A self-made, low-cost infrared system for evaluating the sciatic functional index in mice

The sciatic functional index（SFI） is a popular parameter for peripheral nerve evaluation that relies on footprints obtained with ink and paper. Drawbacks include smearing artefacts and a lack of dynamic information during measurement. Modern applications use digitized systems that can deliver results with less analytical effort and fewer mice. However, the systems are expensive（€40,000）. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability and precision of a self-made, low-cost infrared system for evaluating SFI in mice. Mice were subjected to unilateral sciatic nerve crush injury（crush group; n = 7） and sham operation（sham group; n = 4）. They were evaluated on the day before surgery, the 2nd, 4th and 6th days after injury, and then every day up to the 23rd day after injury. We compared two SFI evaluation methods, i.e., conventional inkand-paper SFI（C-SFI） and our infrared system（I-SFI）. Our apparatus visualized footprints with totally internally reflected infrared light（950 nm） and a camera that can only detect this wavelength. Additionally we performed an analysis with the ladder beam walking test（LBWT） as a reference test. I-SFI assessment reduced the standard deviation by about 33 percent, from 11.6 to 7.8, and cut the variance around the baseline to 21 percent. The system thus requires fewer measurement repetitions and fewer animals, and cuts the cost of keeping the animals. The apparatus cost €321 to build. Our results show that the process of obtaining the SFI can be made more precise via digitization with a self-made, low-cost infrared system.

Heat Source Analysis of Hard Disk Drives with Different Wall Conditions using Infrared System

Increasing performance parameters of hard disk drive (HDD) such as higher capacity and faster data access speed with decreasing physical size make HDD more susceptible to thermal effects. Contact temperature measurement using thermocouple is not suitable for the rotating platter of HDD. Heat analysis using simulation software requires accurate initial parameter setting such as thermal (initial & boundary) conditions of certain regions. Temperature measurement using infrared (IR) system avoids these limitations;it is non-contact, responsive and does not require initial parameter setting. Thermal pattern distribution can be studied from the thermal images. However, emissivity of the target has to be known and calibration of the system is essential for accurate temperature reading. This paper showed that temperature within the HDD increases with ambient temperature and time, but the thermal distribution pattern in the HDD was not affected by different ambient temperatures. Three wall boundary conditions were conducted to study the thermal distribution pattern in the HDD. A solution was then proposed based on the results obtained from the experiments to improve the heat transfer rate and steady state temperature, and reduce the detrimental effects from high thermal generation in future prototypes. Another important finding was that the averaged temperature of the head cap was generally higher compared to that of the disk, as the spindle motor is the primary heat source within the HDD. Heat source analysis of HDD with IR system allows designers to have better visibility of the temperature generated in different components of the HDD. Proper cooling may enhance disk life as well as ensure the stability and integrity of the system.

Design strategies and insights of flexible infrared optoelectronic sensors

Infrared optoelectronic sensing is the core of many critical applications such as night vision,health and medication,military,space exploration,etc.Further including mechanical flexibility as a new dimension enables novel features of adaptability and conformability,promising for developing next-generation optoelectronic sensory applications toward reduced size,weight,price,power consumption,and enhanced performance(SWaP^(3)).However,in this emerging research frontier,challenges persist in simultaneously achieving high infrared response and good mechanical deformability in devices and integrated systems.Therefore,we perform a comprehensive review of the design strategies and insights of flexible infrared optoelectronic sensors,including the fundamentals of infrared photodetectors,selection of materials and device architectures,fabrication techniques and design strategies,and the discussion of architectural and functional integration towards applications in wearable optoelectronics and advanced image sensing.Finally,this article offers insights into future directions to practically realize the ultra-high performance and smart sensors enabled by infrared-sensitive materials,covering challenges in materials development and device micro-/nanofabrication.Benchmarks for scaling these techniques across fabrication,performance,and integration are presented,alongside perspectives on potential applications in medication and health,biomimetic vision,and neuromorphic sensory systems,etc.

