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Abstract In this paper, we present a groundbreaking approach to enhance the illumination of traffic boards along superhighways, addressing significant challenges associated with conventional lighting systems. Our innovative method revolves around the strategic placement of remote spotlights at the side of the roadway to illuminate traffic signs equipped with retroreflector film (RTRF). The essence of our approach lies in remote illumination, which requires meticulous adjustment of the divergence angle of the spotlights to match the size of the signs and their distance from the projection source. To achieve the desired spotlight configuration, we have developed a hybrid optical system that incorporates a paraboloid reflector and a lens mounted on a bridge holder situated on top of the mirror. Through spot light illumination, we discovered that the initial divergence angle of the RTRF was too narrow. To improve projection angle tolerance, we recommend attaching a light diffuser film onto the surface of the RTRF. The coverage area ratio of the diffuser film can be adjusted to select the desired divergence angle for the reflected light. Our experimental measurements have yielded significant results, showcasing the half-divergent angle of the RTRF ranging from 3° to 7° for different coverage area ratios of the diffuser. In practical terms, with a target luminance of 300 nits at the white word on the traffic board, the power consumption of the spotlight fixture of the roadway was only 40 W, representing over 75% power savings when compared to traditional lighting methods. Consequently, our approach opts to utilize spotlights for illuminating specific traffic boards on superhighways, offering a more efficient and manageable lighting solution that greatly benefits both motorists and road maintenance personnel.

This paper examines how the initial condition of mangoes impact the effectiveness of UVC treatment. Specifically, we treated two distinct groups of mangoes with different initial conditions: one group with almost no visible infection and the other with slight infection symptoms. Mangoes from each group were exposed to varying doses of UVC light using a 275 nm (±5 nm) UVC LED cavity. Our results show that UVC treatment was effective for mangoes with almost no visible infection pre-treatment. Conversely, for mango group with slight infection symptoms pre-treatment, UVC radiation was ineffective in reducing disease symptoms. Afterwards, we analyzed UVC light penetration through mango black spots by measuring its transmittance through black spots of varying thicknesses. An optical model of mango black spot was then constructed; to our knowledge, this is the first time a UVC model constructed for this purpose. The results indicate that UVC light cannot effectively inactivate fungus that has already penetrated the mangoes. Consequently, we recommend selecting mangoes in good initial condition for UVC treatment to achieve the effectiveness in prolong their shelf life. This work aims to improve UVC treatment technology for mango preservation and provide guidance for process optimization.

Summary: We delve into the distinctive color gamut characteristics resulting from color dispersion of surface relief grating (SRG) and wavelength degeneracy of volume holographic optical element (VHOE) in a diffractive light guide. While a laser-like spectrum achieves an impressive 194% sRGB color gamut for both cases, it proves unsuitable for VHOE light guides due to limitations in breaking the field of view (FOV) of the display. Conversely, a broad-band light source, such as LEDs, offers continuous FOV but reduces the common color gamut to 50% sRGB. We then present a newly designed VHOE light guide capable of achieving the common color gamut of 130% sRGB using two multiplexed holograms of each color, closely matching the 133% sRGB achieved by an SRG light guide. This article presents the first theoretical methodology to elucidate color performance of diffractive light guides utilizing VHOEs with holographic multiplexing, affirming their suitability for crafting high-quality near-eye display.

Abstract The screen image synthesis (SIS) meter was originally proposed as a high-speed measurement tool, which fused the measured data from multiple sample-rotational angles to produce a whole-field measurement result. However, it suffered from stray light noise and lacked the capability of spectrum measurement. In this study, we propose an SIS system embedded with a snapshot hyperspectral technology, which was based on a dispersion image of the sparse sampling screen (SSS). When a photo was captured, it was transformed and calibrated to hyperspectral data at a specific sample-rotational angle. After the hyperspectral data in all sample-rotational angles were captured, an SIS image-fusion process was then applied to get the whole field hyperspectral data. By applying SSS to the SIS meter, we not only create a screen image synthesis hyperspectral meter but also effectively address the issue of stray-light noise. In the experiment, we analyze its correctness by comparing the hyperspectral value with a one-dimensional spectrum goniometer (ODSG). We also show the 2D color temperature coefficient distribution and compare it with the ODSG. Experimental results also demonstrate the feasibility in terms of both spectrum distribution meter and color coefficient temperature distribution meter.

