248results about How to "Low light" patented technology

In accordance with the invention, a low coherence interferometer is used to non-invasively monitor the concentration of glucose in blood by shining a light over a surface area of human or animal tissue, continuously scanning the light over a two dimensional area of the surface, collecting the reflected light from within the tissue and constructively interfering this reflected light with light reflected along a reference path to scan the tissue in depth. Since the reflection spectrum is sensitive to glucose concentration at particular wavelengths, measurement and analysis of the reflected light provides a measure of the level of glucose in the blood. The measurement of glucose is taken from multiple depths within blood-profused tissue, and sensitivity is preferably enhanced by the use of multiple wavelengths. Noise or speckle associated with this technique is minimized by continuously scanning the illuminated tissue in area and depth.

A method for forming a final digital color image includes capturing an image using an image sensor having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the captured image a digital panchromatic image and an intermediate digital color image; and using the digital panchromatic image and the intermediate digital color image to provide the final digital color image.

A minimally invasive retractor system is shown which has a support frame having two opposing pairs of horizontally oriented sides. The sides of the frame can be adjusted to vary an interior space of the frame. Four retractor blades are mounted on the frame for engaging tissue within a surgical site. Each retractor blade has an elongate body portion with a length which is oriented perpendicularly to the frame in use. One of the retractor blades can be equipped with a light source and a suction source which are integral to the blade. The blade also has an integral power source for powering the light source. The blade can also house a tissue retractor such as a dural retractor for retracting the dural sack of a patient during spinal surgery.

A minimally invasive retractor system is shown which has a support frame having two opposing pairs of horizontally oriented sides. The sides of the frame can be adjusted to vary an interior space of the frame. Four retractor blades are mounted on the frame for engaging tissue within a surgical site. Each retractor blade has an elongate body portion with a length which is oriented perpendicularly to the frame in use. One of the retractor blades can be equipped with a light source and a suction source which are integral to the blade. The blade also has an integral power source for powering the light source. The blade can also house a tissue retractor such as a dural retractor for retracting the dural sack of a patient during spinal surgery.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a light detection circuit which includes an optical sensor to output a current signal corresponding to illuminance and a current-voltage conversion circuit to convert the current signal output from the optical sensor into a voltage signal; an amplifier to amplify the voltage signal output from the light detection circuit; a comparison circuit to compare voltage output from the amplifier and reference voltage and output the result to a control circuit; and the control circuit to determine an illuminance range to be detected depending on the output from the comparison circuit and output a control signal to the light detection circuit. The current-voltage conversion circuit has a function of changing a resistance value in accordance with the control signal.

In accordance with the invention, a low coherence interferometer is used to non-invasively monitor the concentration of glucose in blood by shining a light over a surface area of human or animal tissue, continuously scanning the light over a two dimensional area of the surface, collecting the reflected light from within the tissue and constructively interfering this reflected light with light reflected along a reference path to scan the tissue in depth. Since the reflection spectrum is sensitive to glucose concentration at particular wavelengths, measurement and analysis of the reflected light provides a measure of the level of glucose in the blood. The measurement of glucose is taken from multiple depths within blood-profused tissue, and sensitivity is preferably enhanced by the use of multiple wavelengths. Noise or speckle associated with this technique is minimized by continuously scanning the illuminated tissue in area and depth.

A CCM substrate (1) includes as a light-emitting layer on a substrate (11) a red conversion layer (142), a green conversion layer (152), and a light scattering layer (162); a bank (13) which stands on the substrate (11), and partitions the light-emitting layer; and a light-transmission suppressing layer (10) which is formed on at least a portion of a side surface (13a) of the bank (13) which is a surface facing the light-emitting layer, and suppresses light transmission between the light-emitting layers (the red conversion layer (142), the green conversion layer (152), and the light scattering layer (162)) with the bank (13) interposed therebetween by causing the light to be reflected or scattered, in which the light-transmission suppressing layer (10) is comprising metal or metal salt, and the bank (13) has a group, an ion, or a molecule for immobilizing the metal or metal ion.

There is provided an imaging apparatus including an optical elements that disperses an incoming light from a subject into a first light composed of wavelength components in a visible light region only, and a second light which does not contain the first light and which is composed of wavelength components in other than visible light region only, a color image pickup device that receives the first light irradiated from the optical element, and a monochrome image pickup device that receives the second light irradiated from the optical element.