A Review of Infrared Thermography Applications for Civil Infrastructure

Civil infrastructure is continuously subject to aging and deterioration due to multiple factors,which lead to a decline in performance and impact structural health.Accumulated damage on structures increases operational costs and poses significant risks to public safety.Effective maintenance,repair,and rehabilitation strategies are needed to ensure civil infrastructure’s overall safety and reliability.Non-Destructive Evaluation(NDE)methods are utilized to assess latent damage and provide decision-makers with real-time information for mitigating hazards.Within the last decade,there has been a significant increase in the research and development of innovative NDE techniques to improve data processing and promote efficient and accurate infrastructure assessment.This paper aims to review one of those methods,namely,Infrared Thermography(IRT),and its applications in civil infrastructure.A comprehensive review is presented by investigating numerous journal articles,research papers,and technical reports describing numerous IRT applications for bridges,buildings,and general civil structures made from different materials.The capability of IRT to identify and pinpoint anomalies,typically in the early stages of degradation,has excellent potential to improve the safety and shore up the dependability of civil infrastructures while reducing expenses tied to maintenance and rehabilitation.Furthermore,the non-invasive nature of IRT is beneficial in mitigating disturbances and downtime that may occur during various inspection procedures.It is highlighted that IRT is a highly versatile and effective tool for infrastructure condition assessment.With further advancement and fine-tuning of the available techniques,it is likely that IRT will continue to gain significant popularity in maintaining and monitoring civil infrastructure.

Multipoint Infrared Telemetry System for Measuring the Piston Temperature in Internal Combustion Engines

A high precision, high antijamming multipoint infrared telemetry system was developed to measure the piston temperature in internal combustion engine. The temperature at the measuring point is converted into corresponding voltage signal by the thermo-couple first. Then after the V/F stage, the voltage signal is converted into the frequency signal to drive the infrared light-emitting diode to transmit infrared pulses. At the receiver end, a photosensitive audion receives the infrared pulses. After conversion, the voltage recorded by the receiver stands for the magnitude of temperature at the measuring point. Test results of the system indicate that the system is practical and the system can perform multipoint looping temperature measurements for the piston.

Methane concentration detection system based on differential infrared absorption

The infrared absorption method for methane concentration detection is an ideal way to detect methane at present. However, it is difficult to spread this method due to its high cost. In this paper, by using a wideband infrared light emitting di- ode （LED） accompanied with a PIN photo electric diode, a low-cost methane detection system was designed. To overcome the shortcomings caused by the wide working band, a differential light path was designed. By means of a differential ratio algo- rithm, the stability and the accuracy of the system were guaranteed. Finally, the validity of the system with the proposed algo- rithm was verified by the experiment results.

Calculation of the heat flux in the lower divertor target plate using an infrared camera diagnostic system on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

During the discharging of Tokamak devices, interactions between the core plasma and plasma-facing components (PFCs) may cause exorbitant heat deposition in the latter. This poses a grave threat to the lifetimes of PFCs materials. An infrared (IR) diagnostic system consisting of an IR camera and an endoscope was installed on an Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) to monitor the surface temperature of the lower divertor target plate (LDTP) and to calculate the corresponding heat flux based on its surface temperature and physical structure, via the finite element method. First, the temperature obtained by the IR camera was calibrated against the temperature measured by the built-in thermocouple of EAST under baking conditions to determine the true temperature of the LDTP. Next, based on the finite element method, a target plate model was built and a discretization of the modeling domain was carried out. Then, a heat conduction equation and boundary conditions were determined. Finally, the heat flux was calculated. The new numerical tool provided results similar to those for DFLUX;this is important for future work on related physical processes and heat flux control.

MICROSTRUCTURE AND INFRARED EMISSIVITY AT NORMAL TEMPERATURE IN TRANSITIONAL METAL OXIDES SYSTEM CERAMICS

The fabrication of Fe2O3-MnO2-Co2O3-CuO system ceramics, and the composite system ceramics of transitional metal oxides-cordierite and transitional metal oxides-kaolinit are presented in this work. The research was carried out with the main attention to the infrared emissivity in the band of 8 similar to 14 mu m at room temperature, the microstructure of the ceramics and the relation between them. High infrared emissivities exceeding 0.9 in the band of 8 similar to 14 mu m at room temperature were gained in the transitional metal oxide ceramics and the composite system ceramics. It is suggested that the formation of inverse spinels and partially inverse spinels, such as Fe3O4, CoFe2O4, CuFe2O4 and CuMn2O4, is beneficial to the enhancement of the infrared emissivity of the transitional metal oxide ceramics. The transitional metal oxides play an important role in determining the infrared emissivity of the composite system ceramics.

