SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION DEVICE

• US 20120241619A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: FUKUZAWA, Hideaki, Yuasa, Hiromi
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,052 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/338.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation

Abstract

In a specimen identification system, an oscillator directs a THz wave toward a channel that accommodates a specimen. A receiver detects the THz wave transmitted through the specimen. A first controller controls the oscillator to sweep the oscillation frequency of the THz wave within a frequency band. A receiver generates a receiving signal by sweeping the receiving frequency of the THz wave within the frequency band. A specimen identification unit specifies the specimen based on the waveform of the receiving signal within the frequency band.

Claims

1. A specimen identification system comprising:

a device including

an oscillator generating a THz wave,

a channel comprising a waveguide and accommodating a specimen, the specimen being irradiated with the THz wave, and

a receiver receiving the THz wave and generating a receiving signal, the THz wave being transmitted through the specimen or being reflected on the specimen;

a first controller controlling the oscillator to sweep an oscillation frequency of the THz wave within a frequency band;

a second controller controlling the receiver to sweep a receiving frequency of the THz wave within the frequency band; and

a specimen identification unit that specifies the specimen based on a waveform of the receiving signal within the frequency band.

2. The specimen identification system according to claim 1, wherein the specimen identification unit includes:

a first memory unit that stores data of a receiving correlation graph that correlates the receiving signal with the frequency band;

a second memory unit that stores dictionary data of a lookup correlation graph having correlations between the frequency band and receiving signals concerning a plurality of known specimens; and

a comparison operation circuit that compares the receiving correlation graph with the lookup correlation graph while looking up the dictionary data on the receiving correlation graph, thereby identifying the specimen.

3. The specimen identification system according to claim 1, wherein the second controller analyzes a resistance change in the receiver based on the receiving signal, and the specimen identification unit specifies the specimen based on the resistance change within the frequency band.

4. The specimen identification system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller controls a current to be supplied to the oscillator to sweep the oscillation frequency of the THz wave within a frequency band, and the second controller sweeps a current value to be supplied to the receiver to sweep the receiving frequency of the THz wave within the frequency band.

5. A specimen identification device comprising:

an oscillator generating a THz wave by sweeping an oscillation frequency of the THz wave within a frequency band;

a channel comprising a waveguide and accommodating a specimen, the specimen being irradiated with the THz wave; and

a receiver provided so as to sandwich the channel with the oscillator and receiving the THz wave, the THz wave being transmitted through or being reflected on the specimen, the receiver generating a receiving signal by sweeping a receiving frequency of the THz wave within the frequency band.

6. The specimen identification device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the oscillator and the receiver is formed from a device having a stacked film structure including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and an intermediate layer arranged between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

7. The specimen identification device according to claim 6, wherein the stacked film structure includes a high-frequency shift layer formed from an insulating layer and a plurality of current path layers extending through the insulating layer.

8. An integrated specimen identification apparatus wherein a plurality of specimen identification devices, each having a structure of the specimen identification device according to claim 5, are arranged on a single substrate.

9. The integrated specimen identification apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a shield portion that absorbs a wave in a terahertz region is provided between the specimen identification devices to prevent interference.

10. The integrated specimen identification apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of specimen identification devices have different oscillation frequency bands and different receiving frequency bands and cause the specimen identification units to specify a plurality of specimens.