A light transmission tube includes a tubular clad and a core section having a higher refractive index than that of the tubular clad. A belt-like reflecting layer is formed between the tubular clad and the core section, extending in the longitudinal direction of the tubular clad, in a manner such that a light passing through the core section is reflected and scatterred by the reflecting layer and then emitted from an outer surface area of the tubular clad, which outer surface area is located opposite to one side of the tubular clad where the reflecting layer has been formed. Further, the reflecting layer may be so formed that a light is allowed to be emitted in a plurality of directions. Moreover, the belt-like reflecting layer may be formed into a spiral configuration. The width of the belt-like reflecting layer may be changed in the longitudinal direction of the light transmission tube. The tubular clad is allowed to have a non-circular cross section. The clad formation material may contain an ultraviolet light shielding material or an ultraviolet light absorbing material.

Motion / Saturation detection system and method for synthesizing high dynamic range motion blur free images from multiple captures, the system and method utilizing photocurrent estimation to reduce read noise and enhance dynamic range at the low illumination end, saturation detection to enhance dynamic range at the high illumination end, and motion blur detection to ensure the photocurrent estimation is not corrupted by motion. Motion blur detection also makes it possible to extend exposure time and to capture more images, which can be used to further enhance dynamic range at the low illumination end. The present invention operates completely locally, making it well suited for single chip digital camera implementations.

A method and apparatus for achieving high-dynamic range operation with a set of spatially distributed pixel cells is provided. A pixel array with a row of pixels having apertures of varying sizes in a metal mask formed thereon controls the sensitivity of each pixel cell to light. A neutral density filter having varying light transparency values is also provided over the set of pixel cells to control the sensitivity of each pixel cell to light. The pixel cells voltage outputted is combined to obtain high-dynamic range operation.

A multiple depth display provided for displaying images at different depths comprises a single display device (61), for displaying all of the images. An optical system (62, 63, 64) is disposed in front of the display device (61). The optical system comprises first and second spaced-apart partial reflectors (62, 63) and polarization optics (64) for providing first and second light paths for first and second images or sequences of images displayed by the device (61). The first light path (65) comprises partial transmission through the first reflector (62), partial reflection from the second reflector (63), partial reflection from the first reflector (62), and partial transmission through the second reflector (65) towards a viewing region.

This invention relates to video cameras and, more specifically, to a high-resolution day / night video camera with a long lens, fast optics and pan / tilt / zoom electronics, coupled with a diode-pumped solid state laser illuminator for long range low light illumination. Potential applications include ports, borders, pipelines, power stations, communication transmitters and prisons.

A rugged adjustable, optical alignment system is well suited for use in low light environments or at night. A rear sight includes a U-shaped array of, preferably, first second and third substantially cylindrical, transparent, tritium vials arranged such that the elongated cylindrical side surfaces of the vials are exposed to define an array of elongated illuminated segments. The array is preferably in the shape of a “U” having a first horizontally aligned vial positioned below a sight notch with a second vertical vial positioned above and to the left of the notch. A third vertical vial is positioned to the right of the sighting notch, above the first vial. In use, a front blade or front post also containing a tritium insert is aligned within the rear sight's U-shaped array of illuminated segments, thereby providing an intuitive sight picture.

An exemplary CMOS image sensor comprises a reset transistor, a photodiode, reset drain voltage circuitry, and reset gate voltage circuitry. A cathode of the photodiode is connected to a source of the reset transistor, and an anode of the photodiode is connected to ground. The reset drain voltage circuitry is connected to a drain of the reset transistor, and the reset gate voltage circuitry is connected to a gate of the reset transistor. During an exemplary hard reset operation, the reset drain voltage circuitry supplies a first drain voltage to the drain of the reset transistor in accordance with a determined level of light for exposure, which is determined dynamically. According to another exemplary reset operation, a hard reset phase is immediately followed by a soft reset phase.

To provide a semiconductor device which can detect low illuminance. A photoelectric conversion element, a diode-connected first transistor, and a second transistor are included. A gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor. One of a source and a drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the second transistor through the photoelectric conversion element. The other of the source and the drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor. By using transistors which have different threshold voltages for the first transistor and the second transistor, a semiconductor device which can perform detecting of low illuminance can be obtained.

Provided is a method of carrying out an underwater video survey of a scene, the method operating in an underwater imaging system comprising a first camera module, a second camera module and a lighting module to provide a plurality of illumination profiles, wherein the method comprises repeating the following steps at a desired frame rate: the first camera module capturing a first image of the scene, where the scene is illuminated according to a first illumination profile; and the second camera module capturing a second image of the scene, where the scene is illuminated according to a second illumination profile; characterised in that the first camera module is a HD colour camera module and the first illumination profile provides white light suitable for capturing a HD image; and the second camera module is a low light camera module, and the second illumination profile is suitable for use with the low light camera module.