Abstract A phenomenon known as "blue-light leakage" caused by overheating pcW-LEDs has recently been identified, and it poses a risk to users. This study focuses on investigating and optimizing a solution to address this issue. To tackle the problem of overheating and blue light leakage, we explored the application of a specific thermochromic material called crystal nano cellulose (CNC). We introduced CNC inside the epoxy lens of white LEDs. Importantly, under standard conditions, CNC has a negligible impact on the optical properties of the output white light. However, when overheating conditions arise, leading to blue light leakage, the temperature increase triggers a darkening effect in CNC. This thermochromic behavior of CNC allows it to strongly absorb the blue light, resulting in a significant suppression of the output luminous flux. As a result, the lamp dims, which not only prevents the user's eyes from being exposed to harmful bluish light but also serves as an indicator of aging in the pcW-LED. By implementing CNC as a responsive material in the design of white LEDs, this study offers a practical and effective solution to mitigate the negative effects of blue-light leakage caused by overheating. This improvement enhances the safety and comfort of users while also providing an early warning system for the aging of pcW-LEDs.

Abstract Ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation has been considered a possible option to alleviate the seriousness of black spots on bananas during preservation which help increase economic efficiency. In this study, using 275 nm UVC light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a preliminary cavity with dimensions of 30 × 30 × 30 cm was designed and fabricated to aid in reducing black spots on bananas with the aim of application in the factory conveyor belts. The UVC irradiance distribution was thoroughly monitored for many sections at different box heights in both simulation and measurement, with a dominant range of 6–9 W/m2 in the middle. Afterward, trials were conducted in vitro and in vivo at different selected UVC doses. The results in vitro revealed that a dose of over 0.36 kJ/m2 has an excellent effect on inhibiting the colonial germination of fungal Colletotrichum musae, a common species of fungi causing black spot disease on bananas. In vivo conditions, with a short exposure time of around 5 s, the black spots on UVC-irradiated banana peel significantly reduced with minimal sensory damage compared to a control banana via observation after seven days from treatment. Finally, the optimal UVC dose is proposed from 0.030 to 0.045 kJ/m2 for the one-time treatment when considering the upper surface of the banana. With flexibility advantage and short exposure time, the fabricated cavity (box) promises to bring a lot of application potential to aid banana preservation in factories and households.

This study introduces a spatial-modulated approach designed to recover missing data in in-depth images. Typically, commercial-grade RGB-D cameras utilize structured light or time-of-flight techniques for capturing scene depth. However, these conventional methods encounter difficulties in acquiring depth data from glossy, transparent, or low-reflective surfaces. Additionally, they are prone to interference from broad-spectrum light sources, resulting in defective areas in the captured data. The generation of dense data is further compromised by the influence of noise. In response to these challenges, we implemented an iterative low-pass filter in the frequency domain, effectively mitigating noise and restoring high-quality depth data across all surfaces. To assess the efficacy of our method, deliberate introduction of significant noise and induced defects in the generated depth images was performed. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrate the promising accuracy, precision, and noise-resilient capabilities of our approach. Our implementation is publicly available on the project’s webpage.

Abstract In this study, we proposed and demonstrated a circuit design for solving problems related to blue light leakage (e.g., eye damage) when phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pcW-LEDs) overheat. This circuit only needs a positive thermal coefficient thermistor, resistor, and diodes in series and parallel; thus, it can easily be integrated into components. Simulations and corresponding experimental results show that this method can accurately suppress the overheating component’s injection current and allow for LEDs to work normally after returning to the operating temperature. It thus allows the user's eyes to be actively protected, e.g., to avoid exposure to the bluish light when overheating occurs. In addition, the quenching of luminous flux is a signal to remind the user to replace the LED. The proposed method is low-cost, effective, simple, and useful for increasing the quality of LED lighting and biological safety.

Abstract In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a novel interferometer and signal process to retrieve two-dimensional signals with multilevel phases. The interferometer is based on a shearing interferometry with double-frequency grating, and phase-shifting interferometry is derived as a built-in function of the lateral displacement of the grating. The interferometer not only retrieves the multilevel phase signals but also eliminates slow-varying phase errors wherever they occur. Owing to the common path algorithm, the new interferometer is more robust in dynamic circumstances for optical testing and data processing. We propose a pre-integral signal process for two-dimensional (2D) data processing to prevent post-phase-integral due to shearing interferometry. The simulation and experiment showed that the proposed interferometer with a pre-integral process has various advantages in signal processing for multilevel phase retrieval, and will be useful for higher data rates in optical data storage and free-space communication.

