Method and apparatus for compact spectrometer for fiber array spectral translator

• US 20060209301A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemimage Corporation, Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Wang, Chenhui, Nelson, Matthew P., Treado, Patrick J., Schweitzer, Robert C., Vanni, G. Steven, Wolfe, Julianne, Gardner, Charles W. Jr., Neiss, Jason H., Demuth, Joseph E., Maier, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,440,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0205 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0224 using polarising or depolarising elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0237 Adjustable, e.g. focussing
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0283 using a charging unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/26 using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/32 Investigating bands of a spectrum in sequence by a single detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/447 Polarisation spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0846 Fibre interface with sample, e.g. for spatial resolution

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a portable system having a fiber array spectral translator (“FAST”) for obtaining a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of a sample having a first and a second spatial dimension that can be used for the detection of hazardous agents by irradiating a sample with light, forming an image of all or part of the sample using Raman shifted light from the sample, and analyzing the Raman shifted light for patterns characteristic of one or more hazardous agents.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an agent in a sample comprising the steps of:

(a) illuminating a sample with photons emanating from a portable device to thereby produce Raman-scattered photons from the sample;

(b) passing the Raman-scattered photons through a fiber array spectral translator;

(c) forming an image of at least a portion of the sample using the Raman-scattered photons; and

(d) analyzing the image using the portable device to detect patterns characteristic of the agent.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent is a hazardous substance.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the agent is anthrax.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the agent is a pathogenic microorganism.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the illuminating photons are in the visible spectrum.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the illuminating photons are in the ultraviolet spectrum.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the illuminating photons are in the infrared spectrum.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(e) determining a strain of the agent from the analysis of the image.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(e) determining the viability of the agent from the analysis of the image.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(e) determining a growth medium of the agent from the analysis of the image.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable device is a hand held device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the image is a spatially-accurate wavelength resolved image.

5. The method of claim 5 wherein the pathogenic microorganism is selected form the group consisting of:

Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), protozoa, cryptosporidia, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli 157, Plague (Yersinia pestis), Smallpox (variola major), Tularemia (Francisella tularensis), Brucellosis (Brucella species), Clostridium pertringens, Glanders (Burkholderia mallei), Melioidosis (Berkholderia pseudomallei), Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci), Q fever (Coxiella burnetii), Typhus fever (Rickettsia prowazekii), Vibrio (Vibrio cholerae), Giardia, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, filoviruses (such as Ebola and Marburg viruses), naviruses (such as Lassa fever and Machupo viruses), alphaviruses (such as Venezuelan equine encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis, and western equine encephalitis), Salmonella, and Shigella.

14. A system for detecting an agent in a sample comprising:

(a) a portable device comprising a photon source for illuminating a sample with photons to thereby produce Raman-scattered photons from the sample;

(b) a fiber array spectral translator for receiving the Raman-scattered photons from the sample and providing the Raman-scattered photons to a detector;

(c) a detector for forming an image of at least a portion of the sample using the Raman-scattered photons; and

(d) means for analyzing the image using the portable device to detect patterns characteristic of the agent.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the agent is a hazardous substance.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the agent is anthrax.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the agent is a pathogenic microorganism.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the pathogenic microorganism is selected form the group consisting of:

Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), protozoa, cryptosporidia, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli 157, Plague (Yersinia pestis), Smallpox (variola major), Tularemia (Francisella tularensis), Brucellosis (Brucella species), Clostridium pertringens, Glanders (Burkholderia mallei), Melioidosis (Berkholderia pseudomallei), Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci), Q fever (Coxiella burnetii), Typhus fever (Rickettsia prowazekii), Vibrio (Vibrio cholerae), Giardia, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, filoviruses (such as Ebola and Marburg viruses), naviruses (such as Lassa fever and Machupo viruses), alphaviruses (such as Venezuelan equine encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis, and western equine encephalitis), Salmonella, and Shigella.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the illuminating photons are in the visible spectrum.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the illuminating photons are in the ultraviolet spectrum.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the illuminating photons are in the infrared spectrum.

22. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

(e) means for determining a strain of the agent from the analysis of the image.

23. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

(e) means for determining the viability of the agent from the analysis of the image.

24. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

(e) means for determining a growth medium of the agent from the analysis of the image.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the portable device is a hand held device.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the image is a spatially-accurate wavelength resolved image.

27. The system of claim 14 further comprising a filter.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the filter is a tunable filter.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the tunable filter is a liquid crystal tunable filter.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the liquid crystal tunable filter is selected from the group consisting of:

Lyot liquid crystal tunable filter, Evans Split-Element liquid crystal tunable filter, Solc liquid crystal tunable filter, Ferroelectric liquid crystal tunable filter, and Fabry Perot liquid crystal tunable filter.

31. The system of claim 14 further comprising an interferometer.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the interferometer is selected from the group consisting of:

Sagnac interferometers, Michelson interferometers, Twynam-Green interferometers, and Mach-Zehnder interferometers.

33. The system of claim 14 further comprising a fixed bandpass or a fixed band reject filter.

34. The system of claim 14 further comprising a polarizing filter.