Small detector array for infrared imaging microscope
First Claim
1. An IR microscope comprising a sample stage, optical components for guiding analysing radiation so that it is incident on a sample to be analysed which is carried on said stage, and for guiding radiation from the sample to a detector, wherein said detector comprises a small array of individual detector elements, the outputs of the detector elements being fed in parallel to processing means for processing the detector element outputs.
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Abstract
An infrared imaging microscope, particularly of the type used to carry out FT-IR measurement, has a detector in the form of a small detector array (85) of individual detector elements (86). The outputs of the detector elements (86) are fed in parallel to processing means which process the output signals. The use of a small array means that the outputs can be processed without the need for complex multiplexing or perhaps no multiplexing at all thus avoiding the reduction in signal to noise ratio which is associated with large scale multiplexing. The small detector array will generally have between 3 and 100 detector elements. Typically the upper limit will be 64 and a preferred arrangement has 16 detector elements.
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Citations
39 Claims
- 1. An IR microscope comprising a sample stage, optical components for guiding analysing radiation so that it is incident on a sample to be analysed which is carried on said stage, and for guiding radiation from the sample to a detector, wherein said detector comprises a small array of individual detector elements, the outputs of the detector elements being fed in parallel to processing means for processing the detector element outputs.
- 14. A detector array for use in a IR microscope, said detector array comprising a plurality of individual detector elements, each corresponding to a pixel, which are disposed in spaced relationship, the centre to centre spacing of adjacent elements being substantially equal to or a multiple of the pixel pitch.
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25. A detector assembly for an infrared microscope comprising a small array of individual detector elements the outputs of which can be fed in parallel to a processing means, in combination with a single detector element.
Specification