Abstract In this paper, we propose and demonstrate to use of a single reflector with 68 segments to project vehicle low beam and high beam with the use of a GaN-based mini-LED matrix, which is a 5 × 6 LED die array. The design of the reflector is based on light field technology in considering etendue from the light source across the segments. The group of the segments with smaller etendue from the LED dies in the bottom 2 rows are used to project low beams. When the other LED dies are turned on, the reflector will project light upward and form the high beam. The selection of the turn-on LED dies in the mini-LED matrix can adjust the width of the illumination pattern so that an adaptive low/high beam can be performed. Besides, to extend the functionality of the headlamp module, we propose to dispense IR phosphor on LED dies in the high-beam zone of the GaN-based mini-LED matrix. Thus the vehicle can emit IR high beam, which can be imaged through a camera and can be incorporated with machine vision for an autonomous vehicle without using a complicated adaptive headlight to avoid glare. The proposed multi-function in spatial and spectral domains will be helpful to various applications with use of a mini-LED matrix.

An optical design of a novel structure has been proposed and demonstrated to perform photon recycling in a transmission-type laser-pumping white light. The structure includes a hemisphere reflector and a phosphor plate located at the center of a hemisphere reflector. The hemisphere reflector is not only used for photon recycling to increase the energy efficiency but also to keep the energy efficiency nearly unchanged when the number of the multiplexing laser increases. The experimental measurement shows that the photon recycling with the hemisphere reflector can increase the energy efficiency from 36.2% to 53.3% for on-axis incidence, and 35.2% to 55.7% for off-axis incidence. Besides, the efficiency keeps the same up to three-laser multiplexing in the experiment, and potentially can be extended to more than 10 in the simulation for various hole structures. The result is not only on the efficiency enhancement but also on the enhanced exitance of the laser white light and the unchanged etendue of the light source. This property is an important advantage for lasers rather than LEDs in a solid-state white light source.

BackgroundCardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recommended for patients with acute heart failure (HF). However, the results of outcome studies and meta-analyses on CR in post-acute care are varied. We aimed to assess the medium- to long-term impact of CR and ascertain the predictors of successful CR.MethodsIn this propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study, records of consecutive patients who survived acute HF (left ventricular ejection fraction

A screen image synthesis (SIS) system is superior than the conventional methods in terms of high-speed measurement and low screen-cross-talk noise when used as a whole-field light-distribution meter. However, reflection signals cannot be measured using the conventional SIS system when it is used as a scattering meter. Furthermore, the conventional SIS system cannot be used to measure a large sample when it is used as an intensity distribution meter. In this study, we devised a rail-based SIS system as long as an image reconstruction algorithm. This would allow whole-field scattering light and intensity distribution measurements for various sample sizes. For this purpose, a versatile instrument was assembled by combining a whole-field intensity distribution meter and a whole-field scattering meter. The results of the experiments confirmed that the measuring time was drastically improved when the proposed instrument was used as a whole-field intensity distribution meter and a whole-field scattering meter. The high normalized cross correlation values of both measurements demonstrated the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed algorithm.

Abstract Background Patients with reduced ejection fraction have high rates of mortality and readmission after hospitalization for heart failure. In Taiwan, heart failure disease management programs (HFDMPs) have proven effective for reducing readmissions for decompensated heart failure or other cardiovascular causes by up to 30%. However, the benefits of HFDMP in different populations of heart failure patients is unknown. Method This observational cohort study compared mortality and readmission in heart failure patients who participated in an HFDMP (HFDMP group) and heart failure patients who received standard care (non-HFDMP group) over a 1-year follow-up period after discharge (December 2014 retrospectively registered). The components of the intervention program included a patient education program delivered by the lead nurse of the HFDMP; a cardiac rehabilitation program provided by a physical therapist; consultation with a dietician, and consultation and assessment by a psychologist. The patients were followed up for at least 1 year after discharge or until death. Patient characteristics and clinical demographic data were compared between the two groups. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for death or recurrent events of hospitalization in the HFDMP group in comparison with the non-HFDMP group while controlling for covariates. Results The two groups did not significantly differ in demographic characteristics. The risk of readmission was lower in the HFDMP group, but the difference was not statistically significant (HR = 0.36, p = 0.09). In patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, the risk of readmission was significantly lower in the HFDMP group compared to the non-HFDMP group (HR = 0.13, p = 0.026). The total mortality rate did not have significant difference between this two groups. Conclusion The HFDMP may be beneficial for reducing recurrent events of heart failure hospitalization, especially in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Trial registration Longitudinal case-control study ISRCTN98483065, 24/09/2019, retrospectively registered.

