Abstract:
A metal identification platelet equipped with an identification code, while the identification code comprises a hologram. A method of producing the identification platelet with the identification code, including the following steps: A shield from an electro-insulation material is formed on a shim with a holographic motif. Then, the shim is galvanized in the places not covered by the shield from the electro-insulation material. And the completed metal identification platelets are removed from the shim.
Abstract:
A metameric optical structure is disclosed having first optical structures comprising diffractive flakes having diffractive structures thereon, and a second optical structures having non-diffractive flakes which may have other special effect properties, such as color shifting. At one angle of incidence or one viewing angle, near normal. The hues match and at other angles they do not match. The diffractive flakes are preferably magnetically aligned so that the grating structures are parallel. Disclosed is also an image formed of at least a first region of diffractive flakes and a second region of non-diffractive flakes wherein the regions are adjacent one another and wherein one of the regions forms a logo, symbol or indicia that appears or disappears in dependence upon the angle of viewing.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for aligning optical elements or microbeads, wherein each microbead has an elongated body with a code embedded therein along a longitudinal axis thereof to be read by a code reading device. The microbeads are aligned with a positioning device so the longitudinal axis of the microbeads is positioned in a fixed orientation relative to the code reading device. The microbeads are typically cylindrically shaped glass beads between 25 and 250 microns (μm) in diameter and between 100 and 500 μm long, and have a holographic code embedded in the central region of the bead, which is used to identify it from the rest of the beads in a batch of beads with many different chemical probes. A cross reference is used to determine which probe is attached to which bead, thus allowing the researcher to correlate the chemical content on each bead with the measured fluorescence signal. Because the code consists of a diffraction grating typically disposed along an axis, there is a particular alignment required between the incident readout laser beam and the readout detector in two of the three rotational axes. The third axis, rotation about the center axis of the cylinder, is azimuthally symmetric and therefore does not require alignment.
Abstract:
Microparticles 8 includes an optical substrate 10 having at least one diffraction grating 12 disposed therein. The grating 12 having a plurality of colocated pitches Λ which represent a unique identification digital code that is detected when illuminated by incident light 24. The incident light 24 may be directed transversely from the side of the substrate 10 with a narrow band (single wavelength) or multiple wavelength source, in which case the code is represented by a spatial distribution of light or a wavelength spectrum, respectively. The code may be digital binary or may be other numerical bases. The micro-particles 8 can provide a large number of unique codes, e.g., greater than 67 million codes, and can withstand harsh environments. The micro-particles 8 are functionalized by coating them with a material/substance of interest, which are then used to perform multiplexed experiments involving chemical processes, e.g., DNA testing and combinatorial chemistry.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a hologram having a pattern made up of pixels in which a photosensitive material for forming a hologram is stacked on either a reflection-type hologram or a transmission type hologram. According to one aspect of the invention, the photosensitive material is stacked on a reflection-type relief hologram and reconstructing illumination light of a given wavelength is struck on the reflection-type relief hologram through the photosensitive material, so that interference fringes produced by interference of the light diffracted from the reflection type relief hologram and the incident light are recorded in the photosensitive material. According to another aspect of the invention, the photosensitive material is stacked on a transmission-type hologram, and reconstructing illumination light of a given wavelength is struck on a side of the transmission type hologram that is not opposite to the volume hologram photosensitive material, so that interference fringes produced by interference of light diffracted from the transmission type hologram and reference light incident on the photosensitive material are recorded in the photosensitive material. According to a third aspect of the invention, the photosensitive material is stacked on a transmission type hologram, and reconstructing illumination light of a given wavelength is struck on a side of the transmission type hologram that is not opposite to the photosensitive material, so that interference fringes produced by interference of light diffracted from the transmission type hologram and zero-order transmitted light are recorded in the photosensitive material, and a reflecting layer is provided on a back side of the photosensitive material.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for aligning optical elements or microbeads 8, wherein each microbead has an elongated body with a code embedded therein along a longitudinal axis thereof to be read by a code reading device. The microbeads 8 are aligned with a positioning device (or cell) 500 having a plate or platform 200, 1252 with grooves 205, 1258 so the longitudinal axis of the microbeads is positioned in a fixed orientation relative to the code reading device. The microbeads 8 are typically cylindrically shaped glass beads having a diffraction grating-based code embedded in the bead 8 disposed along an axis, which requires a predetermined alignment between the incident code readout laser beam and the code readout detector in two of three rotational axes. The geometry of the grooves 205 are designed to allow for easy loading and unloading of beads from a cell, and the grooves 205 may be straight or curved. Also, the cell may be segmented into regions each associated with a different reaction or used for a different identification process/application, and may have many different geometries depending on the application.
