Abstract:
A multichannel optical monitoring system for monitoring the spectral transmission of a plurality of samples. A plurality of light beams are generated and a plurality of optical monitoring stations are arranged along a pathway, each station having an optical path formed by one of the light beams transverse to the pathway and along which optical characteristics are monitored. A drive mechanism moves a plurality of reaction wells, each containing a reaction volume, along the pathway from station to station so that respective reaction volumes dwell periodically in each optical path for transmitting a respective one of the light beams. A diffraction grating is arranged for diffracting the beams transmitted by respective ones of the reaction volumes. The diffracted beams are focussed and at least one array of photodetectors is positioned for receiving the diffracted and focussed beams for producing electrical signals representing the spectral content of the diffracted beams. An electronic circuit detects the electrical signals of the array, which signals may be stored for further processing and evaluation.
Abstract:
Automated capillary electrophoresis tests can be performed using the capillary electrophoresis instrument of this invention. The capillary electrophoresis instrument has means for automatically purging and replenishing electrolytes, for automatically entering a sample into the capillary tube and for automatically performing capillary electrophoresis. A detector for simultaneous detection of absorbance and fluorescence provides means for quantifing the species separated by electrophoresis.
Abstract:
A spectral analysis system which may operate as a spectrograph or monochromator comprises a folded optical path within a housing wherein the optical input is provided on one side and the optical output is provided on an opposite side at a spectral focal field, thereby separating optical and electrical functions. The folded optical path is provided within a vertically extending portion of the housing providing for a narrow profile to the optical instrument and keeping the entrance and exit apertures in-line in close proximity. The grating is caused to operate in a near Littrow condition with a reflecting prism having first and second inclined surfaces which respectively reflect entrance aperture light to said grating and disperse exit aperture light from said grating along paths slightly inclined to the Littrow axis of the grating. The prism surface reflecting light to the spectral focal field may be cylindrically concave to focus the output radiation at different frequencies onto a substantially planar spectral focal field. The grating is operated with the spectral separation occurring in a plane orthogonal to the plane containing the gratings recording points. A tilt adjustment for the grating may employed in order to operate the spectral analysis system as a monochromator.
Abstract:
A spectrometer including a source of light, a slit member along the path of the light emitted from the source, a holographic, concave grating in the path of the light passing through the slit member, and a photodetector in the path of the diffracted light reflected from the grating. The photodetector is positioned substantially along the portion of the primary horizontal focal curve of the grating where it is intersected three times by a vertical focal curve of the grating. The three intersections being on the same side of the normal vector to the grating and two of the intersecting points being the positions of the laser used to form the grating.
Abstract:
An optical system which provides wavelength tuning and which may be a spectrometer, monochromator or tunable laser uses a volume transmission diffraction element which is characterized by a periodic, spatial variation of refractive index or polarizability or other light transmission effecting parameter, and which is distributed throughout the volume of the element. The wavelength is tuned by (1) varying the angles of the incident and diffracted light symmetrically with respect to the periodic distribution in the element and/or (2) by varying the spatial period of the diffracting element's volume modulation distribution which is maintained symmetric with respect to fixed incident and diffracted beam angles.
Abstract:
An improved rapid-scan spectrophotometer with an optical grating continuously rotating at a constant angular velocity. An optical trigger actuated by the rotating turntable supporting the grating, actuates an analog to digital converter to sample at discrete times an output signal from the sample detector over the desired wavelength range and to store the digitized information in a direct memory access (DMA) buffer. The information may be retrieved as desired from the buffer for further processing or permanent data storage. With each revolution of the optical grating, the range (typically 15.degree.) of wavelengths from the grating that provides useful information is sampled by the analog to digital converter and stored in the buffer. Because the grating is continuously rotating at a constant angular velocity and is not limited by the inertia of optical components, the spectrophotometer can be operated at a much higher scanning speed than an oscillating or vibrating grating spectrophotometer.
Abstract:
An improved optical system is disclosed for rapid, accurate spectral analysis of the reflectivity or transmissivity of samples. A concave holographic diffraction grating oscillated at high speed is utilized to provide a rapid scanning of monochromatic light through a spectrum of wavelengths. The grating is positively driven at very high speed. The rapid scan by the grating enables the reduction of noise error by averaging over a large number of cycles. It also reduces the measurement time and thus prevents sample heating by excessive exposure to light energy. A filter wheel having opaque segments is rotated in the optical path and is synchronous with the grating. The filter wheel is divided into two arcuate segments separated by the opaque segments arranged approximately 180 degrees apart. One arcuate segment of the wheel transmits only first order light. The other arcuate segment transmits only second order light. Separate photodetectors are employed during infrared analysis of samples for detecting first order and second order wavelength transmissions and an electronic decoder apparatus is utilized for switching between detectors.
Abstract:
The invention relates to new gratings constituted by a support bearing on a sensitive face the grooves of the gratings which are located at the intersection of the said face of the support by a family of surfaces geometrically such as the equiphase surfaces obtained as loci of the maxima of luminous intensity upon the interference of two beams originating from two point sources. These gratings may be realized by holography, by using as sensitive layer a layer of a photopolymerizable resin, the best results being obtained with a layer of thickness smaller than approximately 2 microns. These gratings are useful for the realization of new or improved spectrographic devices.
Abstract:
A measurement system includes a light source having semiconductor sources, a multiplexer, and one or more fused silica fibers configured to form an output optical beam having one or more optical wavelengths modulated at a modulation frequency. A light beam set-up includes a monochromator forming a filtered optical beam. A measurement apparatus delivers the filtered optical beam to a sample. A receiver receives a spectroscopy output beam generated from the sample by the filtered optical beam. The receiver is configured to use a lock-in technique that detects the modulation frequency, and to generate first and second signals responsive to light received while the light source is off and on, respectively. The measurement system improves a signal-to-noise ratio of the spectroscopy output beam by differencing the first and second signals. The receiver processes the spectroscopy output beam using chemometrics or multivariate analysis to permit identification of materials within the sample.
Abstract:
A wearable device for use with a smart phone or tablet includes LEDs for measuring physiological parameters by modulating the LEDs and generating a near-infrared multi-wavelength optical beam. At least one LED emits at a first wavelength having a first penetration depth and at least another LED emits at a second wavelength having a second penetration depth into tissue. The device includes lenses that deliver the optical beam to the tissue, which reflects the first and second wavelengths. A receiver is configured to capture light while the LEDs are off and while at least one of the LEDs is on and to difference corresponding signals to improve a signal-to-noise ratio of the optical beam reflected from the tissue. The signal-to-noise ratio is further increased by increasing light intensity of at least one of the LEDs. The device generates an output signal representing a non-invasive measurement on blood within the tissue.