The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the direct and precise measurement of the power and/or energy of a laser beam, which make a measurement possible even in areas close to the focus of a laser beam, A device is proposed for this purpose that contains a radiation sensor, an expansion device, and a support mount. The radiation sensor has a receiving surface and is configured for the generation of an electrical signal, which is dependent on the power of the laser beam or the energy of the laser beam. The expansion device and the radiation sensor are positioned on the support mount at a distance from one another. The expansion device is configured in such a way as to increase the angle range of the laser beam. The laser beam propagates to the radiation sensor with an increased angle range. A diameter of the laser beam propagated on the receiving surface is greater than a diameter of the laser beam in the area of the expansion device. The receiving surface of the radiation sensor encloses at least 90% of the cross-section surface of the laser beam propagated.

A microwave ablation system incorporates a microwave thermometer that couples to a microwave transmission network connecting a microwave generator to a microwave applicator to measure noise temperature. The noise temperature is processed to separate out components of the noise temperature including the noise temperature of the tissue being treated and the noise temperature of the microwave transmission network. The noise temperature may be measured by a radiometer while the microwave generator is generating the microwave signal or during a period when the microwave signal is turned off. The microwave ablation system may be configured as a modular system having one or more thermometry network modules that are connectable between a microwave applicator and a microwave generator. Alternatively, the modular system includes a microwave generator, a microwave applicator, and a microwave cable that incorporate a microwave thermometry network module.

Methods and systems for implementing and utilizing radiometric characterization in combination with reference material characterization of an optical sensor to more accurately and efficiently measure material properties are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method for for optically measuring material properties includes an optical sensor being radiometrically characterized based on measured optical responses. A model is generated and includes model components of the optical sensor. A parameterized model is generated by fitting n variable parameters of the model components using the optical responses. The optical sensor is utilized to measure an optical response to a reference material and a re-parameterized model is generated by re-fitting m of the n variable parameters of the model components based, at least in part, on the measured optical response to the reference material, wherein m is less than n.

A bolometer pixel trigger including a substrate, a bolometer formed on the substrate, and a thermal-sensitive film trigger. The thermal-sensitive film trigger includes a resistive varying thermal-sensitive material configured to change resistance in response to a change in temperature thereof. The thermal-sensitive film trigger is configured such that current flow therethrough varies in response to changes in the resistance of the resistive varying thermal-sensitive material.

A spectral radiometer system, measures incoming light intensity and spectral distribution in different wavelength-bands. An additional data storage device allows recording of the measured data. The inclusive sensor system yields very high sensitivity to incoming light. Furthermore, outstanding linearity of the detector response over several orders of magnitude of incoming light is achieved. Additional benefits are ultra low power consumption and minimum size. The sensor system can be used in remote solar radiation monitoring applications like mobile solar power units as well as in long-term environmental monitoring systems where high precision and low power consumption is a necessity.

A spectral radiometer system, measures incoming light intensity and spectral distribution in different wavelength-bands. An additional data storage device allows recording of the measured data. The inclusive sensor system yields very high sensitivity to incoming light. Furthermore, outstanding linearity of the detector response over several orders of magnitude of incoming light is achieved. Additional benefits are ultra low power consumption and minimum size. The sensor system can be used in remote solar radiation monitoring applications like mobile solar power units as well as in long-term environmental monitoring systems where high precision and low power consumption is a necessity.

The present invention separates radiation from an object by a polarization filter 3 into polarized light beams, causes one of the beams to enter a spectrum analyzer 7 through a first optical path, causes the other to enter the spectrum analyzer 7 through a second optical path, and measures the two-color ratio, while causes radiation of a blackbody 2 placed in a vacuum ultralow temperature thermostatic chamber 1 in a quasi-thermal equilibrium state at an ultralow temperature in vacuo to enter the polarization filter 3 through a third optical path, separates the radiation into polarized light beams, causes the beams to each enter the same optical paths as the respective optical paths for the radiation of the object, causes the beams to enter the spectrum analyzer 7, measures the two-color ratio, and accurately obtains the temperature of the object on the basis of these two two-color ratios.

The present invention separates radiation from an object by a polarization filter 3 into polarized light beams, causes one of the beams to enter a spectrum analyzer 7 through a first optical path, causes the other to enter the spectrum analyzer 7 through a second optical path, and measures the two-color ratio, while causes radiation of a blackbody 2 placed in a vacuum ultralow temperature thermostatic chamber 1 in a quasi-thermal equilibrium state at an ultralow temperature in vacuo to enter the polarization filter 3 through a third optical path, separates the radiation into polarized light beams, causes the beams to each enter the same optical paths as the respective optical paths for the radiation of the object, causes the beams to enter the spectrum analyzer 7, measures the two-color ratio, and accurately obtains the temperature of the object on the basis of these two two-color ratios.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the direct and precise measurement of the power and/or energy of a laser beam, which make a measurement possible even in areas close to the focus of a laser beam, A device is proposed for this purpose that contains a radiation sensor, an expansion device, and a support mount. The radiation sensor has a receiving surface and is configured for the generation of an electrical signal, which is dependent on the power of the laser beam or the energy of the laser beam, The expansion device and the radiation sensor are positioned on the support mount at a distance from one another. The expansion device is configured in such a way as to increase the angle range of the laser beam. The laser beam propagates to the radiation sensor with an increased angle range. A diameter of the laser beam propagated on the receiving surface is greater than a diameter of the laser beam in the area of the expansion device. The receiving surface of the radiation sensor encloses at least 90% of the cross-section surface of the laser beam propagated.

A thermal pattern sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising at least one pyroelectric capacitor formed by at least one portion of pyroelectric material arranged between a lower electrode and an upper electrode, in which one of the lower and upper electrodes corresponds to an electrode for reading the pixel and in which a heating element that can heat the portion of pyroelectric material of the pyroelectric capacitor of the pixel by Joule effect during a measurement of the thermal pattern by the pyroelectric capacitor of the pixel is formed by the other of the lower and upper electrodes.