PORTABLE SPECTROMETER

• US 20160116399A1
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: HRUSKA, Curtis R., HULSE, Charles A., PEDERSON, Christopher G., O'BRIEN, Nada A., BRYARS, Brett J., VON GUNTEN, Marc K., ZIEBA, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 9,671,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1234 Continuously variable IF [CVIF]; Wedge type
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0205 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0262 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0289 Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a spectrometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of measurement area; Position tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/26 using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/061 Sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/068 Optics, miscellaneous

Abstract

A portable spectrometer device includes an illumination source for directing at a sample, and a tapered light pipe (TLP) for capturing light interacting with the sample at a first focal ratio and for delivering the light at a second focal ratio lower than the first focal ratio. A linearly variable filter (LVF) separates the captured. light into a spectrum of constituent wavelength signals; and a detector array, including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels disposed to receive at least a portion of a plurality of the constituent wavelength signals provides a power reading for each constituent wavelength. Preferably, the TLP is lensed at one end, and recessed in a protective boot with stepped inner walls. The gap between the TLP and LVF is minimized to further enhance resolution and robustness.

Claims

23. The spectrometer device of claim 22, further comprising:

an illumination source to direct the light at the sample.

24. The spectrometer device of claim 23, where

the illumination source including at least two illumination sources,

a first illumination source, of the at least two illumination sources, is located above the sample, and

a second illumination source, of the at least two illumination sources, is located below the sample.

25. The spectrometer device of claim 22, further comprising:

a TLP boot including a support section for supporting the TLP and a spacer section for spacing the TLP a particular distance from the sample,

the spacer section including stepped inner walls.

26. The spectrometer device of claim 22, where the variable filter includes a multi-layer stack including a plurality of reflectors.

27. The spectrometer device of claim 26, where the plurality of reflectors have a varying thickness.

28. The spectrometer device of claim 22, where

the spectrum of wavelength signals is transmitted to a temperature feedback device, and

a temperature adjustment is performed based on the transmitted spectrum of wavelength signals.

29. The spectrometer device of claim 22, where the spectrum of wavelength signals is transmitted, by at least one of the detector array or a temperature feedback device, to a control device for performing a temperature adjustment.

30. The spectrometer device of claim 22, where the spectrometer device receives power from at least one of a battery or a via USB cable connection.

31. The spectrometer device of claim 22, where the spectrometer device communicates with a server device,

the spectrum of wavelength signals being received by the server device and compared to a library of spectrum models for generation of a result of the comparison.

32. The spectrometer device of claim 22, where the spectrometer device communicates with a control device,

the spectrum of wavelength signals being received by the control device and compared to a library of spectrum models for generation of a result of the comparison.

33. The spectrometer device of claim 32, where the spectrometer device communicates with the control device via at least one of:

a Bluetooth connection,

a WiFi network, or

a 4G network.

34. The spectrometer device of claim 32, where the spectrometer device communicates with the control device via a USB connection.

35. A spectrometer device comprising:

an illumination source for directing light at a sample;

a tapered light pipe (TLP) for capturing light from the sample;

a variable filter for separating the captured light into a spectrum of wavelength signals; and

a detector array, including a plurality of pixels, for providing a power reading for each wavelength of the spectrum of wavelength signals,

each of the plurality of pixels being disposed to receive at least a respective portion of a wavelength signal of the spectrum of wavelength signals,

the TLP including;

a first end, positioned adjacent to the sample, having first dimensions,

a second end, positioned adjacent to the variable filter, having second dimensions, and

a plurality of sidewalls for mixing and spreading the light, and

the TLP accepting light at a first focal ratio with a first cone angle and delivering light to the variable filter at a second focal ratio with a second cone angle that is less than the first cone angle.

36. The spectrometer device of claim 35, further comprising:

an illumination source to direct the light at the sample.

37. The spectrometer device of claim 36, where

the illumination source including at least two illumination sources,

a first illumination source, of the at least two illumination sources, is located above the sample, and

a second illumination source, of the at least two illumination sources, is located below the sample.

38. The spectrometer device of claim 35, further comprising:

a TLP boot including a support section for supporting the TLP and a spacer section for spacing the TLP a particular distance from the sample,

the spacer section including stepped inner walls.

39. The spectrometer device of claim 35, where the variable filter includes a multi-layer stack including a plurality of reflectors.

40. The spectrometer device of claim 39, where the plurality of reflectors have a varying thickness.

41. The spectrometer device of claim 35, where

the spectrum of wavelength signals is transmitted to a temperature feedback device, and

a temperature adjustment is performed based on the transmitted spectrum of wavelength signals.

42. The spectrometer device of claim 35, where the spectrum of wavelength signals is transmitted, by at least one of the detector array or a temperature feedback device, to a control device for performing a temperature adjustment.

43. The spectrometer device of claim 35, where the spectrometer device receives power from at least one of a battery or a via USB cable connection.

44. The spectrometer device of claim 35, where the spectrometer device communicates with a server device,

the spectrum of wavelength signals being received by the server device and compared to a library of spectrum models for generation of a result of the comparison.

45. The spectrometer device of claim 35, where the spectrometer device communicates with a control device,

the spectrum of wavelength signals being received by the control device and compared to a library of spectrum models for generation of a result of the comparison.

46. The spectrometer device of claim 45, where the spectrometer device communicates with the control device via at least one of:

a Bluetooth connection,

a WiFi network, or

a 4G network.

47. A method comprising:

directing, by an illumination source, light at a sample;

capturing, by a tapered light pipe (TLP), light from the sample,

the TLP including;

a first end, positioned adjacent to the sample, having first dimensions,

a second end, positioned adjacent to a variable filter, having second dimensions, and

a plurality of sidewalls for mixing and spreading the light,

the TLP accepting light at a first focal ratio with a first cone angle, and

the TLP delivering light, to the variable filter, at a second focal ratio with a second cone angle that is less than the first cone angle;

separating, by the variable filter, the captured light into a spectrum of wavelength signals; and

providing, by a detector array including a plurality of pixels, a power reading for each wavelength of the spectrum of wavelength signals,

each of the plurality of pixels being disposed to receive at least a respective portion of a wavelength signal of the spectrum of wavelength signals.

48. The method of claim 47, where

the illumination source includes at least two illumination sources,

a first illumination source, of the at least two illumination sources, is located above the sample, and

a second illumination source, of the at least two illumination sources, is located below the sample.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

transmitting the spectrum of wavelength signals to a temperature feedback device,

where a temperature adjustment is performed based on the transmitted spectrum of wavelength signals.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

transmitting, by at least one of the detector array or a temperature feedback device, the spectrum of wavelength signals to a control device for performing a temperature adjustment.

51. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

transmitting the spectrum of wavelength signals to a server device for comparison to a library of spectrum models and generation of a result of the comparison.

52. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

transmitting the spectrum of wavelength signals to a control device for comparison to a library of spectrum models and generation of a result of the comparison.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

communicating with the control device via at least one of;

a Bluetooth connection,

a WiFi network, or

a 4G network.

54. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

receiving power from at least one of a battery or a via USB cable connection.