Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090026370 | PIXEL ARCHITECTURE FOR THERMAL IMAGING SYSTEM - A thermal imaging device including: a substrate; and an array of thermally tunable pixel elements for generating a thermal image, each thermally tunable pixel element including: a plurality of thermally tunable filter islands, each of which has a thermally tunable optical filter, wherein each of the plurality of tunable filter islands within that pixel element is thermally isolated from the other tunable filter islands within that tunable pixel element; an absorption structure for absorbing incident optical thermal energy; and a mechanical structure supporting the plurality of tunable filter islands and the absorption structure on the substrate. | 01-29-2009 |
20090195859 | METHOD OF SPATIALLY SEPARATING WAVELENGTHS OF MULTI-WAVELENGTH SIGNAL USING ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED THERMAL STRUCTURE - A thin-film interference filter structure has a generally wavelength-dependent resonant response to incident optical energy in a predetermined range of wavelengths. The thin-film interference filter structure includes a thermally tunable layer having a thermally tunable optical characteristic such that a range of wavelength-dependent resonant optical responses of the thermally tunable layer are induced by a corresponding range of thermal conditions of the thermally tunable layer. The thin-film interference filter structure is configured to (1) receive a spatially varying pattern of thermal energy at the thermally tunable layer to impart a corresponding spatially varying pattern to the thermally tunable characteristic of the thermally tunable layer, and (2) receive the incident optical energy into the thermally tunable layer and output optical energy having spatial modulation corresponding to the spatially varying pattern of the thermally tunable characteristic. | 08-06-2009 |
20110169960 | VIDEO ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM - A video system includes first and second sensors generating respective primary and secondary video sequences of images of a scene. The first sensor is responsive to thermal infrared (IR) energy, and the second sensor is responsive to shorter-wavelength optical energy in a range from visible to near-IR wavelengths. The sensors are temporally and spatially registered. A motion estimation module generates an estimated motion vector field from the secondary video sequence, and a motion-based image processor applies one or more image-enhancement operations to the primary video sequence based on the estimated motion vector field. The video system may include an additional sensor motion estimation module operating on the primary video stream as well as a merging module that combines the estimated motion vector fields from the sensor motion estimation modules to produce a joint motion vector field having generally more precise motion estimation, further improving the quality of the enhanced video stream from the image processor. | 07-14-2011 |
20110254952 | SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING ENHANCED THERMAL IMAGES - An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user. | 10-20-2011 |
20120122084 | SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING AND SORTING LIVING CELLS - In embodiments of the present invention, a system and method of cytometry may include presenting a single sperm cell to at least one laser source configured to deliver light to the sperm cell in order to induce bond vibrations in the sperm cell DNA, and detecting the signature of the bond vibrations. The bond vibration signature is used to calculate a DNA content carried by the sperm cell which is used to identify the sperm cell as carrying an X-chromosome or Y-chromosome. Another system and method may include flowing cells past at least one QCL source one-by-one using a fluid handling system, delivering QCL light to a single cell to induce resonant mid-IR absorption by one or more analytes of the cell, and detecting, using a mid-infrared detection facility, the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light, wherein the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light is used to identify a cell characteristic. | 05-17-2012 |
20120145903 | SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING ENHANCED THERMAL IMAGES - An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user. | 06-14-2012 |
20120196356 | COMBINED INSPECTION SYSTEM INCLUDING MID-IR VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY AND A FLUORESCENT CYTOMETRY FACILITY - This disclosure concerns a cytometry system including a handling system that presents single cells to at least one quantum cascade laser (QCL) source. The QCL laser source configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce resonant mid-infrared absorption by one or more analytes of the cell. The system includes a laser source that excites at least one fluorophore present in the cell or on the surface of the cell and a fluorescence detector that measures the fluorescence intensity of the fluorophore. A mid-infrared detection facility detects the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light, wherein the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light and the fluorescence intensity are used to identify at least one cell characteristic. | 08-02-2012 |
20120199741 | MINIMALLY INVASIVE CYTOMETRY SYSTEM USING QCL VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY FOR DIFFERENTIATION OF PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS FROM FUNCTIONALLY DIFFERENTIATED CELLS BASED ON INSPECTION OF SINGLE CELLS - This disclosure concerns a minimally invasive cytometry system including a handling system that presents single cells to at least one QCL laser source. The QCL laser source is configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce vibrational bond absorption in one or more analytes within the cell. The cytometry system also includes a detection facility that detects the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light, wherein the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light is used to identify the differentiation status of the cell as either pluripotent or functionally differentiated. | 08-09-2012 |
