A sensor configured to determine a physical state of a vehicle occupant within a vehicle includes an electrode containing nanoscale metal fibers. The electrode is located within the vehicle to be in contact with the vehicle occupant. The sensor also includes a controller configured to determine the physical state of the vehicle occupant based on an output of the electrode.

A phantom design method includes a correction step and a calculation step. In the correction step, an absorption spectrum of a target of spectroscopic measurement by a near infrared spectrometer is corrected based on a refractive index of the target and a refractive index of a resin used as a base material of a phantom to generate a corrected absorption spectrum. In the calculation step, based on an absorption spectrum of the resin and an absorption spectrum of each of N types of dyes, a concentration of each of the N types of dyes to be contained in the base material is calculated such that an absorption spectrum of the phantom constituted by the base material containing the N types of dyes approximates the corrected absorption spectrum in a predetermined wavelength range of a near infrared region.

An optical system of an optical analysis device is easily evaluated with high accuracy. There is provided a method of evaluating an optical analysis device including an optical system A capable of forming a confocal volume C at a focal position by condensing excitation light B, the method including the steps of: placing, at the focal position of the optical system A, a phantom sample in which two or more types of solid members having different fluorescent substance concentrations are arranged adjacent to each other; irradiating the phantom sample 1 with excitation light through the optical system A while relatively moving the confocal volume C formed by the optical system A and the phantom sample in an arrangement direction of the solid members; detecting fluorescent light generated in the solid members placed in the confocal volume C; and evaluating the optical system A based on the detected fluorescent light.

Provided herein in an apparatus, including a substrate; a functional layer, wherein the functional layer has a composition characteristic of a workpiece of an analytical apparatus; and pre-determined features configured to calibrate the analytical apparatus. Also provided herein is an apparatus, including a functional layer overlying a substrate; and pre-determined features for calibration of an analytical apparatus configured to measure the surface of a workpiece, wherein the functional layer has a composition similar to the workpiece. Also provided herein is a method, including providing a lithographic calibration standard having a functional layer to an analytical apparatus, wherein the functional layer has a composition characteristic of a workpiece of the analytical apparatus; providing calibration standard specifications to a computer interfaced with the analytical apparatus; and calibrating the analytical apparatus in accordance with calibration standard readings and the calibration standard specifications.

Provided is an examination technique that can quickly and reliably examine, from the outside of a container, whether a liquid which fills the container contains an explosive or the like, without being influenced by such things as the light transmissivity or size of the container, or the amount of liquid remaining in the container or the position of a label. In the present invention, a liquid examination device is formed by integrating the following: a near infrared-light examination device that examines whether a liquid which fills a container contains an explosive, an explosive raw material, and/or an illicit drug by projecting near infrared light into the liquid from outside of an optically transparent container, receiving the near infrared light which passed through the liquid or the near infrared light which was scattered by the liquid, and analyzing the absorption spectrum of such light; and an ultrasonic wave examination device that examines whether a liquid which fills a container contains an explosive, an explosive raw material, and/or an illicit drug by receiving the reflected waves of ultrasonic waves projected towards the liquid from outside of a metal container, and analyzing the ultrasonic wave speed of such waves.

A system for detecting a void in a photoresist layer can include: a detector, a processor, and a memory. The detector can be arranged to receive reflected light from a surface of a sample. The processor can be in electrical communication with the detector, The memory can store instructions that, when executed by the processor, can cause the processor to perform operations. The operations can comprise: receiving optical data from the detector, receiving calibrated data, and determining an existence of the void. the optical data can include information regarding a signature of the reflected light. The calibrated data can include information regarding a signature for a known sample of photoresist. The determination of the existence of the void can be based on a deviation of the optical data from the calibrated data.

The present invention relates to a method for optically determining the concentration of a gas. The method includes using at least two luminescent dyes, the first being in-sensitive to the concentration of a gas with respect to the luminescence response (reference dye) and the second being sensitive to the concentration of a gas with respect to the luminescence response (indicator dye) the dyes show different luminescence decay times so that the resultant phase angle is indicative for the concentration of a gas, wherein the detected luminescent amplitude of the reference dye at a first moment in time is utilized to correct for sensitivity changes after the first moment.

A calibration suspension unit has a container made of a flexible material that is filled with a calibration suspension for the calibration of a turbidity meter. There exists no air supernatant above the calibration suspension in the container. Further, a method for the manufacture of a calibration suspension unit is provided and its use for the calibration of a turbidity meter is described.

Refractive index distribution standard in the form of a three-dimensional object which contains in its volume a base medium and regions of variable size and distance with a refractive index other than that of the base medium, characterised in that the difference between the refractive index of said regions and the refractive index of the base medium is not greater than 0.04, at least one of the regions is a set of at least two prisms or cylinders or coaxial rings of variable size and distance, having a dimension in at least one direction similar to the resolving power of the measurement system under assessment and at least one of the regions is sphere-like or ellipsoid-like in shape.

A multiparameter standard solution for verifying and calibrating water quality sensors containing an aqueous pH buffer, a xanthene dye, and distyryl biphenyl (DSBP) is provided. The standard solution provides a safe, quick, easy, and stable field standard to simultaneously conduct calibration analysis for several sensors at once. The standard solution is stable when stored and can be safely disposed of in the field. Methods of calibrating sensors used in water quality analysis using the multiparameter standard solution are also provided.