A vehicle surface 30, preferably wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, is described. The vehicle surface 30 comprises thereon and/or therein a set of retroreflectors 300, including a first retroreflector 300A, configured to reflect, at least in part, incident hostile light towards a source thereof.

A vehicle surface 30, preferably wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, is described. The vehicle surface 30 comprises thereon and/or therein a set of retroreflectors 300, including a first retroreflector 300A, configured to reflect, at least in part, incident hostile light towards a source thereof.

Window glass having sun-facing daylight redirecting optical structures with an embedded surface diffuser patterned on them. The optical structures are generally linear and formed from a repeating unit cell. Each unit cell has a base, two or more peaks opposite the base, and at least one curved side between the base and the peaks. The other sides between the base and the peaks can be substantially straight, curved, or a series of facets approximating a curve.

Provided herein are retroreflective colored article having a predetermined pattern of beaded and unbeaded regions and at least one polymeric color layer (130) covering at least a portion of the beaded and unbeaded regions, a reflector layer (140) covering the colour layer, and a carrier (150). Also disclosed are methods for making the articles.

An imaging lens (PL) has an image surface (I) curved to have a concave surface facing an object and comprises, in order from the object along the optical axis (Ax): a first lens (L1) having positive refractive power; a second lens (L2) having negative refractive power; a third lens (L3) having positive refractive power; a fourth lens (L4) having positive or negative refractive power; and a fifth lens (L5) having at least one lens surface formed as an aspherical surface and having negative refractive power. The following conditional expression is satisfied:

0.005<f/|f4|<0.5 where, f denotes a focal length of the imaging lens (PL), and f4 denotes a focal length of the fourth lens (L4).

An imaging lens (PL) has an image surface (I) curved to have a concave surface facing an object and comprises, in order from the object along the optical axis (Ax): a first lens (L1) having positive refractive power; a second lens (L2) having negative refractive power; a third lens (L3) having positive refractive power; a fourth lens (L4) having positive or negative refractive power; and a fifth lens (L5) having at least one lens surface formed as an aspherical surface and having negative refractive power. The following conditional expression is satisfied:

0.005<f/|f4|<0.5 where, f denotes a focal length of the imaging lens (PL), and f4 denotes a focal length of the fourth lens (L4).

The present invention provides optical systems and methods for determining a characteristic of a cell, such as cell type, cellular response to a biochemical event, biological state and the like. The methods typically involve using interferometry to observe membrane properties in a cell and then use this information to determine one or more characteristics of a cell. The methods of the invention are useful for applications such as drug screening as well as diagnostic techniques.

The present invention provides optical systems and methods for determining a characteristic of a cell, such as cell type, cellular response to a biochemical event, biological state and the like. The methods typically involve using interferometry to observe membrane properties in a cell and then use this information to determine one or more characteristics of a cell. The methods of the invention are useful for applications such as drug screening as well as diagnostic techniques.

A backlight device including an optical sheet diffusing and outputting light from a light guide plate, a frame member having an opening corresponding to a light output surface of the light guide plate, the frame member being provided between the light guide plate and the optical sheet to secure a positional relationship therebetween. The device also includes a plurality of securing members provided at a peripheral edge of the frame member, which secure the optical sheet, are each coupled with the frame member via a thin hinge, and each include a pressing portion having a hole, where the pressing portion presses the optical sheet to the frame member. The frame member is provided with protrusions respectively fit into the holes. The optical sheet includes perforations, and the protrusions are inserted through the perforations and fit into the holes, and the pressing portions press the optical sheet to the frame member.

A backlight device including an optical sheet diffusing and outputting light from a light guide plate, a frame member having an opening corresponding to a light output surface of the light guide plate, the frame member being provided between the light guide plate and the optical sheet to secure a positional relationship therebetween. The device also includes a plurality of securing members provided at a peripheral edge of the frame member, which secure the optical sheet, are each coupled with the frame member via a thin hinge, and each include a pressing portion having a hole, where the pressing portion presses the optical sheet to the frame member. The frame member is provided with protrusions respectively fit into the holes. The optical sheet includes perforations, and the protrusions are inserted through the perforations and fit into the holes, and the pressing portions press the optical sheet to the frame member.