Optical Coagulation Monitor and Method of Use

An optical coagulation monitor and the method of monitoring blood coagulation status are disclosed. The method includes positioning a sample probe containing an optical fiber within a circulating blood; transmitting a low-coherence light through the optical fiber into the blood; detecting dynamic light scatter signals generated by the blood within a coherence volume and received through the optical fiber; analyzing the dynamic light scatter signals in comparison to a predetermined coagulation criterion; and reporting the coagulation status of the blood. The method can be used for monitoring blood coagulation status in vivo or in vitro in real time. Further disclosed is a method of determining blood clotting time in vitro using the optical coagulation monitor

Free-Space Optical Communications with Partially Coherent Beams

This disclosure relates to a laser communication system for transmitting intelligence by means of partially coherent optical energy. The system provides improved transmission of intelligence from a transmitter site through non-confined free space and receiving said intelligence at a receiver site remote from and physically separate from said transmitter by non-confined free space. The system has a optical source at the transmitter site for producing a beam of spatially-coherent monochromatic, aperture limited electromagnetic optical energy as well as a modulator for modulating said beam with intelligence-bearing information to develop wavefronts of mutually-aligned orientation which beam is thereafter modified to partial coherence and a receiver site for both detecting said information in said partially coherent beam and deriving said demodulated information. The partially coherent beam has an a of preferably from 0.05 to 0.5 whereby improved reception is realized from optical communi

Method for Monitoring a Characteristic of a Mixture Comprising Particles Suspended in a Liquid.

The specification describes a method for monitoring a characteristic of a mixture of particles suspended in a liquid medium by generating a first interference signal by combining first and second radiation beams after the first beam traverses a reference path and the second beam traverses a path extending into the mixture, allowing the particles in the mixture to partially settle, then generating a second interference signal by the same technique as used for the first. The second interference signal is then compared to the first interference signal to determine a change in, e.g., the particle density

Method for Characterizing Particles in a liquid Medium Using Interferometry.

In a method for characterizing particles in a colloidal suspension, during a period in which the particles undergo sedimentation, changes are measured in the intensity among interference patterns generated by combining first and second partially coherent radiation portions. Each radiation portion is generated from the same source. The first portion includes a component transmitted through a fraction of the suspension, and the second portion is transmitted through a reference path

Optical System for Characterizing Particles in a Colloidal Suspension Using Interferometry.

An optical system for monitoring a colloidal suspension includes a chamber positioned to receive a sample of the suspension while the suspension is circulating in a mechanical system. An interferometer is positioned to generate interference patterns developed by a combination of a reference radiation signal with a sample radiation signal indicative of a characteristic in the suspension

Interferometer with Optical Fiber Interconnected Dual Arm Sampler.

An interferometric system includes first, second and third optical fibers with first and second couplers. The first coupler is configured to receive radiation through the first fiber, provide a first radiation portion through the second fiber and provide a second radiation portion through the third fiber to the second coupler. The system also includes fourth and fifth optical fibers each configured to receive radiation from the second coupler and transmit radiation for receipt by the other

Frequency Tunable Resonant Apparatus

Tuning of the resonant state of a structure that scatters optical fields is achieved by varying the effective optical properties of the environment of a small conductive structure. The frequency tunable resonant scatterer includes a medium, a conductive structure within that medium and a second structure in the vicinity of said conductive structure, wherein the plasmon resonance of said conductive structure is tuned by way of the proximity of said second structure to said conductive structure. The second structure is gradually moved away from and closer to the nanoparticle to change the effective dielectric constant for tuning a resonance frequency of the conductive structure to plural excitation wavelength

Polarimetry of Three-Dimensional Optical Fields.

The apparatus, system and method of the present invention provide a three-dimensional polarimeter probe having a coupler for coupling three components of an electromagnetic field that fluctuates in three-dimensions and an emitter for re-emitting a radiation corresponding to said three components. The radiation includes a polarized and an unpolarized component of said electromagnetic field and is used to determine the elements of a field-field correlation martix. In an embodiment, the system includes a detector located a distance from said probe for sensing said re-emitted radiation from said probe and a processor for determining a polarized and an unpolarized component of said electromagnetic field evaluating the polarized component to produce said polarimetry of said three-dimensional optical field

Time-resolved Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry

We present a new method of time-resolved Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry for spatial and temporal characterization of the polarization effects in backscattering from turbid media. The technique allows measuring the time evolution of spatially varying polarization patterns of diffusely backscattered light with picosecond resolution. A series of time-resolved polarization patterns are obtained at various time delays, are analyzed in sequence, and used to separate the polarimetric contributions of different scattering paths. Specific features of the 2D Mueller matrix components corresponding to light backscattered from colloidal suspensions were determined and characterized. The temporally- and spatially-resolved measurements permit detailed analysis of the changes in the magnitude, sign, and the general symmetry properties of Mueller matrix components