We applied a digital holographic detection technique to detect the scratches on glass surfaces with scattering noise. In the experiment, scratches with widths of 1.67 µm were generated on the front sides of the glass slides, and three different gray levels were painted on the back sides of the glass slides to generate the scattering noise. It demonstrated that the digital holographic detection method can enhance the image contrast of the scratch under high scattering noise. The high defocus tolerance promises a detection process without optical focusing and thus benefits the high-speed automatic optical inspection.

Street lighting, which is one of the main players in energy waste and light pollution at night, still faces the challenge of efficient lighting of roadways with curved and twisted shapes. To meet this challenge, we propose an effective and efficient adaptive light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire. This LED lamp delivers a roadway-shape light pattern, which maximizes illumination performance. The light is efficiently and homogeneously directed only where is needed; which reduces glare, and improves both the eye comfort and the visual discrimination ability of car drivers and pedestrians. The proposed luminaire is very practical in that it only requires to replace the cover plate, which is a special microlens array sheet, to produce different shape light patterns. The adaptive mechanism is simple and effective: LED light is first collimated and then efficiently distributed on a freeform roadway by the special microlens sheet. We present an extensive analysis of the lighting adaptability of the proposed luminaire by Monte Carlo ray tracing. In particular, we studied the effect of the main microlens structural parameters in the shape and size of the delivered illumination distribution on the roadway. We present a design example, a prototype construction, and an experimental confirmation on a scale street lighting system. Simulations and experimental results show the advantages of adaptive luminaires over the traditional nonadaptive approaches.

In this paper, a new structure of spatial-coded coating phosphor is proposed and effectively benefits the efficiency enhancement in the white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The spatial-coded phosphor plate contains two subregions. One subregion is of the yellow phosphor for providing the greatest extracted yellow light, and the other subregion is the open windows for preventing the blue light from the absorption by the yellow phosphor and the Stoke loss in the wavelength conversion. In the design process, the thickness and the concentration of the phosphor and photon recycling in a high-reflectivity cavity are all simulated and optimized. Finally, the predicting spectra of the resultant white LEDs with the spatial-coded phosphors by the simulation model are all in very good agreement with the corresponding spectra from the practical measurements. Moreover, as the correlated color temperature (CCT) is around 6500 K, the maximal packaging efficiency of the white LEDs with the spatial-coded phosphors is as high as 68.0% in the measurement, and the corresponding simulation is 71.8%. It is much higher even than the optimal packaging efficiency of the conventional conformal or remote-dome phosphor packaging structure.

A luminaire with a light-emitting diode (LED) array can provide hotspot illumination in a short range. Therefore, a design of a luminaire with the largest central illuminance (LCI) and a high uniformity is warranted. In this paper, we present a study of illuminance variation with respect to the distance of an illumination target of a luminaire with LED array. The emission property of the luminous intensity is characterized by the cosine power law or the divergent angle of full width at half maximum (FWHM). A real LED module is designed to create the simulation for different luminaire types. The occurrence of the LCI and the far-field region are observed. Our results demonstrate that the LCI distance remains shorter than the starting distance of the far field (SDFF). To simplify the simulation, we propose the replacement of the real LED module with a point or flat-extended source. Such light sources must be equipped with the specific cosine power factor corresponding to the divergent angle of the FWHM of the LED module. These light sources are acceptable for describing illumination characteristics, including the SDFF. Our results may facilitate the design of LED-array luminaires operated at short working distances, such as reading lighting or illumination in microscopes.

Both theoretical and simulation approaches were used to obtain the thermal power and temperature distribution in phosphor-converted white LEDs (pc-WLEDs) using a remote-dome phosphor package (RDPP). Different material and geometric parameters were systematically and thoroughly studied. An experiment was performed to measure the temperature distribution in an RDPP pc-WLED, which confirmed the simulation results. Given practical limitations of the material parameters, the most feasible method to reduce the phosphor temperature is to extend the dome radius and the thickness of the phosphor region.

In this study, a polarization-control setup for intensity-resolved guided mode resonance sensors is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation data based on rigorous coupled wave approach calculations. The proposed intensity-resolved measurement setup transfers polarization ellipses, which are produced from guided mode resonance to a linear polarization state under a buffer solution condition, and then suppresses the signals to dark using a polarization-control set. Hence, any changes in the refractive index results in an increase in the intensity signals. Furthermore, no wavelength-resolved or angular-resolved measurement is needed in this scheme. According to the experimental results, a wide linear detection range of 0.014 refractive index units is achieved and the limit of detection is 1.62E-4 RIU.

