Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.

Nike, Inc.

Pacific Scientific Instruments Company

Virtual Environment Technologies, LLC

Edi of Louisiana, Inc.

Joel C Johnson

Ho Wai Lo

Richard S Harris

Robert B Hill

Robert E Borchers

Terri J Irland

Joseph C Wagner

Eric Thomas Peterson

David Rowley

An image edge blender ( ) of this invention installs in an unmodified projector ( ) in place of the projection lens ( ), which then installs at the output end of the image edge blender assembly. The image edge blender includes a relay lens ( ) that relays an objective image plane ( ) formed in the projector to an intermediate focal plane ( ) formed within the image edge blender. An adjustable aperture assembly ( ) includes at least one shutter ( ) positioned at or near the intermediate focal plane and movable in rotational, parallel, and transverse directions relative to-the optical axis ( ).

Multiple projected image edge blender apparatus and method

A preferred OPTICAL BLACK&trade; ionic anodize process of the present invention applies a porous anodic oxide coating to a component part in a standard sulfuric acid anodizing bath (with or without organic additives). A modified alternating electric current is then applied to the porous oxide coating to remove excess anodizing electrolyte and to allow the coloring solution access to the pores. The oxide coating is electrolytically colored in a low pH acid bath containing a tin salt, sulfuric acid, and organic additives. Alternating current carries additional tin salt to the base of the pores where the tin salt is reduced to metallic tin or tin oxide. Others metals or metallic salts could be employed. Component parts treated by the OPTICAL BLACK&trade; ionic anodize process can be advantageously employed in optical systems, such as particle detectors, to reduce or eliminate stray light.

Method and apparatus for suppressing stray light in particle detectors

A device and method is provided for quickly and accurately determining the size and shape of a human extremity such as a foot by projecting light around a periphery of the extremity and capturing an image of the illuminated foot through a transparent plate. Various embodiments contemplate using light having a wavelength in the near-infrared range to reduce contrast problems caused by dyes used in socks and skin tone problems created by highly pigmented individuals. An image of the foot is digitized and stored in a computer memory in both an illuminated state and a non-illuminated state, and the two images are subtracted. Additional image processing steps on the subtracted image result in various measurement quantities such as foot length, width, arch length, heel width, and arch height.

Apparatus and method of measuring human extremities using peripheral illumination techniques

An optical scanner (100) includes a rotating scanner disk (116) that integrates a multifocal Fresnel fixation lens (114), a Fresnel optical scanner (122, 124), and an angular position encoder (140) into a unitary, inherently aligned, compression-molded component. An individual being identified views through the multifocal Fresnel fixation lens an image of a pinhole (108) illuminated by a light source (104). The multifocal lens is centered on the disk and creates multiple in- and out-of-focus images (180, 182, 184, 186) of the pinhole image. The combined image appears to the individual as a set of circular images (190, 192, 194, 196), one of which is in focus. The images appear concentric when the individual is properly aligned with the disk and associated optics. The Fresnel optical scanner receives IR light from the light source and creates an IR scanning beam (126) when the disk is rotated. IR light reflected by the fundus (12) of the individual returns via a reciprocal path, by way of a beam splitter (112), and into a detector (134) to generate image data. The disk integrates and inherently aligns multiple optical elements, resulting in a 60 percent reduction of optical components relative to prior scanners.

Eye fundus optical scanner system and method

The present invention is a laser system that includes an acousto-optic device (24B) having an optical medium (40B) that maintains a substantially uniform index of refraction even when subjected to nonuniform thermal or mechanical stress. The acousto-optic device provides substantially distortion-free polarized output light that can be directed accurately to strike an intended target.

Laser system incorporating an acousto-optic device having reduced

A diode-pumped laser system (10) incorporates a polarization state control device (12) that provides a trim profile (84) having minimal striations (64) on a target material (42). The striations run generally parallel to the polarization direction of laser output light beam (L) and are diminished whenever the polarization direction is parallel to the laser trimming direction. The striations are substantially eliminated by circularly or randomly polarizing the laser output light beam.

Method and apparatus for laser processing a target material to provide a

A laser system operable in both a lead bonding mode and a lead severing mode. When in the lead bonding mode, the light-amplifying medium (38) of the laser is optically pumped by a lamp (45) to produce laser pulses within the laser cavity (36). The power supply (56) is rapidly switched to provide the bonding pulses (L.sub.b) at a high repetition rate. A Q-switch (46) is disposed within the cavity (36) to shape the laser output pulses (L.sub.b) with a leading power spike (S.sub.b) that is suitable for reducing the reflectivity of the lead (20) surface, thereby facilitating maximum absorption of the laser energy for the bonding operation. When in the severing mode, the light-amplifying medium (38) is continuously pumped and the Q-switch (46) is repetitively switched at a rate high enough to generate laser pulses (L.sub.s) suitable for severing the leads (20) without heating adjacent portions of the leads (20).

Method of and apparatus for modulating a laser beam

An acousto-optic beam deflector comprises an optically active stress optic medium, such as crystalline quartz, driven by a longitudinal acoustic wave transducer. The deflector is independent of optical polarization, and therefore both polarization components of an input optical beam, such as a laser beam, are scattered with equal efficiencies.

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Lake Oswego, OR, United States of America

Joel C Johnson