3m Innovative Properties Company

Eye Lighting International of North America, Inc.

Greenlight Optics, LLC

Polybiomics, Inc.

Todd S Rutherford

Simon Magarill

R Edward English, Jr

Charles L Bruzzone

Jiaying Ma

Stephen K Eckhardt

Roy A Auerbach

E Gregory Fulkerson

Pirooz Parvarandeh

Oliver Peter King-Smith

Mandana Veiseh

Dale R Lutz

William E Phillips, Iii

S Bahram Bahrami

Ronald E English, Jr

Aaron Peter Schellenberg

Timothy Scott Edward Hiller

Toward forming a single hybrid biosensing-imaging system that can operate inside an incubator, structures and methods are directed to placing modular and removable biosensors and biocompatible interfaces in 3D transparent test wells that contain biological samples. The technology enables continuous monitoring of multiple simultaneous parameters and functions of a living cell or cell clusters such as alterations of cellular ligands, physicochemical biomarkers, phenotypes, and/or extracellular compositions upon interactions with analytes or during progressions. Methods of capturing and analyzing direct orthogonal information from biological samples in 2D and 3D, which are conducive to generating new insights are presented.

Orthogonal polybiosensing and imaging systems

An illumination system, such as might be used for illuminating a projection system, includes at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range. The system includes at least one active chromophore layer, sandwiched by transparent materials into a multi-layer body. They active chromophore layer emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range. The multi-layer body has an extraction area and at least some of the light at the second wavelength is internally reflected within the body to the extraction area.

Fluorescent volume light source with active chromphore

An optical system has projector optics aligned on a projection axis that is orthogonal to an offset axis. A first laser is positioned in a first plane orthogonal to the projection axis. First folding optics are positioned in the first plane to fold a first beam from the first laser to a first portion of the projector optics. A second laser is in a second plane parallel to, and offset along the offset axis from, the first plane. Second folding optics is positioned in the second plane to fold a second beam from the second laser to a second portion of the projector optics to synthesize the first and second beam.

Projector with laser illumination elements offset along an offset axis

An LED lighting apparatus and method provide efficient illumination in a downward and forward direction toward a preferential side, by mounting a plurality of LED devices to the apparatus in at least one horizontal row oriented perpendicularly to the downward and forward direction; mounting a vertical reflector behind and parallel to the horizontal row; and orienting the LED apparatus such that the vertical reflector extends substantially straight downward. A two axis orthogonally symmetric secondary lens is associated with each LED and the vertical reflector has a specular reflective front surface facing the LEDs. The vertical reflector may be curved around ends of the row of LEDs. Also it may be continued further downward, on the outside of a cover lens, by a backlight shield with a straight linear outer edge that extends horizontally across an uplight ring shield. The backlight shield may have a specular or diffuse reflecting front surface.

LED lighting apparatus with reflectors

A projection system contains an illumination system having at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range. The illumination system also includes a body containing a fluorescent material that emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range. The system further includes at least a second fluorescent material that absorbs light in at least one of the first and second wavelength ranges, and emits light in a third wavelength range. The body has an extraction area, and at least some of the light in either the second or third wavelength ranges is internally reflected within the body to the extraction area. Light from the extraction area illuminates at least one image-forming device. Image light from the image-forming device is projected by a projection lens unit onto a screen.

Fluorescent volume light source having multiple fluorescent species

Multi-directional optical elements are disclosed that include a body having a first side having a first curvature, a second side having a second curvature, a third side having a third curvature, and a fourth side having a fourth curvature. The second side is disposed generally opposite the first side along a first direction and a fourth side is disposed generally opposite the third side along a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction. Also disclosed are optical systems utilizing such multi-directional optical elements.

Multi-directional optical element and an optical system utilizing the multi-directional optical element

An illumination system, such as might be used for illuminating a projection system, includes at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range. The system also includes a body containing a fluorescent material that emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range. The body has an extraction area and at least some of the light at the second wavelength is internally reflected within the body to the extraction area.

Fluorescent volume light source

Illumination systems are disclosed, which include illumination channels of different colors and at least one image-forming device. Each illumination channel, in turn, includes a bank of light sources, and the image-forming device is disposed to receive illumination from at least one of the illumination channels. At least one of the illumination channels includes an optical element, such as an optical element having optical power or a homogenizing optical element, that is not shared with any other illumination channel and is preferentially constructed or preferentially positioned for the color of its illumination channel.

Illumination system with separate optical paths for different color channels

Methods are provided for optimizing the spectrum of a light source used in a projection display system in order to reduce the light loss associated with color splitting/recombination in the system. Projection systems designed in accordance with such methods are also disclosed.

Light source spectra for projection displays

Illumination systems are disclosed that include a light source or a bank of light sources having a non-radially symmetrical aperture having a longer dimension and a shorter dimension, such that the light source or bank of light sources produces illumination with a non-radially symmetrical angular intensity distribution having a larger angular dimension and a smaller angular dimension. The illumination systems include an integrator having an entrance end optically connected to the bank of light sources, an exit end, and a dimension that experiences a larger increase from the entrance end to the exit end. The integrator is disposed so that the dimension experiencing the larger increase is substantially aligned with the larger angular dimension of the illumination produced at the entrance end of the integrator.

Illumination system with non-radially symmetrical aperture

A compound polarization beam splitter () for use with a reflective, polarization-modulating, imaging device (), e.g., a LCoS device, is provided. The compound PBS has: (a) an input prism (); (b) an output prism (), and (c) a polarizer (), which is located between the two prisms () and which may be a wire grid polarizer () or a multi-layer reflective polarizer (). Polarized illumination light () enters the input prism () through a first surface () and undergoes total internal reflection at a second surface () before being reflected from the polarizer () and polarization-modulated at the imaging device (). The polarizer's tilt angle (&#x3b2;) is less than 45&#xb0;, which reduces astigmatism and the required back working distance of the system's projection lens ().

Compound polarization beam splitters

A compound polarization beam splitter ( ) for use with a reflective, polarization-modulating, imaging device ( ), e.g., a LCoS device, is provided. The compound PBS has: (a) an input prism ( ); (b) an output prism ( ), and (c) a polarizer ( ), which is located between the two prisms ( ) and which may be a wire grid polarizer ( ) or a multi-layer reflective polarizer ( ). Polarized illumination light ( ) enters the input prism ( ) through a first surface ( ) and undergoes total internal reflection at a second surface ( ) before being reflected from the polarizer ( ) and polarization-modulated at the imaging device ( ). The polarizer's tilt angle (&bgr;) is less than 45&deg;, which reduces astigmatism and the required back working distance of the system's projection lens ( ).

Illumination systems ( ) are disclosed which provide scrolling progressive color change on a liquid crystal panel ( ), such as a LCoS panel. The systems use transmissive color filters ( ) which form an assembly ( ) which is rotated about a rotation axis ( ). Incident light from a light source ( ) passes through the filters and reflects from a reflecting surface ( ). As a result of this reflection, the system's optical axis ( ) is turned from an orientation substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis to an orientation which does not intersect a filter. Such turning of the optical axis allows colored light to be easily removed from the assembly and avoids problems with color mixing at boundaries between filters as occurs for systems in which light passes through two filters.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Todd S Rutherford