20120199742 | SINGLE PARTICLE QCL-BASED MID-IR SPECTROSCOPY SYSTEM WITH ANALYSIS OF SCATTERING - This disclosure concerns a system with scattering analysis including a handling system that presents a single particle to at least one quantum cascade laser (QCL) source. The QCL laser source is configured to deliver light to the single particle in order to induce resonant mid-infrared absorption in the particle or an analyte within the particle. A mid-infrared detection facility detects the mid-infrared wavelength light scattered by the single particle, wherein a wavelength and angle analysis of the scattered mid-IR wavelength light is used to determine analyte-specific structural and concentration information. | 08-09-2012 |
20120202277 | MINIMALLY INVASIVE CYTOMETRY SYSTEM WITH QCL INSPECTION OF SINGLE CELLS FOR CANCER DETECTION - This disclosure concerns a minimally invasive cytometry system including a handling system that presents single cells to at least one QCL laser source. The QCL laser source is configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce vibrational bond absorption in one or more analytes within the cell. The cytometry system also includes a detection facility that detects the mid-infrared wavelength light transmitted by the cell and identifies the cell as either cancerous or non-cancerous. | 08-09-2012 |
20120202278 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REPEAT MEASUREMENT OF SINGLE CELLS USING VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY - This disclosure concerns a high-throughput cytometry system including a handling system that presents single cells to at least one quantum cascade laser (QCL) source. The QCL laser source is configured to deliver light successively to single cells over a time period in order to make successive measurements of induced resonant mid-infrared absorption by one or more analytes of the cells. The cytometry system also includes a mid-infrared detection facility that detects the successively transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light, wherein the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light is used to identify a changing cell characteristic over the time period. | 08-09-2012 |
20120204628 | USE OF VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY FOR DNA CONTENT INSPECTION - This disclosure concerns a cytometry system including a handling system that enables presentation of single cells to at least one laser source. The laser source is configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce bond vibrations in the cellular DNA. The system further includes a detection facility that detects the signature of the bond vibrations, wherein the bond vibration signature is used to calculate a DNA content carried by the cell. | 08-16-2012 |
20120225474 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PATHOGEN DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION - This disclosure concerns a pathogen inspection system that includes a handling system that presents single cells from a sample to at least one QCL laser source. The QCL laser source is configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce vibrational bond absorption in one or more analytes within the cell. The system includes a detection facility that detects the mid-infrared wavelength light transmitted by the cell and identifies the cell as either a pathogen or not a pathogen. | 09-06-2012 |
20120225475 | CYTOMETRY SYSTEM WITH QUANTUM CASCADE LASER SOURCE, ACOUSTIC DETECTOR, AND MICRO-FLUIDIC CELL HANDLING SYSTEM CONFIGURED FOR INSPECTION OF INDIVIDUAL CELLS - This disclosure concerns a cytometry system including a handling system that presents single cells to at least one quantum cascade laser (QCL) source. The QCL laser source is configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce resonant mid-IR vibrational absorption by one or more analytes, leading to local heating that results in thermal expansion and an associated shockwave. An acoustic detection facility that detects the shockwave emitted by the single cell. | 09-06-2012 |
20120281098 | SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING ENHANCED THERMAL IMAGES - An imaging device has a thermal sensor to remotely measure respective temperatures of regions within an imaging field and to generate temperature information signals. A motion tracking system tracks motion of the thermal sensor and generates position information signals representing positions of the thermal sensor during the temperature measurements. An image construction processor uses the position and temperature information signals to generate a two-dimensional image representative of the imaging field including respective temperature indications at different locations within the two-dimensional image, and stores the two-dimensional image within a memory. The two-dimensional image may be used as an output image for display to a user. | 11-08-2012 |
20130252237 | CYTOMETRY SYSTEM WITH INTERFEROMETRIC MEASUREMENT - This disclosure concerns methods and apparatus for interferometric spectroscopic measurements of particles with higher signal to noise ratio utilizing an infrared light beam that is split into two beams. At least one beam may be directed through a measurement volume containing a sample including a medium. The two beams may then be recombined and measured by a detector. The phase differential between the two beams may be selected to provide destructive interference when no particle is present in the measurement volume. A sample including medium with a particle is introduced to the measurement volume and the detected change resulting from at least one of resonant mid-infrared absorption, non-resonant mid-infrared absorption, and scattering by the particle may be used to determine a property of the particle. A wide range of properties of particles may be determined, wherein the particles may include living cells. | 09-26-2013 |
20140091014 | SINGLE PARTICLE QCL-BASED MID-IR SPECTROSCOPY SYSTEM WITH ANALYSIS OF SCATTERING - This disclosure concerns a system with scattering analysis including a handling system that presents a single particle to at least one quantum cascade laser (QCL) source. The QCL laser source is configured to deliver light to the single particle in order to induce resonant mid-infrared absorption in the particle or an analyte within the particle. A mid-infrared detection facility detects the mid-infrared wavelength light scattered by the single particle, wherein a wavelength and angle analysis of the scattered mid-IR wavelength light is used to determine analyte-specific structural and concentration information. | 04-03-2014 |