METHOD AND SYSTEM TO MEASURE THE CONCENTRATION OF CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS IN AN INHOMOGENEOUS MATERIAL USING LIBS
First Claim
1. A method for measuring the concentration of a constituent element in an inhomogeneous sample having a relatively regular surface, the method comprising:
- scanning at least a portion of the relatively regular surface of the sample to obtain a plurality of pixels representing the surface;
grouping the pixels in a predetermined number of classes according to a pixel characteristic;
grouping contiguous pixels belonging to the same class into domains; and
,for each domain;
determining the surface occupied by the domain;
measuring, using LIBS, the concentration of the constituent element in at least one measurement site of the domain;
determining a total quantity of the constituent element in the domain; and
,determining a concentration of the constituent element of the sample by dividing an added total quantity of the constituent element of each domain by a volume of the sample.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method to improve the accuracy of the measure of constituent element(s) in a sample containing domains potentially including the constituent element(s) are described herein. For each domain, the volume of the domain is estimated and the concentration of the constituent element(s) in the domain is determined using LIBS. When all the domains have been analyzed, the volumetric concentration of the domains is summed and divided by the total volume of the sample. Accordingly, by limiting the concentration analysis to separate domains, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the concentration analysis.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for measuring the concentration of a constituent element in an inhomogeneous sample having a relatively regular surface, the method comprising:
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scanning at least a portion of the relatively regular surface of the sample to obtain a plurality of pixels representing the surface; grouping the pixels in a predetermined number of classes according to a pixel characteristic; grouping contiguous pixels belonging to the same class into domains; and
,for each domain; determining the surface occupied by the domain; measuring, using LIBS, the concentration of the constituent element in at least one measurement site of the domain; determining a total quantity of the constituent element in the domain; and
,determining a concentration of the constituent element of the sample by dividing an added total quantity of the constituent element of each domain by a volume of the sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for measuring the concentration of a constituent element in an inhomogeneous sample having a relatively regular surface, the method comprising:
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scanning at least a portion of the relatively regular surface of the sample to obtain a plurality of pixels representing the surface; grouping contiguous pixels having the same pixel characteristic into domains; grouping domains containing pixels having the same pixel characteristic into groups of domains; determining the surface occupied by each group of domains on the relatively regular surface; selecting a portion of the scanned surface that includes at least one domain from each group of domains; determining a measurement matrix having equidistant measurement sites covering the selected portion of the scanned surface; taking measurements, using LIBS, at every measurement site; determining, for each group of domains, the concentration of the constituent element in the group of domains by considering the LIBS measurements taken in measurement sites belonging to the group of domains; determining a total quantity of constituent element of each group of domains; and
,determining a concentration of the constituent element of the sample by dividing an added total quantity of the constituent element of each group of domains by a volume of the sample. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for measuring the concentration of a constituent element in an inhomogeneous sample having a relatively regular surface, the method comprising:
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determining a number, size and position of domains on the relatively regular surface; determining a surface occupied by each domain on the relatively regular surface; and, for each domain, measuring, using LIBS, the concentration of the constituent element in at least one measurement site of the domain; determining a total quantity of constituent element of each domain; and
,determining the concentration of the constituent element of the sample by dividing an added total quantity of the constituent element of each domain by a volume of the sample. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A system for measuring the concentration of a constituent element in an inhomogeneous sample having a relatively regular surface, the system comprising:
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a controller; a three-axis positioning assembly configured to hold the sample and controlled by the controller; a pulsed laser generally aimed at the relatively regular surface of the sample and controlled by the controller; a camera generally aimed at the relatively regular surface of the sample and configured to supply a scanned image of at least a portion of the relatively regular surface to the controller; a plasma emission collection assembly configured to collect light generated by a plasma on the relatively regular surface of the sample; a spectrometer having an input configured to receive the light collected by the plasma emission collection assembly;
the spectrometer having an output and being controlled by the controller;an iCCD camera so mounted to the output of the spectrometer as to receive an image therefrom and supply the image to the controller; wherein the controller may control the three-axis positioning assembly to place a desired measurement site at the aimed position of the pulse laser, control the pulsed laser as to generate a laser pulse that generates a plasma at the desired measurement site, receive the spectrum from the iCCD camera and determine the concentration of the constituent element from the received spectrum and the controller being further configured as to make such measurements at predetermined measurement sites determined by examination of the scanned image and to calculate the total concentration of the constituent element from the determined concentrations of the constituent element at the predetermined measurement sites. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification