1. A beam splitter array including:
a first beam splitter that outputs a first beam of optical radiation having a power spectral density that includes wavelengths over at least 50% of a white light spectrum that includes wavelengths between about 400 nanometers and about 670 nanometers from a first output port, and that outputs a second beam of optical radiation having a power spectral density comprising a substantial portion of a first non-white light spectrum and a substantial portion of a second non-white light spectrum from a second output port, from an input beam received at a first angle of incidence;
a second beam splitter, arranged to receive the second beam at a second angle of incidence, that reflects a substantial portion of the second beam having a power spectral density comprising the first non-white light spectrum, and that transmits a substantial portion of the second beam having a power spectral density comprising the second non-white light spectrum; and
a reflector arranged to reflect a substantial portion of the beam transmitted by the second beam splitter.
2. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the first output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter through which light is transmitted, and the second output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter from which light is reflected.
3. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the first output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter from which light is reflected, and the second output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter through which light is transmitted.
4. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the second beam splitter is further arranged to reflect the first beam in a first direction, and the reflector is further arranged to reflect the second beam in a second direction that is within 20\xb0 of the first direction.
5. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the first beam splitter has an optical transmittance spectrum that is larger than 0.5 over at least 50% of the white light spectrum that includes wavelengths between about 400 nanometers and about 670 nanometers, and an optical reflectance spectrum that is larger than 0.5 over the first non-white light spectrum that does not overlap the white light spectrum and is larger than 0.5 over the second non-white light spectrum that does not overlap the white light spectrum or the first non-white light spectrum.
6. The beam splitter array of claim 5, wherein the second beam splitter has an optical reflectance spectrum that is larger than 0.5 over the first non-white light spectrum, and an optical transmittance spectrum that is larger than 0.5 over the second non-white light spectrum.
7. The beam splitter array of claim 5, wherein the reflector has an optical reflectance spectrum that is larger than 0.5 over the second non-white light spectrum.
8. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the first non-white light spectrum comprises a near-infrared spectrum.
9. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the first non-white light spectrum comprises a narrowband visible spectrum.
10. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the first non-white light spectrum includes wavelengths between about 680 nanometers and about 720 nanometers.
11. The beam splitter array of claim 1, wherein the second non-white light spectrum includes wavelengths between about 760 nanometers and about 800 nanometers.
12. The beam splitter array of claim 1, further comprising:
a first filter that has a bandpass transmittance spectrum centered at about 700 nm arranged to receive the first beam; and
a second filter that has a bandpass transmittance spectrum centered at about 780 nm arranged to receive the second beam.
13. A system comprising:
a beam splitter array comprising
a first beam splitter that outputs a first beam of optical radiation having a power spectral density comprising a substantial portion of a white light spectrum from a first output port, and that outputs a second beam of optical radiation having a power spectral density comprising a substantial portion of a first non-white light spectrum and a substantial portion of a second non-white light spectrum from a second output port, from an input beam received at a first angle of incidence;
a second beam splitter arranged to receive the second beam at a second angle of incidence, that reflects a substantial portion of the second beam having a power spectral density comprising the first non-white light spectrum, and that transmits a substantial portion of the second beam having a power spectral density comprising the second non-white light spectrum; and
a reflector arranged to reflect a substantial portion of the beam transmitted by the second beam splitter;
a first filter that has a bandpass transmittance spectrum centered at about a center of the first non-white light spectrum arranged to receive a beam of optical radiation reflected from the second beam splitter at the second angle of incidence;
a second filter that has a bandpass transmittance spectrum centered at about a center of the second-non white light spectrum arranged to receive a beam of optical radiation reflected from the reflector;
a first waveguide arranged to deliver optical radiation radiated from a sample to the first beam splitter at the first angle of incidence;
a first detector arranged to receive a beam of optical radiation output from the first beam splitter at the first angle of incidence; and
a second detector arranged to receive a beam of optical radiation reflected from the second beam splitter and a beam of optical radiation reflected from the reflector.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first detector comprises a camera.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second detector comprises a single camera arranged to receive the beam of optical radiation reflected from the second beam splitter and the beam of optical radiation reflected from the reflector.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second detector comprises two cameras arranged to receive the beam of optical radiation reflected from the second beam splitter and the beam of optical radiation reflected from the reflector, respectively.
17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:
a source of optical radiation that includes white light; and
a second waveguide arranged to deliver the optical radiation produced by the source to the biological tissue.
18. The system of claim 13, wherein the source is filtered to reduce white light in the first non-white light spectrum and the second non-white light spectrum.
19. The system of claim 13, wherein the source comprises a broadband white light source combined with a narrowband non-white light source.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the broadband white light source comprises a xenon lamp.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein the narrowband non-white light source comprises a laser diode.