A pixel cell has a large and small photodiode, transfer transistors, a reset transistor, a dynamic range enhancement capacitor, a capacitor control transistor, a storage capacitor, a storage capacitor control transistor, an amplifier transistor in a source follower configuration and a rolling shutter row select transistor and a readout circuit block. The small and large photodiodes are exposed simultaneously, the large photodiode having a constant exposure while the small photodiode has a chopped exposure and charge transfer to a storage capacitor.

There is provided an image processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit that obtains color image data composed of wavelength components in a visible light region only, and monochrome image data which does not contain the wavelength components in the visible light region and which is composed of wavelength components in other than visible light region only, a color information extraction unit that extracts color information from the color image data, a luminance information extraction unit that extracts luminance information from the monochrome image data, and a synthesis unit that synthesizes the extracted color information and the extracted luminance information to generate composite image data.

The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for dynamically adjusting a color gamut of a display (e.g., a field sequential color display) and further adjusting a luminance of the display in an electronic device by adjusting and turning on field duties of primary colors. During each color field, the other primary colors of light sources supporting the display can be turned on at their respective fractions of their color field. These fractions can be continuously tunable in order to control the color coordinate of each primary color dynamically thus adjusting the color gamut and the luminance of the display.

A plurality of transistors in which ratios of a channel length L to a channel width W, α=W / L, are different from each other is provided in parallel as output side transistors 105a to 105c in a current mirror circuit 101 which amplifies a photocurrent of a photoelectric conversion device and an internal resistor is connected to each of the output side transistors 105a to 105c in series. The sum of currents which flow through the plurality of transistors and the internal resistor is output, whereby a transistor with large amount of α can be driven in a linear range with low illuminance, and a transistor with small amount of α can be driven in a linear range with high illuminance, so that applicable illuminance range of the photoelectric conversion device can be widened.

A rugged adjustable, optical alignment system is well suited for use in low light environments or at night. A rear sight includes a U-shaped array of, preferably, first second and third substantially cylindrical, transparent, tritium vials arranged such that the elongated cylindrical side surfaces of the vials are exposed to define an array of elongated illuminated segments. The array is preferably in the shape of a “U” having a first horizontally aligned vial positioned below a sight notch with a second vertical vial positioned above and to the left of the notch. A third vertical vial is positioned to the right of the sighting notch, above the first vial. In use, a front blade or front post also containing a tritium insert is aligned within the rear sight's U-shaped array of illuminated segments, thereby providing an intuitive sight picture.

A device, system and method for photometric detection of coagulation in whole blood. The present invention is easy to implement and operate. Furthermore, the present invention has the advantage of being considered to fulfill the desired standard of using photometry for measuring blood coagulation. Also, a photometric coagulation test device for whole blood specimens according to the present invention provides medical accuracy to the home user and, at the same time, is simple to construct. The present invention is also useful for detecting and determining blood agglutination, for example as the results of a serological reaction with an antibody.

A plurality of transistors in which ratios of a channel length L to a channel width W, α=W / L, are different from each other is provided in parallel as output side transistors 105a to 105c in a current mirror circuit 101 which amplifies a photocurrent of a photoelectric conversion device and an internal resistor is connected to each of the output side transistors 105a to 105c in series. The sum of currents which flow through the plurality of transistors and the internal resistor is output, whereby a transistor with large amount of α can be driven in a linear range with low illuminance, and a transistor with small amount of α can be driven in a linear range with high illuminance, so that applicable illuminance range of the photoelectric conversion device can be widened.

A liquid crystal panel module, a backlight module and a liquid crystal display (LCD) are provided. The liquid crystal panel module includes a liquid crystal panel and a diffraction grating layer. The liquid crystal panel has a plurality of pixels. The diffraction grating layer is disposed on the liquid crystal panel, and a maximum period of a grating of the diffraction grating layer is smaller than 1 / 10 of a size of the pixels. The backlight module includes a light guide plate, a light emitting element and a diffraction grating film. A light provided by the light emitting element emits from a light emitting surface of the light guide plate and is bended towards the light emitting element after passing through the diffraction grating film. The liquid crystal panel module and the backlight module can be applied to the LCD together or individually.

A high performance zoom lens system suitable for use with a camera is disclosed. The zoom lens systems employs liquid optics and a movable lens group to provide optical performance over the zoom focal length range at focus distances from close to infinity. The system also provides compensation for undesirable thermally induced effects by adjustments of the zoom group and the variably shaped optical surface in the liquid lens cell.