Infrared Absorption and [CuO_5] Pyramid of High T_c Superconductor Bi-Sb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O System

The infrared absorption spectra of different superconducting phase of high Tc super conductor Bi-Sb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O have been measured . The results show that only in the range of 400cm-1 -700cm-1,there is a group of peaks which changes with different superconducting phases.According to group theory and infrared spectra of CuO, this group of peaks could be assigned to be the [CuO6]octahedron, the [CuO5] pyramid and the [CuO4]plane quadrilateral,but not CU-O plane or CU-O chain. Furthermore, the quasi-three dimensional Cu-O layers consisting of [CuO5] pyramids and proper coupling between them are essential factor for high Tc. It seems that the weaker compling of layers, the higher Tc

Solvent effects on infrared spectra of 2-methyl-4,5-dimethoxy-3-oxo-2H-pyridizine： Part 1. Single solvent systems

Infrared spectroscopy studies of 2 methyl 4,5 dimethoxy 3 oxo 2H pyridizine (MDOP) in 12 pure organic solvents were undertaken to investigate the solvent solute interactions. The frequencies of the carbonyl (C=O) of MDOP were correlated with solvent properties such as solvent acceptor number (AN) and the linear solvation energy relationships (LSER). These frequencies showed a good correlation with the solvent acceptor number (AN) and the LSER.

Infrared Indoor Wireless MIMO Communication System Using 1.2GHz OOK Modulation

The multiple input multiple output(MIMO) systems using serial infrared(SIR),return to zero-inverted(RZI) and on off keying(OOK) modulation were studied. Also, by analyzing experimental results, curve fitting models were established. Three infrared MIMO systems with 2X2, 2X4 and 4X4 MIMO channels using RZI and OOK modulation were designed and tested. Based on the experimental results, evaluations between BER, distance and displacement were discussed.

Novel infrared differential optical absorption spectroscopy remote sensing system to measure carbon dioxide emission

A CO_2 infrared remote sensing system based on the algorithm of weighting function modified differential optical absorption spectroscopy(WFM-DOAS) is developed for measuring CO_2 emissions from pollution sources. The system is composed of a spectrometer with band from 900 nm to 1700 nm, a telescope with a field of view of 1.12?, a silica optical fiber, an automatic position adjuster, and the data acquisition and processing module. The performance is discussed,including the electronic noise of the charge-coupled device(CCD), the spectral shift, and detection limits. The resolution of the spectrometer is 0.4 nm, the detection limit is 8.5 × 10^(20)molecules·cm^(-2), and the relative retrieval error is < 1.5%.On May 26, 2018, a field experiment was performed to measure CO_2 emissions from the Feng-tai power plant, and a twodimensional distribution of CO_2 from the plume was obtained. The retrieved differential slant column densities(dSCDs)of CO_2 are around 2 × 10^(21) molecules·cm^(-2) in the unpolluted areas, 5.5 × 10^(21)molecules·cm^(-2) in the plume locations most strongly affected by local CO_2 emissions, and the fitting error is less than 2 × 10^(20)molecules·cm^(-2), which proves that the infrared remote sensing system has the characteristics of fast response and high precision, suitable for measuring CO_2 emission from the sources.

Zynq-7000 SoC-based portable uncooled infrared imaging system

A novel portable infrared imaging system based on uncooled focal plane array and programmable system-on-chip（SoC）was proposed.The latest Xilinx Zynq-7000 was used to integrate the main part of the system into a single SoC.Parallel arithmetic units and digital modules were implemented on the programmable logic（PL）of Zynq-7000 to decrease system size and ensure the real-time p nonuniformity correction,while programs running on the processing system（PS）of Zynq-7000 controlled the system work flow and provided human-machine interfaces using open-source software such as Linux and OpenCV.Meanwhile,industry standard advanced extendable interface（AXI）buses were adopted to encapsulating standardized IP cores and build high speed data exchange bridges between units within Zynq-7000.Test results indicate that the image quality and real-time performance of the system can meet application requirements.And it provided a more flexible and extendable solution for evaluating and deploying infrared image enhancement and nonuniformity correction algorithms.

