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Ramona Optics Inc.

Optical Wavefront Laboratories

Robert Horstmeyer

Roarke W Horstmeyer

Mark Harfouche

Oliver J Edwards

Ron Appel

Roarke Horstmeyer

An array of more than one digital micro-camera, along with the use of patterned illumination and a digital post-processing operation, jointly create a multi-camera patterned illumination (MCPI) microscope. Each micro-camera includes its own unique lens system and detector. The field-over-view of each micro-camera unit at least partially overlaps with the field-of-view of one or more other micro-camera units within the array. The entire field-of-view of a sample of interest is imaged by the entire array of micro-cameras in a single snapshot. In addition, the MCPI system uses patterned optical illumination to improve its effective resolution. The MCPI system captures one or more images as the patterned optical illumination changes its distribution across space and/or angle at the sample. Then, the MCPI system digitally combines the acquired image sequence using a unique post-processing algorithm.

Multiple camera microscope imaging with patterned illumination

A system and method to verify the authenticity of a physical object, based on the efficient acquisition and digital post-processing of a large amount of optical data. An optical system, comprised of an array of microscope-type 'micro-cameras' and a patterned illumination source, acquires spatial, spectral and angular information about the physical object in the form of micro-camera images. The set of all acquired images comprise one object dataset, which a post-processing system then digitally transforms into a multi-gigabyte set of semi-random keys. Authentication takes place at a later date following a challenge-and-response protocol. The high resolution (<15 μm) of the acquired data presents a significant challenge to attempted duplication of the physical object, and the large size (>1 Gigabyte) of the key set similarly prevents both physical and digital forgery attempts.

System and method to optically authenticate physical objects

An arrangement of one or more micro cameras are used in conjunction with computer controlled illumination to create a high-throughput microscope able to operate without the need of expensive scanning stages. A single unit contains a plurality of sensors, lenses tiled in such a way to cover a significant fraction of the desired field of view in a digital single acquisition. Mechanical stages and patterned illumination can then be used in conjunction with the system to enhanced the imaged depth of field, or create an acquisition stack to enhance the information acquired. Multiple units can be combined to obtain images of a single sample from different angles. The absence of mechanical stages makes the imaging system ideal for use in scenarios that require the sample to be in a climate and/or environmentally controlled chamber.

Unscanned optical inspection system using a micro camera array

A solar energy harvester comprises: an elongated stationary solar irradiance converter assembly; a concentrator comprised of a substantially flat array of flat reflective heliostatic slats disposed at tilt angles to concentrate the sun onto the converter assembly, said slats each rotating in elevation about a north-south axis; sun sensor detecting the efficacy of concentration as the sun traverses; and control circuitry and drive motor positioning the collector in elevation according to the sun sensor so that the slat array tracks and faces the sun whenever the solar incident energy is greater than a selectable threshold level.

Solar power harvester

A water vapor ejector comprises a desiccant disposed in a communication path to a green house enclosure. In the day time and under sunlight exposure, the green house enclosure heats up, which dries the desiccant and generates a flow to the outside ambient through a pressure difference. The moisture trapped in the desiccant is then released to the outside ambient. In the night time, the green house enclosure cools, which generates a flow to the inside of the enclosure. The desiccant traps the moisture within the flow, ensuring a moisture-free enclosure. The cycle re-starts in the next morning when the enclosure heats up. The diurnal cycle removes the water vapor present in the enclosure and delivered to the exterior of the enclosure.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Robert Horstmeyer