22. A method comprising:
illuminating a sample with optical radiation from a source of optical radiation that includes white light;
collecting optical radiation from the sample;
delivering the collected optical radiation to a beam splitter array;
detecting a first image of optical radiation with a power spectral density that includes a white light spectrum from the beam splitter array;
detecting a second image of optical radiation with a power spectral density that includes a first non-white light spectrum from the beam splitter array; and
detecting a third image of optical radiation with a power spectral density that includes a second non-white light spectrum from the beam splitter array, wherein the second and third images are formed next to each other on a surface of a detector.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the beam splitter array comprises:
a first beam splitter that outputs a first beam of optical radiation having a power spectral density comprising a substantial portion of a white light spectrum from a first output port, and that outputs a second beam of optical radiation having a power spectral density comprising a substantial portion of a first non-white light spectrum and a substantial portion of a second non-white light spectrum from a second output port, from an input beam received at a first angle of incidence;
a second beam splitter, arranged to receive the second beam at a second angle of incidence, that reflects a substantial portion of the second beam having a power spectral density comprising the first non-white light spectrum, and that transmits a substantial portion of the second beam having a power spectral density comprising the second non-white light spectrum; and
a reflector arranged to reflect a substantial portion of the beam transmitted by the second beam splitter.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter through which light is transmitted, and the second output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter from which light is reflected.
25. The method of claim 23 wherein the first output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter from which light is reflected, and the second output port comprises a surface of the first beam splitter through which light is transmitted.
26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first, second, and third images are detected simultaneously.
27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first, second, and third images are recorded.
28. The method of claim 22, further comprising combining two or more of the first, second, and third images using a mathematical function.
29. The system of claim 15, wherein the beam of optical radiation reflected from the second beam splitter and the beam of optical radiation reflected from the reflector are far enough apart on the camera for the images not to overlap.
30. The method of claim 22, wherein the second image and the third image are far enough apart on the surface for the images not to overlap.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An endpiece for lashing down a rotorcraft blade, the endpiece being designed to be fastened to the end of the blade and being provided with first fastener means for fastening to a first main cord, and being provided with second fastener means for fastening to a second main cord,
wherein said second main cord is extended by a secondary cord via link means, said link means cooperating with said second fastener means.
2. An endpiece according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the secondary cord is designed to be fastened to anchor means of the rotorcraft, the endpiece including deflector means supporting said secondary cord between said second fastener means and said anchor means.
3. An endpiece according to claim 1, wherein said second fastener means is a peg.
4. An endpiece according to claim 1, wherein said second fastener means includes at least one surface against which said link means comes to bear.
5. An endpiece according to claim 1, wherein the second fastener means also constitutes deflector means.
6. Device for lashing down a rotorcraft wing, said wing being provided with at least first and second adjacent blades, the ends of said blades being provided respectively with first and second endpieces according to claim 1,
the device comprising said first main cord having a first end fastened to said first fastener means arranged on the second endpiece of the second blade and having a second end secured to said second fastener means arranged on the first endpiece of the first blade.
7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said secondary cord has a first end connected to the second end of said first main cord by said link means.
8. A device according to claim 7, including anchor means on the rotorcraft designed for securing to the second end of said secondary cord.
9. A device according to claim 7, wherein said link means co-operate with said second fastener means.
10. A device according to claim 8, including deflector means supporting said secondary cord between said second fastener means and said anchor means.
11. A device according to claim 6, wherein said link means is a ring engaging said second fastener means.
12. A device according to claim 6, wherein said link means is an abutment coming to bear against at least one surface of said fastener means.
13. A device according to claim 6, wherein said second fastener means also constitutes deflector means.
14. A device for lashing down a blade of a rotorcraft having plural blades, comprising:
an intermediate plate removably attachable to the blade;
a first fastener affixed to said intermediate plate;
a first main cord extending between the blade and a first adjacent one of the blades of the rotorcraft, said first main cord being attached to said first fastener;
a second fastener affixed to said intermediate plate;
a second main cord extending between the blade and one of the blades of the rotorcraft other than the first adjacent one;
a secondary cord extending between the blade and an anchor; and
a link removably attached to said second fastener, said link joining said second main cord to said secondary cord.
15. The device of claim 14, further comprising a deflector affixed to said intermediate plate adjacent to said link, said secondary cord passing over said deflector between said link and the anchor.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein said second fastener is a peg that extends from said intermediate plate and said link is a ring that fits onto said peg and to which said second main cord and said secondary cord are attached.
17. The device of claim 14, wherein said second fastener includes a fixed surface and said link includes a block to which said second main cord and said secondary cord are attached, said block abutting against said fixed surface to removably attach said link to said second fastener when said second main cord is tensioned.