Supporting Remote Analysis

• US 20090213361A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ahura Scientific, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ahura Scientific, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Christopher D., Sieger, Myrle E. III, Vander Rhodes, Gregory, Knopp, Kevin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,203,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0202 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/024 using means for illuminating a slit efficiently (e.g. entrance slit of a spectrometer or entrance face of fiber)
• 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 3/0286 Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by temperature, humidity or pressure, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a spectrometer, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4535 Devices with moving mirror G01J3/4532 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering

Abstract

This disclosure relates to optical measurement and identification of samples.

Claims

1. A portable measurement apparatus comprising:

an optical measurement assembly configured to generate information about a sample;

a processor configured to determine an identity of the sample based on the information;

a memory configured to store a distribution list comprising one or more telephone numbers; and

a cellular communication device configured to transmit a text message including the determined identity of the substance to one or more of the telephone numbers included in the distribution list.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cellular communication device is further configured to receive the distribution list from a server.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cellular communication device is further configured to send the information to one or more of the telephone numbers included in the distribution list.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distribution list further comprises one or more electronic mail addresses.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cellular communication device is further configured to transmit an electronic mail message including the determined identity of the substance to one or more of the electronic mail addresses in the distribution list.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to encrypt the determined identity of the substance prior to the cellular communication device transmitting the text message.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to select the one or more of the telephone numbers in the distribution list based on the identity of the substance.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical measurement assembly comprises an infrared spectrometer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical measurement assembly comprises a Raman scanning system.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, via a cellular network an identification of a substance from a portable measurement device;

accessing information stored on the computing device to identify one or more end devices associated with the measurement device or the identified substance; and

distributing the identification of the substance to the one or more identified end devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein accessing the information stored on the computing device comprises accessing one or more telephone numbers.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein distributing the identification of the substance comprises sending a text message from the computing device to a cellular telephone.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein distributing the identification of the substance comprises sending an electronic mail message from the computing device to another computing device, the electronic mail message including the identification of the substance.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the identification of the substance from the portable measurement device to the computing device via a cellular network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more end devices are selected based on the identity of the substance.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server from a handheld measurement device, infrared adsorption information for a sample;

processing the infrared adsorption information for the sample to determine an identity of the sample;

generating a reference signature for the identified sample; and

distributing the reference signature for the identified sample to a plurality of additional handheld measurement devices via cellular connections between the server and the plurality of additional handheld measurement devices.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein distributing the signature comprises distributing the signature to a set of handheld devices included in a distribution list.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein distributing the signature comprises automatically distributing the signature.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising updating signature libraries on the plurality of additional handheld measurement devices to include the signature received from the server.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the infrared adsorption information for the sample comprises receiving the infrared adsorption information for the sample via a cellular connection between the handheld measurement device and the server.

21. A method comprising:

determining one or more signatures stored in a central signature library that are not included in a device signature library on a handheld measurement assembly configured to generate optical spectrum information about a sample;

selecting at least one signature from the determined one or more signatures to deliver to the handheld measurement assembly; and

sending, via a cellular connection, the selected at least one signature to the handheld measurement assembly from the central signature library.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising updating the device signature library to include the selected one or more signatures.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing, via a user interface, a list of signatures stored in a central signature library that are not included in the device signature library.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein selecting one or more signatures from the determined one or more signatures to deliver to the handheld measurement assembly comprises receiving from a use a selection of the one or more signatures from the list of signatures.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving an update request from the handheld measurement assembly.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining signatures in a device signature library that are not included in the central signature library;

and

updating the central signature library to include the determined signatures.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving, from the handheld measurement assembly, one or more signatures;

and

updating the central signature library to include the one or more signatures.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein providing the list of signatures comprises providing a list of signatures based at least in part on a user group associated with the handheld measurement assembly.

29. A method comprising:

receiving, from one or more handheld measurement assemblies configured to generate optical spectrum information about a sample, identification information for a plurality of samples and location information, the location information indicating where measurements associated with the plurality of samples were performed;

generating, using a computer system, a map including the identification information where the identification information is displayed as a function of location based on the location information; and

displaying the map on a user interface.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving time stamp information indicating when the measurement was performed.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the map displays the identification information as a function of both time and location.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining the location information using a GPS unit included in the handheld measurement assembly.