Optical Design and Stray Light Analysis of the Space Infrared Optical System

This article describes a novel configuration design for a re-imaging off-axis catadioptric space infrared optical system,and in order to satisfy the signal noise ratio requirements of the system,the stray light of the system is necessary to analyze and restrain. The optical system with a focal length of 1 200 mm,an entrance pupil diameter of 600 mm,an F-number of 2,a field of view of 3°× 0. 15°,a working wave band of 8 μm-10 μm,and the image quality of the optical system almost approach to diffraction limits in all field of view.Then the mathematical models of stray light are built,and the suppressive structure is established to eliminate the effect of stray light. Finally,TraceP ro is used to analyze and simulate stray light with and without the suppressive structure,and also get the results of the PST curves. The results indicate that appropriate optical system and suppressive structure can highly reduce the stray light of the space infrared optical system.

Driver Fatigue Detection System Based on Colored and Infrared Eye Features Fusion

Real-time detection of driver fatigue status is of great significance for road traffic safety.In this paper,a proposed novel driver fatigue detection method is able to detect the driver’s fatigue status around the clock.The driver’s face images were captured by a camera with a colored lens and an infrared lens mounted above the dashboard.The landmarks of the driver’s face were labeled and the eye-area was segmented.By calculating the aspect ratios of the eyes,the duration of eye closure,frequency of blinks and PERCLOS of both colored and infrared,fatigue can be detected.Based on the change of light intensity detected by a photosensitive device,the weight matrix of the colored features and the infrared features was adjusted adaptively to reduce the impact of lighting on fatigue detection.Video samples of the driver’s face were recorded in the test vehicle.After training the classification model,the results showed that our method has high accuracy on driver fatigue detection in both daytime and nighttime.

Lightweight Dual‑Functional Segregated Nanocomposite Foams for Integrated Infrared Stealth and Absorption‑Dominant Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Lightweight infrared stealth and absorption-dominant electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding materials are highly desirable in areas of aerospace,weapons,military and wearable electronics.Herein,lightweight and high-efficiency dual-functional segregated nanocomposite foams with microcellular structures are developed for integrated infrared stealth and absorption-dominant EMI shielding via the efficient and scalable supercritical CO_(2)(SC-CO_(2))foaming combined with hydrogen bonding assembly and compression molding strategy.The obtained lightweight segregated nanocomposite foams exhibit superior infrared stealth performances benefitting from the synergistic effect of highly effective thermal insulation and low infrared emissivity,and outstanding absorption-dominant EMI shielding performances attributed to the synchronous construction of microcellular structures and segregated structures.Particularly,the segregated nanocomposite foams present a large radiation temperature reduction of 70.2℃ at the object temperature of 100℃,and a significantly improved EM wave absorptivity/reflectivity(A/R)ratio of 2.15 at an ultralow Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) content of 1.7 vol%.Moreover,the segregated nanocomposite foams exhibit outstanding working reliability and stability upon dynamic compression cycles.The results demonstrate that the lightweight and high-efficiency dual-functional segregated nanocomposite foams have excellent potentials for infrared stealth and absorption-dominant EMI shielding applications in aerospace,weapons,military and wearable electronics.

Efficient Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Thermal Infrared Stealth in PVTMS@MWCNT Nano‑Aerogel via Abundant Nano‑Sized Cavities and Attenuation Interfaces

Pre-polymerized vinyl trimethoxy silane(PVTMS)@MWCNT nano-aerogel system was constructed via radical polymerization,sol-gel transition and supercritical CO_(2)drying.The fabricated organic-inorganic hybrid PVTMS@MWCNT aerogel structure shows nano-pore size(30-40 nm),high specific surface area(559 m^(2)g^(−1)),high void fraction(91.7%)and enhanced mechanical property:(1)the nano-pore size is beneficial for efficiently blocking thermal conduction and thermal convection via Knudsen effect(beneficial for infrared(IR)stealth);(2)the heterogeneous interface was beneficial for IR reflection(beneficial for IR stealth)and MWCNT polarization loss(beneficial for electromagnetic wave(EMW)attenuation);(3)the high void fraction was beneficial for enhancing thermal insulation(beneficial for IR stealth)and EMW impedance match(beneficial for EMW attenuation).Guided by the above theoretical design strategy,PVTMS@MWCNT nano-aerogel shows superior EMW absorption property(cover all Ku-band)and thermal IR stealth property(ΔT reached 60.7℃).Followed by a facial combination of the above nano-aerogel with graphene film of high electrical conductivity,an extremely high electromagnetic interference shielding material(66.5 dB,2.06 mm thickness)with superior absorption performance of an average absorption-to-reflection(A/R)coefficient ratio of 25.4 and a low reflection bandwidth of 4.1 GHz(A/R ratio more than 10)was experimentally obtained in this work.

