Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080291426 | OPTICAL MEASUREMENT OF SAMPLES - We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample. | 11-27-2008 |
20090033928 | Raman spectrometry assembly - A Raman spectrometry assembly includes a Raman spectrometer having a laser light source and a Raman signal analyzer, an interface module comprising a housing which is connectable to and disconnectable from the spectrometer, and a fiber optic assembly which is connectable to and disconnectable from the interface module, the fiber optic assembly including optical fibers and a probe head at a distal end thereof for disposition adjacent a specimen to be tested, the optical fibers extending from the probe head and adapted to extend to the interface module. | 02-05-2009 |
20090213361 | Supporting Remote Analysis - This disclosure relates to optical measurement and identification of samples. | 08-27-2009 |
20090237647 | PREPARING SAMPLES FOR OPTICAL MEASUREMENT - We disclose an apparatus comprising: a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit. The device comprises: a housing; a sample unit in the housing; and a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit. Methods of analyzing samples are also disclosed. | 09-24-2009 |
20090251694 | Method and Apparatus for Conducting Raman Spectroscopy - A Raman probe system includes: a base station; a mobile robot remotely controllable from the base station; a Raman probe assembly supported by the robot, the Raman probe assembly including a laser and a spectrometer; a camera supported by the robot; and a communication subsystem operable to communicate images from the camera and results from the Raman probe assembly to the base station. In some embodiments, a Raman probe system includes: a mobile robot remotely controllable from a base station, the robot including a body and an articulated arm; a camera supported by the robot; a Raman probe assembly supported by the robot, the optical control assembly mounted on the body of the robot; and an optical probe mounted on the articulated arm of the robot; and a wireless communication system operable to communicate images from the camera and results from the Raman probe assembly to the base station. | 10-08-2009 |
20100002228 | Method and Apparatus for Conducting Raman Spectroscopy - Disclosed herein are Raman probes that include: (a) a first optical fiber for receiving laser excitation light from a light source and transmitting the same; (b) a first filter for receiving light from the first optical fiber and adapted to pass the laser excitation light and to block spurious signals associated with the light; (c) a second filter for receiving light from the first filter and adapted to direct the light toward a specimen; and (d) focusing apparatus for receiving the light from the second filter, focusing the light on the specimen so as to generate the Raman signal, and returning the Raman signal to the second filter. The second filter is further configured so that when the second filter receives the Raman signal from the focusing apparatus, the second filter filters out unwanted laser excitation light before directing the Raman signal to a second optical fiber. | 01-07-2010 |
20100133437 | HANDHELD INFRARED AND RAMAN MEASUREMENT DEVICES AND METHODS - We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample. | 06-03-2010 |
20100290042 | Use of Free-space Coupling Between Laser Assembly, Optical Probe Head Assembly, Spectrometer Assembly and/or Other Optical Elements for Portable Optical Applications Such as Raman Instruments - An apparatus includes: a handheld Raman analyzer that can include: a common platform; a laser assembly mounted on a laser platform, the laser platform supported on the common platform by a first material and a second thermally conductive material wherein the first material is softer than the second material; an optical probe head assembly disposed on the common platform, the optical probe head assembly spaced apart from the laser assembly; a spectrometer assembly disposed on the common platform, the spectrometer assembly spaced apart from the optical probe head assembly; and an analysis apparatus configured to identify a specimen based on a Raman signature received from the spectrometer. The laser assembly can be optically coupled to the optical probe head assembly by at least a first free-space coupling region and the optical probe head assembly optically coupled to the spectrometer assembly by at least a second free-space coupling region. | 11-18-2010 |
20100296085 | RAMAN SPECTROMETRY ASSEMBLY - A Raman spectrometry assembly includes a Raman spectrometer having a laser light source and a Raman signal analyzer, an interface module comprising a housing which is connectable to and disconnectable from the spectrometer, and a fiber optic assembly which is connectable to and disconnectable from the interface module, the fiber optic assembly including optical fibers and a probe head at a distal end thereof for disposition adjacent a specimen to be tested, the optical fibers extending from the probe head and adapted to extend to the interface module. | 11-25-2010 |
20100302546 | OPTICAL MEASUREMENT OF SAMPLES - A portable device includes a base unit, an extension, and a mirror. The base unit includes a light source, a light detector, and at least one window through which light exits from, and is received by, the base unit. The extension is configured, during use, to be attached to the base unit and to extend from the at least one window, in a direction away from the base unit, the extension defining at least a portion of a sample volume in fluid communication with gases substantially surrounding one or more of the extension and the base unit. The mirror is attached to the extension at a distance from the at least one window. An optical path is defined between the mirror and the at least one window such that light from the light source moves through the sample volume along the optical path, and the mirror is aligned to reflect the light back to the at least one window for detection by the light detector. | 12-02-2010 |
20100315629 | Optical Scanning - Disclosed are apparatus, kits, methods, and systems that include a radiation source configured to direct radiation to a sample; a detector configured to measure radiation from the sample; an electronic processor configured to determine infotmation about the sample based on the measured radiation; a housing enclosing the source, the detector, and the electronic processor, the housing having a hand-held form factor; an arm configured to maintain a separation between the sample and the housing, the arm including a first end configured to connect to the housing and a second end configured to contact the sample; and a layer positioned on the second end of the arm, the layer being configured to contact the sample and to transmit at least a portion of the radiation from the sample to the detector. | 12-16-2010 |
20110022324 | MOLECULAR READER - Systems and methods disclosed include: a support apparatus configured to detachably receive a chip; movable pins extendible from a first position to a second position, where, in the first position, the movable pins do not contact a chip positioned on the support apparatus, and in the second position, the movable pins contact electrical terminals of a heating element within a chip positioned on the support apparatus; a radiation source configured to direct radiation to be incident on a chip positioned on the support apparatus; a detector; and an electronic processor, the electronic processor being configured to detect molecules in a sample positioned within the chip, and to determine a temperature of the chip by measuring an electrical resistance between two of the multiple pins connected to the electrical terminals. | 01-27-2011 |
20110309247 | HANDHELD INFRARED AND RAMAN MEASUREMENT DEVICES AND METHODS - We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample. | 12-22-2011 |
20120092658 | PREPARING SAMPLES FOR OPTICAL MEASUREMENT - We disclose an apparatus comprising: a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit. The device comprises: a housing; a sample unit in the housing; and a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit. Methods of analyzing samples are also disclosed. | 04-19-2012 |
20150036135 | OPTICAL SCANNING - Disclosed are apparatus, kits, methods, and systems that include a radiation source configured to direct radiation to a sample; a detector configured to measure radiation from the sample; an electronic processor configured to determine information about the sample based on the measured radiation; a housing enclosing the source, the detector, and the electronic processor, the housing having a hand-held form factor; an arm configured to maintain a separation between the sample and the housing, the arm including a first end configured to connect to the housing and a second end configured to contact the sample; and a layer positioned on the second end of the arm, the layer being configured to contact the sample and to transmit at least a portion of the radiation from the sample to the detector. | 02-05-2015 |