Abstract:
A methods and apparatus for labeling an item using diffraction grating-based encoded optical identification elements 8 includes an optical substrate 10 having at least one diffraction grating 12 disposed therein. The grating 12 has one or more colocated pitches null which represent a unique identification digital code that is detected when illuminated by incident light 24. The incident light 24 may be directed transversely from the side of the substrate 10 (or from an end) with a narrow band (single wavelength) or multiple wavelength source, and the code is represented by a spatial distribution of light or a wavelength spectrum, respectively, or a combination thereof. The element 8 can provide a large number of unique codes, e.g., greater than 67 million codes, and can withstand harsh environments. The encoded element 8 may be used to label any desired item, such as large or small objects, products, solids, powders, liquids, gases, plants, minerals, cells and/or animals, or any combination of or portion of one or more thereof. The label may be used for many different purposes, such as for sorting, tracking, identification, verification, authentication, anti-theft/anti-counterfeit, security/anti-terrorism, or for other purposes. In a manufacturing environment, the elements 8 may be used to track inventory for production information or sales of goods/products.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for aligning optical elements or microbeads, wherein each microbead has an elongated body with a code embedded therein along a longitudinal axis thereof to be read by a code reading device. The microbeads are aligned with a positioning device so the longitudinal axis of the microbeads is positioned in a fixed orientation relative to the code reading device. The microbeads are typically cylindrically shaped glass beads between 25 and 250 microns (nullm) in diameter and between 100 and 500 nullm long, and have a holographic code embedded in the central region of the bead, which is used to identify it from the rest of the beads in a batch of beads with many different chemical probes. A cross reference is used to determine which probe is attached to which bead, thus allowing the researcher to correlate the chemical content on each bead with the measured fluorescence signal. Because the code consists of a diffraction grating typically disposed along an axis, there is a particular alignment required between the incident readout laser beam and the readout detector in two of the three rotational axes. The third axis, rotation about the center axis of the cylinder, is azimuthally symmetric and therefore does not require alignment.
Abstract:
A method for manufacturing a diffusion grating-based optical identification element is provided. The optical identification element includes a known optical substrate, having an optical diffraction grating disposed in the volume of the substrate. A large number of substrates or microbeads having unique identification codes can be manufactured winding a substrate, such as a fiber, around a polygonal shaped cage/basket to form a fiber ribbon having flat sections. A grating writing station writes one or more gratings into each flat section to form a unique code to this section. Each flat section of fibers of the fiber ribbon is written with the same gratings to provide the same identification code, or alternatively each flat section may be have a different grating(s) written therein so that each section has a different identification code. The fiber ribbon is then removed from the cage and diced to form a groups of optical identification elements, each group having unique optical identification codes.
Abstract:
A reflection type color display device and a reflection type of direct-view color display device are provided. The reflection type color display device includes a spatial light modulator having a collection of pixels and a controllable transmittance per pixel, with a reflection type hologram color filter located on the back side of the modulator. The reflection type of direct-view color display device includes a hologram color filter which has an array of light-collecting holograms. Each of the light-collecting holograms has its own hologram color filter, reflection type hologram, and transmission type spatial light modulator located between the hologram color filter and the reflection type hologram.