Compact optical sources and methods for producing short and ultrashort optical pulses are described. A semiconductor laser or LED may be driven with a bipolar waveform to generate optical pulses with FWHM durations as short as approximately 85 ps having suppressed tail emission. The pulsed optical sources may be used for fluorescent lifetime analysis of biological samples and time-of-flight imaging, among other applications.

Among other things, this application describes systems and methods for detecting gas using a wide band light source, and at least two narrow band light sensors, wherein each sensor may be operable to detect light at a different range of wavelengths. Additionally, the gas detector device may comprise a color changing indicator operable to react with gas in the air to change color, wherein different gases may react to create different colors, and wherein the sensors detect light reflected by the color changing indicator from the wide band light source. The gas detector device may comprise a processor in communication with the at least two light sensors operable to receive detected reflected wavelength information from the light sensors, and determine the type of gas that reacted with the color changing indicator based on the color detected by the sensors, wherein each color may be associated with a different type of gas.

A deep-ultraviolet microscopy system includes a light source for outputting a light beam for illuminating a biological sample, the light beam being inclusive of ultraviolet wavelengths; a reception space for reception of a biological sample for illumination by the light beam; an ultraviolet microscope objective for collecting and relaying light that interacts with the biological sample to an image capture device; and an ultraviolet sensitive image capture device for capturing images of the biological sample, with the microscopy system configured to capture multiple images of the biological sample at one or more ultraviolet wavelengths. A method of processing ultraviolet images of biological samples includes receiving a plurality of multi-spectral ultraviolet images of a biological sample; normalizing and scaling the images; and assigning each image to a channel in the RGB color-space based on wavelength.

A compact optical imaging system including a single filter and a light source that provides lateral illumination for bead detection in digital assays. The light source is configured to emit light toward the detection vessel. The single filter is positioned to receive light reflected from a sample in the detection vessel, that originated from the light source, and receive an output from a sample in the detection vessel. A detector is configured to receive a portion of the reflected light and a portion of the output that passes through the single filter.

A device for optical detection of analytes in a sample includes at least two optoelectronic components. The optoelectronic components include at least one optical detector configured to receive a photon and at least one optical emitter configured to emit a photon. The at least one optical emitter includes at least three optical emitters disposed in a flat, non-linear arrangement, and the at least one optical detector includes at least three optical detectors disposed in a flat, non-linear arrangement. The at least three optical emitters and the at least three optical detectors include at least three different wavelength characteristics.

Certain embodiments of the invention are directed to evaluating and identifying cells by recording and interpreting a time-dependent signal produced by unique cell respiration and permeability attributes of isolated viable cells.

A device and system for measuring the multidimensional distribution of a sample tagged with a short life fluorescent label. The substance applied to a sample holder can be scanned with an optical point source excitation and read back optical stage. The sample can be excited at each of a plurality of points with a fast, e.g., nanosecond pulse of light. The resulting fluorescence can be detected after the excitation is extinguished. A detection gate window can be optimized to maximize the fluorescence signal detected for a predetermined amount of time.

A device and method of use are provided for measuring the concentration of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in jet fuel to a limit of detection of 1 ppm. The device measures concentration of FAME in jet fuel via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with a spectral resolution of 1 cm.sup.−1. The device can use an infrared light emitting diode (IR LED) and mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector in which the spectral output of the IR LED and the spectral response of the MCT detector is centered on the spectral absorbance of an ester bond, a defining spectral characteristic of FAME. Other IR LEDs with differing spectral outputs can be used to measure the presence and/or concentration of different analytes in different fluids.

Methods and systems for determining contamination in a petroleum-based sample, including irradiating the petroleum-based sample with a light beam from a light source such that a fluorescence signal is generated, guiding, by a mirror, the fluorescence signal to a gear-less rotating diffraction grating, the gear-less rotating diffraction grating spatially separating a fluorescence wavelength from the florescence signal, detecting, by an optical detector, fluorescence wavelength, transforming the fluorescence wavelength into a spectral contour diagram, the spectral contour diagram comprising a fluorescence wavelength variation over time, and determining, the contamination in the petroleum-based sample using the spectral contour diagram.

A multifocal rain sensor includes: at least one light emitting unit configured to output light; a first reflective plate corresponding to the at least one light emitting unit and disposed at a position spaced apart from the at least one light emitting unit by a predetermined distance; a glass part reflecting light after the light is reflected by the first reflective plate and forming a sensing region; a second reflective plate re-reflecting the light reflected by the glass part; and a light receiving unit configured to receive the light reflected by the second reflective plate. The second reflective plate includes a multifocal reflective plate having a plurality of focuses based on a vertical height of incident light that varies according to a change in thickness of the glass part.