This paper proposes an effective approach for spectrum shaping in the optical modeling of phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in which overlapping of the absorption and emission spectra of the phosphor are considered. The spectrum shaping method was applied to explore the wavelength-dependent absorption effect and reabsorption by the green phosphor. The experimental results indicated that the adjustment factor for blue light can enable the blue light spectrum to fit well with the measured spectrum. The adjustment factor was linearly related to the transmission ratio of the blue light. The blue light emitted by the blue die and the green light emitted by the phosphor were simulated and predicted in an accurate way as compared with the experimental measurements. The enhanced accuracy in assessing the spectra resulted in enhanced precision of chromaticities. In the experiments, the color differences were one order smaller in CIE 1931 chromaticity (Δx, Δy) than in models without spectrum shaping and were almost imperceptible to the human eye. The novel optical modeling of green phosphor pumped by a blue die facilitates the application of these materials in high-color rendering in white LEDs and projection displays.

An essential factor of the particle number is exploited for the phosphor excitation in phosphor-converted white LEDs. The particle number can clearly reveal the dependence of the light output flux and the correlated color temperature upon the conventional parameters, thickness, and concentration of the phosphors in a simpler way. In addition, we also find that there might exist an optimal particle number for the maximal luminous light output. An empirical function is then proposed for successfully modeling the relation between the output light and the particle number.

We designed a spot light system with an illumination range of 10 km. In the designed system, an appropriate white light-emitting diode (LED) was selected according to the exitance and injection power required. Subsequently, through a first-order optical design, the geometry of the lens and reflector was determined using geometrical calculation. Because the central illuminance of the projection spot of the reflector was 2.5 times that of the cover lens, we first considered the fabrication error of the reflector. According to the adjustment of the optimized distance between the white LED and reflector, we modified the design of the cover lens to fit the new location of the white LED. An LED spot light module containing 16 spot light units was used. The module’s power injection was only 68.2 W. Because of the excellent performance of the designed system in terms of the divergence angle of the projection beam and maximum luminous intensity, which were 1.6° and 2,840,000 cd, respectively, the projection distance of the LED spot light module was 3.37 Km, according to the ANSI regulation. Finally, a spot light system with nine modules and capable of achieving a projection distance of 10 km was successfully fabricated.

Low-threshold-voltage (Vth) and electrically switchable, polarization-selective scattering mode light shutters (PSMLSs) using polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are demonstrated in this work. The optimized weight ratio of the nematic liquid crystals (LCs) to the adopted monomer (NBA107, Norland Optics) in the low-Vth PDLCs based on NBA107 is 7:3, [7:3]-PDLCsNBA107. The properties of the low-Vth PDLCsNBA107, such as light-scattering performance, initial transmission, Vth, and droplet size were investigated. Experiment results show that the surface anchoring (threshold-voltage) of NBA107 is weaker (lower) than or equal to that of the common NOA65. The cost is that the response time of the proposed PDLCsNBA107 is relatively long. A method to reduce the decay time, which can be applied to all other PDLC devices, will be elucidated. In addition to the low Vth of the proposed PDLCsNBA107, the operation voltage (~6 Vrms) to approach the maximum transmission is relatively low in a 7 μm-thick PDLCsNBA107 cell. Moreover, the polarization-selective light-scattering performances of the proposed PSMLSs based on the [7:3]-PDLCsNBA107, mainly driven by in-plane and vertical fields, are also demonstrated.

Recent developments in aptamers have led to their widespread use in analytical and diagnostic applications, particularly for biosensing. Previous studies have combined aptamers as ligands with various sensors for numerous applications. However, merging the aptamer developments with guided mode resonance (GMR) devices has not been attempted. This study reports an aptasensor based home built GMR device. The 29-mer thrombin aptamer was immobilized on the surface of a GMR device as a recognizing ligand for thrombin detection. The sensitivity reported in this first trial study is 0.04 nm/μM for thrombin detection in the concentration range from 0.25 to 1 μM and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.19 μM. Furthermore, the binding affinity constant (Ka) measured is in the range of 106 M−1. The investigation has demonstrated that such a GMR aptasensor has the required sensitivity for the real time, label-free, in situ detection of thrombin and provides kinetic information related to the binding.