VISUAL INDICATOR OF SCAN WORKFLOW

• US 20170299431A1
• Filed: 01/16/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: PASTORE, Timothy M., PEREZ, David, HARGREAVES, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,841,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/027 Control of working procedures of a spectrometer; Failure detection; Bandwidth calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• 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 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3595 using FTIR
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/399 Diode laser
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/718 Laser microanalysis, i.e. with formation of sample plasma
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held

Abstract

A hand-held spectrometer includes at least one indicator light and a processor configured to control the at least one indicator light to indicate a state of the hand-held spectrometer selected from a group consisting of a background scanning state, a ready-to-scan-sample state, a signal strength state, a fluorescence intensity state, a sample match state, a sample classification state, an error state, a data transfer state, a battery charge state, and a memory capacity state. The sample match state can be, for example, one of a positive match state, a mixture match state, a negative match state, and a match error state. In some embodiments, the error state can be at least one of a background error state, a user error state, and an instrument error state, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for providing a visual indicator of a workflow, comprising:

performing a background data collection operation in the absence of a sample on a sensing area of an FTIR instrument, wherein one or more indicator lights that substantially surround the sensing area turns to a first color that indicates to a user when the background data collection operation has completed, and the user has obscured visibility that limits the ability to read information on a screen;

applying the sample to the sensing area substantially surrounded by the one or more indicator lights if the first color does not indicate an error state;

measuring a spectrum of the sample;

processing the spectrum and background data to determine a sample match state to a known material, wherein the one or more indicator lights turn to a second color that indicates the sample match state to the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

prior to performing the background data collection operation, initiating the FTIR instrument for operation wherein the one or more indicator lights turn to a color that indicates to the user that no sample should be applied to the sensing area.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the step of initiating includes cleaning the sensing area.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the sample match state comprises a positive match state, a mixture match state, a negative match state, and a error match state.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise a level of brightness.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise blinking in a pattern.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the blinking in a pattern comprises a clockwise rotating pattern of a plurality of the indicator lights.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the known material comprises an explosive, a narcotic, a biological, or a toxic material.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the one or more indicator lights turn to a color that indicates a signal strength state.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first color that indicates the background data collection operation has completed comprises a ready-to-scan-sample state or the error state.

20. (canceled)

27. A system that provides a visual indicator of a workflow, comprising:

a portable hand-held an FTIR instrument comprising;

a sensing area;

one or more indicator lights substantially surrounding the sensing area;

a radiation source configured to direct radiation at a sample disposed on the sensing area;

a processor configured to analyze a spectrum and background data detected by the sensing area in response to the radiation and control the plurality of lights;

wherein the or more indicator lights substantially surrounding the sensing area turns to a color that indicates to a user that has obscured visibility that limits the ability to read information on a screen of

     1) completion of a background data collection operation in the absence of a sample on the sensing area, wherein the sample is applied to the sensing area if a first color for the background data collection operation provided by the one or more indicator lights does not include an error state; and

     2) a second color that indicates a sample match state to a known material determined from the spectrum and background data.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the sample match state comprises a positive match state, a mixture match state, a negative match state, and a error match state.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise a level of brightness.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise blinking in a pattern.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein:

the blinking in a pattern comprises a clockwise rotating pattern of a plurality of the indicator lights.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the known material comprises an explosive, a narcotic, a biological, or a toxic material.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the one or more indicator lights of turn to a color that indicates a signal strength state.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the first color that indicates the background data collection operation has completed comprises a ready-to-scan-sample state or the error state.

29. (canceled)