SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSER

• US 20140246591A1
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Klein Medical Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Klein Medical Ltd.
• Inventors: Krouse, Donal Paul, Simpkin, Raymond Andrew, Smith, Bryan James
• Granted Patent: US 9,581,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/339.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1286 Polychromator in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3595 using FTIR
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 Laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0691 Modulated (not pulsed supply)

Abstract

An analyser 10 for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a liquid based drug sample 16 comprising: an electromagnetic radiation source 11 for emitting electromagnetic radiation 14a in at least one beam at a sample 16, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths, a sample detector 17 that detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample, and a processor 18 for identifying or verifying the sample from the detected affected electromagnetic radiation, wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm, and each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the liquid spectrum between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

Claims

1. An analyser for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a liquid based drug sample comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths,

a sample detector that detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample and provides output representing the detected affected radiation, and

a processor for identifying or verifying the sample from the detector output representing the detected affected electromagnetic radiation,

wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm, and each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the liquid spectrum between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

2. An analyser according to claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises a plurality of electromagnetic radiation beams, each beam having a different wavelength.

4. An analyser according to claim 1 wherein the different wavelengths span or capture a plurality of at least some of the spectral characteristics in the liquid spectrum between 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

5. An analyser according to claim 1 wherein the liquid spectrum comprises two or more spectral characteristics, and wherein:

each spectral characteristic falls in or spans a region of the liquid spectrum,

each wavelength falls within one of the regions.

7. An analyser according to claim 1 wherein the spectral characteristics comprise peaks, troughs, inflections, stable points or regions plateaus, knees and/or slopes of the liquid spectrum.

8. An analyser according to claim 4 wherein the liquid is water and comprises spectral characteristics falling in the following regions of the water spectrum:

a first region between 1300 nm and 1400 nm,

a second region between 1400 nm and 1500 nm,

a third region between 1500 nm and 1600 nm,

a fourth region between 1600 nm and 1700 nm,

a fifth region between 1700 nm and 1800 nm, and

a sixth region between 1800 nm and 2000 nm.

12. An analyser according to claim 1 further comprising a modulator for modulating the electromagnetic radiation beam(s) emitted at the sample resulting in detected affected radiation detected by the sample detector that is modulated wherein the processor as part of identifying or verifying the sample from the output from the detector removes the dark current component from the output representing the detected affected modulated electromagnetic radiation

13. An analyser according to claim 12 wherein the processor removes the dark current component by multiplying the output representing the detected affected modulated electromagnetic radiation by sine and cosine functions and integrating over the period of modulation oscillation to remove the dark current component.

14. An analyser according to claim 12 wherein the processor removes the dark current component by conducting a Fourier Transform on the output representing the modulated detected affected radiation and removing the dark current component from the transformed.

28. An analyser according to claim 1 wherein the source is a laser comprising a photodetector, wherein the photodetector detects electromagnetic radiation from the laser and outputs the reference information.

66. An analyser according to claim 1 wherein the source is a plurality of lasers in a single package, each laser configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation beam at a fixed or tuneable wavelength.

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29. A method for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a liquid based drug sample comprising:

emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths,

detecting affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample and providing output representing the detected affected radiation, and

identifying or verifying the sample from the output representing detected affected electromagnetic radiation,

wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm, and each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the liquid spectrum between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises a plurality of electromagnetic radiation beams, each beam having a different wavelength.

32. A method according to claim 29 wherein the different wavelengths span or capture a plurality of at least some of the spectral characteristics in the liquid spectrum between 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

33. A method according to claim 29 wherein the liquid spectrum comprises two or more spectral characteristics, and wherein:

each spectral characteristic falls in or spans a region of the liquid spectrum,

each wavelength falls within one of the regions.

35. A method according to claim 29 wherein the spectral characteristics comprise peaks, troughs, inflections, stable points or regions, plateaus, knees and/or slopes of the liquid spectrum.

36. A method according to claim 29 wherein the liquid is water and comprises spectral characteristics falling in the following regions of the water spectrum:

a first region between 1300 nm and 1400 nm,

a second region between 1400 nm and 1500 nm,

a third region between 1500 nm and 1600 nm,

a fourth region between 1600 nm and 1700 nm,

a fifth region between 1700 nm and 1800 nm, and

a sixth region between 1800 nm and 2000 nm.

56. A method according to claim 29 wherein each laser comprises a photodetector, wherein the photodetector detects electromagnetic radiation from the laser and outputs the reference information.

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57. An analyser for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a drug sample (or other substance) in a liquid carrier comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different selected wavelengths,

a sample detector that detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample, and

a processor for identifying or verifying the sample from the detected affected electromagnetic radiation,

wherein each wavelength is selected to be in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the spectrum of the liquid carrier, each wavelength falling within an analysis range suitable for the liquid carrier.

67. An analyser according to claim 57 wherein the source is a plurality of lasers in a single package, each laser configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation beam at a fixed or tuneable wavelength.

58. A method for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a drug sample (or other substance) in a liquid carrier comprising:

emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different selected wavelengths,

detecting affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample, and

identifying or verifying the sample from the detected affected electromagnetic radiation,

wherein each wavelength is selected to be in the vicinity of the wavelength(s) of (or within a region spanning) a spectral characteristic in the spectrum of the liquid carrier, each wavelength falling within an analysis range suitable for the liquid carrier.

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61. An analyser for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a liquid based drug sample comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting modulated electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths,

a sample detector that detects affected modulated electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample and provides output representing the detected affected modulated radiation, and

a processor for identifying or verifying the sample from the output representing detected affected modulated electromagnetic radiation including removing dark current from the output,

wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

68. An analyser according to claim 61 wherein the source is a plurality of lasers in a single package, each laser configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation beam at a fixed or tuneable wavelength.

62. A method for identifying or verifying or otherwise characterising a liquid based drug sample comprising:

emitting modulated electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample, the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least two different wavelengths,

detecting affected modulated electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample and providing output representing the detected affected radiation, and

identifying or verifying the sample from the output representing detected affected modulated electromagnetic radiation including removing dark current from the output,

wherein each wavelength or at least two of the wavelengths is between substantially 1300 nm and 2000 nm.

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