelength of the dispersed radiation on a different spatial region, and measure the light intensity associated with each wavelength of the dispersed radiation. The controller collects the light intensity associated with each wavelength of the dispersed radiation measured by the sensor element to form a time-resolved optical spectrum.

A system for providing optical measurements and detection in optical spectrum analyzers (OSAs) with high dynamic range and high speed is disclosed. The system may include a slit to allow inward passage of an optical beam. The system may also include an optical portion to receive the optical beam. In some examples, the optical portion may include at least one optical splitter to split the optical beam into at least two optical paths. The system may also include an electrical portion to receive the optical beams split into the at least two optical paths. In some examples, the electrical portion may include at least one photodetector to receive each of the split optical beam. The electrical portion may also include at least one amplifier communicatively coupled to each of the at least one photodetector to amplify the split optical beam. The electrical portion may further include at least one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) communicatively coupled to each of the at least one amplifier to convert the split optical beams into digital signals.

A detector device for the remote analysis of materials, in particular hazardous materials, including at least one laser, which is designed to emit pulsed laser light onto a sample located at a detection distance, and a telescope, which is designed to collect and/or focus laser light scattered on the sample and to forward the scattered laser light into an optical spectrometer. The optical spectrometer is designed for a spectral analysis of the laser light scattered on the sample. The laser is followed by a first beam path with a first reference beam and an additional beam path with a second reference beam for the scattered laser light. A unit is provided for determining a time difference between pulses of the first reference beam and pulses of the second reference beam, wherein the detection distance can be determined from the time difference. The unit is designed to determine the detection distance in real-time.

A method and a system method for real-time wide-field dynamic temperature sensing of an object, the method comprising producing wide-field illumination to upconverting nanoparticles at the object plane, collecting a light emitted by the upconverting nanoparticles, dividing a collected light into a reflected component and a transmitted component; imaging the reflected component into a first image, imaging the transmitted component into a second image; processing the images; and reconstruction of the object from resulting proceed images.

Provided herein are devices, systems, and methods for characterizing a biological sample in vivo or ex vivo in real-time using time-resolved spectroscopy. A light source generates a light pulse or continuous light wave and excites the biological sample, inducing a responsive fluorescent signal. A demultiplexer splits the signal into spectral bands and a time delay is applied to the spectral bands so as to capture data with a detector from multiple spectral bands from a single excitation pulse. The biological sample is characterized by analyzing the fluorescence intensity magnitude and/or decay of the spectral bands. The sample may comprise one or more exogenous or endogenous fluorophore. The device may be a two-piece probe with a detachable, disposable distal end. The systems may combine fluorescence spectroscopy with other optical spectroscopy or imaging modalities. The light pulse may be focused at a single focal point or scanned or patterned across an area.

Optical imaging or spectroscopy described can use laminar optical tomography (LOT), diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS), or the like. An incident beam is scanned across a target. An orthogonal or oblique optical response can be obtained, such as concurrently at different distances from the incident beam. The optical response from multiple incident wavelengths can be concurrently obtained by dispersing the response wavelengths in a direction orthogonal to the response distances from the incident beam. Temporal correlation can be measured, from which flow and other parameters can be computed. An optical conduit can enable endoscopic or laparoscopic imaging or spectroscopy of internal target locations. An articulating arm can communicate the light for performing the LOT, DCS, or the like. The imaging can find use for skin cancer diagnosis, such as distinguishing lentigo maligna (LM) from lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM).

The present invention is directed to an Interferometer (100) comprising a source (110) of a primary energy beam (111), a first reflector (120) being provided static such that a first path length from the source (110) to the first reflector (120) is constant, a reflector (1) with an energy beam reflecting surface (20) being provided by an outer surface of a sonotrode (10), wherein the reflector (1) is provided to oscillate such that a second path length from the source (110) to the reflecting surface (20) is variable, a target (140), a means for splitting an energy beam (160) arranged such that it divides the primary beam (111) into a first energy beam (112) incident onto the first reflector (120), and a second energy beam (113) incident onto the reflector (1) adapted to oscillate, and a means for combining energy beams (170) arranged such that it combines a third energy beam (114) reflected from the first reflector (120) and a fourth energy beam (115) reflected from the reflector (1) adapted to oscillate incident onto the target (140). Further provided is an infrared Fourier transform spectrometer (200).