SAMPLE SCANNING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A sample scanning and analysis system comprising:
- a sample module for holding a sample to be scanned;
a scanner module for scanning the sample, including a transmitter for transmitting a series of electromagnetic signals, each of the signals having a transmitted amplitude over a plurality of sample points within a range of frequencies, and a receiver for receiving the series of signals as the series of signals are reflected from or transmitted through the sample, and generating a series of spectral data sets representing at least a scanned amplitude of each of the signals over the plurality of sample points; and
an analyzer module including a memory and a processor for generating one or more composite spectrograms from the series of spectral data sets, analyzing the composite spectrograms to recognize one or more patterns within the composite spectrograms representing one or more characteristics of the sample, and making a determination regarding the characteristics based on the patterns.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods for scanning and analyzing one or more characteristics of a sample utilizing electromagnetic radiation is described. More particularly, the system and methods utilize an electromagnetic radiation source connected to a transmitter and an analyzer connected to a receiver. A sample to be analyzed is placed between the transmitter and receiver and a frequency sweep of electromagnetic radiation is transmitted through the sample to create a series of spectral data sets, which are developed into a composite spectrogram by the analyzer and processed to determine one or more characteristics of the sample. A magnetic field can alternatively be applied around the transmitter, receiver and sample to enhance some characteristic analysis applications and to make other characteristic analysis applications possible. Samples include inert and living items and the characteristics include a wide variety of different applications. Although pattern recognition is utilized in some applications to match a present composite spectrogram with previously detected spectrograms, the present composite spectrogram can also be analyzed based on pattern components to make characteristic determinations without per-use calibration and without utilizing any pattern matching.
101 Citations
112 Claims
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1. A sample scanning and analysis system comprising:
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a sample module for holding a sample to be scanned;
a scanner module for scanning the sample, including a transmitter for transmitting a series of electromagnetic signals, each of the signals having a transmitted amplitude over a plurality of sample points within a range of frequencies, and a receiver for receiving the series of signals as the series of signals are reflected from or transmitted through the sample, and generating a series of spectral data sets representing at least a scanned amplitude of each of the signals over the plurality of sample points; and
an analyzer module including a memory and a processor for generating one or more composite spectrograms from the series of spectral data sets, analyzing the composite spectrograms to recognize one or more patterns within the composite spectrograms representing one or more characteristics of the sample, and making a determination regarding the characteristics based on the patterns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A sample scanning and analysis system comprising:
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a sample module for holding a sample to be scanned, including a base for positioning and orienting the sample and one or more pairs of magnets positioned so as to create a magnetic field surrounding at least a portion of the sample;
a scanner module for scanning the sample, including a transmitter having one or more transmitter nodes for transmitting a series of electromagnetic signals, each of the signals having a transmitted amplitude over a plurality of sample points within a range of frequencies, and a receiver having one or more receiver nodes for receiving the series of signals as the series of signals are reflected from or transmitted through the sample and generating a series of spectral data sets representing at least a scanned amplitude of each of the signals over the plurality of sample points, the sample module being formed to hold the transmitter nodes and the receiver nodes in fixed positions relative to the sample, the magnetic field further surrounding the transmitter nodes and the receiver nodes; and
an analyzer module including a memory and a processor for generating one or more composite spectrograms from the series of spectral data sets, analyzing the composite spectrograms to recognize one or more patterns within the composite spectrograms representing one or more characteristics of the sample, and making a determination regarding the characteristics based on the patterns. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method for scanning and analyzing a sample, comprising the steps of:
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receiving the sample within a sample module;
scanning the sample by transmitting a series of electromagnetic signals generated by a transmitter, each of the signals having a transmitted amplitude over a plurality of sample points within a range of frequencies, and receiving each of the signals with a receiver as the signals are reflected from or transmitted through the sample;
generating a series of spectral data sets representing at least a scanned amplitude of each of the signals over the plurality of sample points;
generating a composite spectrogram from the series of spectral data sets;
analyzing the composite spectrogram to recognize one or more patterns within the composite spectrogram representing a characteristic of the sample; and
making a determination regarding the characteristic based on the patterns. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112)
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Specification