An optical element including a plate-shaped substrate with a light-entrance surface and a light-exit surface, a multiplicity of imaging elements formed on the light-exit surface and a multiplicity of diaphragms formed on the light-entrance surface. Each diaphragm includes a transparent geometric region in an opaque region. The optical element can be switched between two operating modes B1 and B2 such that some of the imaging elements change their focal length between values f1 and f2 and/or, some of the diaphragms change their aperture width and/or their position. Exactly one diaphragm is associated with each imaging element in mode B1 so that light passing through the diaphragm is imaged or collimated by the associated imaging element. Consequently, light arriving in the optical element through the diaphragms and then through the light-entrance surface has, after passing through the associated imaging elements in the two operating modes B1 and B2, different propagation angles.

A microfluidic system and related methods of operating an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device operate to concentrate particles within a liquid droplet dispensed onto an element array of the EWOD device. The method includes the steps of providing a non-polar liquid onto the element array of the EWOD device; providing a polar liquid droplet onto the element array of the EWOD device within the non-polar liquid, wherein the polar liquid droplet includes particles; and applying an actuation cycle comprising a plurality of actuation patterns, wherein at least one of the actuation patterns includes actuating one or more array element electrodes within a perimeter of the polar liquid droplet, and the particles migrate within the polar liquid droplet to become concentrated within a portion of the liquid droplet at one or more array element electrodes corresponding to one of the plurality of actuation patterns.

The present invention has as an object to, by controlling how oil injected into a liquid drop control device wet spreads, make it harder for bubbles to remain in a cell. A liquid drop control device of the present invention is characterized in that in at least one substrate, there is a gap between an end face of a lyophobic layer and a seal material and the lyophobic layer and the seal material make contact with each other in at least one place.

A variable diaphragm is provided. The variable diaphragm includes: first and second substrates opposite to each other; a light detector on a side of the first substrate distal to the second substrate, and configured to detect an intensity of incident light and generate a first signal; an electrowetting microfluid medium layer between the first and second substrates, and including transparent and opaque fluid mediums immiscible with each other, wherein an aperture of the variable diaphragm is formed by the transparent fluid medium, and one of the transparent and opaque fluid mediums is conductive; and a driving electrode between the first and second substrates, and configured to receive a driving voltage corresponding to the first signal and for driving the electrowetting microfluid medium layer, so as to change an area of an orthographic projection of the opaque fluid medium fluid medium on the second substrate, thereby changing a diameter of the aperture.

A tunable optical electrowetting element having a liquid-liquid interface shape controlled by an applied voltage. Circuitry for applying a voltage to the electrowetting element is configured to apply a shaped voltage signal comprising a first fast-rising signal combined with a second fast-rising signal. The second signal is selected to damp oscillations in the liquid-liquid interface caused by the first signal.

An electrowetting device has an active matrix substrate including a plurality of first electrodes arrayed in a matrix shape, a plurality of TFTs, a plurality of first wiring lines extending along a row direction, and a plurality of second wiring lines extending along a column direction. The plurality of TFTs are disposed so as to have at least one of first and second relative arrangements. The first relative arrangement is a relative arrangement where two or more TFTs that are connected to any one of the plurality of first wiring lines alternately include, along the row direction: TFTs that are connected to the first electrodes belonging to one of a pair of rows adjoining the one first wiring line; and TFTs that are connected to the first electrodes belonging to the other row. The second relative arrangement is a relative arrangement where two or more TFTs that are connected to any one of the plurality of second wiring lines alternately include, along the column direction: TFTs that are connected to the first electrodes belonging to one of a pair of columns adjoining the one second wiring line; and TFTs that are connected to the first electrodes belonging to the other column.

An optical system comprising: an optical element having an optical property responsive to an applied signal, a variation of the optical property with the signal exhibiting hysteresis in a first range of values and no hysteresis in a second range of values of the signal; a memory storing data representing a hysteresis curve which indicates the variation of the optical property with increasing and decreasing values of the signal; and a controller which continuously controls the optical property by: generating, based on the stored data, a cyclic signal having a discontinuity in each cycle of the cyclic signal, and setting the discontinuity size in each cycle based on the stored data such that a part of the variation of the optical property with the cyclic signal coincides with a part of the variation represented by the stored data; and applying the cyclic signal to the optical element.

A liquid lens can include a cavity between first and second windows, first and second liquids in the cavity, and a variable interface between the liquids, thereby forming a variable lens. The liquid lens can be operable to adjust a shape of the variable interface at an operating temperature less than a melting point of the first liquid. A liquid composition of the first liquid can include at least 65 wt. % water, at most 31 wt. % of a freezing point reducing agent, at most 20 wt. % of an alkali metal salt, a melting point of greater than or equal to −10° C., a viscosity of at most 1.3 cSt, measured at a temperature of 20° C., a refractive index, measured at a wavelength of 589.3 nm, of at most 1.4, and/or an Abbe number of at least 45. A volume of the cavity can be at most 10 μL.

A variable focus lens system can include a variable focus lens, one or more electrodes, a signal generator configured to supply voltage to the one or more electrodes to vary the focal length of the variable focus lens, and a controller configured to apply a voltage to the one or more electrodes and receive information indicative of a capacitance that results from the applied voltage. The controller can be configured to determine a temperature of the variable focus lens based at least in part on the capacitance or applied voltage. The variable focus lens system can include a temperature sensor, and the controller can be configured to receive temperature information from the temperature sensor and calibrate the temperature sensor based at least in part on the received temperature information, the applied voltage, and the received capacitance information.

A display device includes a first support plate and a pixel region over the first support plate. A thin film transistor (TFT) structure is disposed over the first support plate and associated with the pixel region. The TFT structure includes a first metal layer over the first support plate. The first metal layer includes a gate. A silicon layer is disposed over the gate. A second metal layer is disposed over the silicon layer. The second metal layer includes a source and a drain covering a first portion of the silicon layer. An amorphous silicon layer is disposed over at least a portion of the second metal layer and a second portion of the silicon layer.