Infrared and Visible Image Fusion Based on Res2Net-Transformer Automatic Encoding and Decoding

A novel image fusion network framework with an autonomous encoder and decoder is suggested to increase thevisual impression of fused images by improving the quality of infrared and visible light picture fusion. The networkcomprises an encoder module, fusion layer, decoder module, and edge improvementmodule. The encoder moduleutilizes an enhanced Inception module for shallow feature extraction, then combines Res2Net and Transformerto achieve deep-level co-extraction of local and global features from the original picture. An edge enhancementmodule (EEM) is created to extract significant edge features. A modal maximum difference fusion strategy isintroduced to enhance the adaptive representation of information in various regions of the source image, therebyenhancing the contrast of the fused image. The encoder and the EEM module extract features, which are thencombined in the fusion layer to create a fused picture using the decoder. Three datasets were chosen to test thealgorithmproposed in this paper. The results of the experiments demonstrate that the network effectively preservesbackground and detail information in both infrared and visible images, yielding superior outcomes in subjectiveand objective evaluations.

Multifunctional MXene/Carbon Nanotube Janus Film for Electromagnetic Shielding and Infrared Shielding/Detection in Harsh Environments

Multifunctional,flexible,and robust thin films capable of operating in demanding harsh temperature environments are crucial for various cutting-edge applications.This study presents a multifunctional Janus film integrating highly-crystalline Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene and mechanically-robust carbon nanotube(CNT)film through strong hydrogen bonding.The hybrid film not only exhibits high electrical conductivity(4250 S cm^(-1)),but also demonstrates robust mechanical strength and durability in both extremely low and high temperature environments,showing exceptional resistance to thermal shock.This hybrid Janus film of 15μm thickness reveals remarkable multifunctionality,including efficient electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 72 dB in X band frequency range,excellent infrared(IR)shielding capability with an average emissivity of 0.09(a minimal value of 0.02),superior thermal camouflage performance over a wide temperature range(−1 to 300℃)achieving a notable reduction in the radiated temperature by 243℃ against a background temperature of 300℃,and outstanding IR detection capability characterized by a 44%increase in resistance when exposed to 250 W IR radiation.This multifunctional MXene/CNT Janus film offers a feasible solution for electromagnetic shielding and IR shielding/detection under challenging conditions.

Failure mechanism and infrared radiation characteristic of hard siltstone induced by stratification effect

The deformation in sedimentary rock induced by train loads has potential threat to the safe operation of tunnels. This study investigated the influence of stratification structure on the infrared radiation and temporal damage mechanism of hard siltstone. The uniaxial compression tests, coupled with acoustic emission(AE) and infrared radiation temperature(IRT) were conducted on siltstones with different stratification effects. The results revealed that the stratigraphic structure significantly affects the stress-strain response and strength degradation characteristics. The mechanical parameters exhibit anisotropy characteristics, and the stratification effect exhibits a negative correlation with the cracking stress and peak stress. The failure modes caused by the stratification effect show remarkable anisotropic features, including splitting failure(Ⅰ: 0°-22.50°, Ⅱ: 90°), composite failure(45°), and shearing failure(67.50°). The AE temporal sequences demonstrate a stepwise response characteristic to the loading stress level. The AE intensity indicates that the stress sensitivity of shearing failure and composite failure is generally greater than that of splitting failure. The IRT field has spatiotemporal migration and progressive dissimilation with stress loading and its dissimilation degree increases under higher stress levels. The stronger the stratification effect, the greater the dissimilation degree of the IRT field. The abnormal characteristic points of average infrared radiation temperature(AIRT) variance at local stress drop and peak stress can be used as early and late precursors to identify fracture instability. Theoretical analysis shows that the competitive relationship between compaction strengthening and fracturing damage intensifies the dissimilation of the infrared thermal field for an increasing stress level. The present study provides a theoretical reference for disaster warnings in hard sedimentary rock mass.