Optical spectrophotometer having a multi-element light source
First Claim
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1. A spectrophotometer apparatus comprising:
- an electromagnetic radiation source array having a plurality of activatable radiation source elements configured for activation in a plurality of multiplexing encodement patterns, said elements having a solid state construction;
means including a detector for detecting radiation emissions from said elements, and for producing detector signals representative thereof;
structure defining an optical pathway for directing said emissions from said array to said detecting means; and
control means includingmeans coupled with said array for selectively activating said elements in order to produce a plurality of sequential multiplexing encodement patterns at a pattern rate of at least one patter per second, at least certain of said encodement patterns including simultaneous activation of a number of source elements and generation of a plurality of discrete emissions having different characterizing parameters, said pathway-defining structure including means for combining said different emissions and directing the combined emissions to said detector, andmeans coupled with said detecting means for receiving and processing said detector signals, including detector signals representative of said combined emission, for storing a plurality of values respectively representative of said detector signals produced by said detector during said encodement patterns, and for performing a multiplex analysis of said values in correspondence with said encodement patterns in order to determine the individual intensities of emissions from each of said elements as received by said detecting means.
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Abstract
A spectrophotometer includes an array of light emitting diodes configured for activation in successive Hadamard encodement patterns, a diffraction grating, an optical slit, a detector and electronic controls including a computer. In operation, the diffraction grating disperses and collimates radiation from the array and directs selected spectral components through the slit onto the detector whereupon the computer performs a Hadamard analysis on the detector signals.
109 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A spectrophotometer apparatus comprising:
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an electromagnetic radiation source array having a plurality of activatable radiation source elements configured for activation in a plurality of multiplexing encodement patterns, said elements having a solid state construction; means including a detector for detecting radiation emissions from said elements, and for producing detector signals representative thereof; structure defining an optical pathway for directing said emissions from said array to said detecting means; and control means including means coupled with said array for selectively activating said elements in order to produce a plurality of sequential multiplexing encodement patterns at a pattern rate of at least one patter per second, at least certain of said encodement patterns including simultaneous activation of a number of source elements and generation of a plurality of discrete emissions having different characterizing parameters, said pathway-defining structure including means for combining said different emissions and directing the combined emissions to said detector, and means coupled with said detecting means for receiving and processing said detector signals, including detector signals representative of said combined emission, for storing a plurality of values respectively representative of said detector signals produced by said detector during said encodement patterns, and for performing a multiplex analysis of said values in correspondence with said encodement patterns in order to determine the individual intensities of emissions from each of said elements as received by said detecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A spectrophotometer apparatus comprising:
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an electromagnetic radiation source array having a plurality of activatable radiation source elements configured for activation in a plurality of Hadamard encodement patterns, said elements having a solid state construction; structure defining an optical pathway for directing emissions from said array, said optical pathway having a concave diffraction grating for dispersing emissions from said array and having an optical slit; a detector positioned for receiving emissions from said optical pathway and responsive thereto for producing detector signals representative thereof; an electronically adjustable mechanism for selectively altering a wavelength defining angular relationship between said detector, said diffraction grating, and said array; and control means including a computer, an array driver, and a Hadamard pattern generator operable for energizing said elements in an oscillating burst manner during pattern activation thereof in order to produce corresponding oscillations in said signals, at least certain of said patterns including simultaneous activation of a number of source elements and generation of a plurality of different emissions having different characterizing parameters, said optical pathway serving to combine said different emissions and directing the combined emissions to said detector, the computer being coupled with said detector and operable for receiving, filtering, and processing said detector signals, for storing a plurality of values respectively representative of said detector signals produced by said detector during said encodement patterns, and for producing a Hadamard analysis of said values in correspondence with said encodement patterns in order to determine the individual intensities of emissions from each of said elements as received by said detecting means.
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28. A laser spectrophotometer comprising:
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an electromagnetic radiation source array having a plurality of activatable radiation source elements configured for allowing activation in a plurality of multiplexing patterns, said elements having a solid state construction; a detector for producing signals in response to electromagnetic radiation; structure defining an optical pathway for directing radiation from said array to said detector, said optical pathway including respective lenses for focusing electromagnetic radiation from said elements of said array, a first semi-transparent mirror positioned to receive focused electromagnetic radiation from said lenses, said first semi-transparent mirror tending to allow passage therethrough of light from said array, a laser amplifier cell for fluorescing light of a secondary wavelength category, said cell positioned to receive light passing through said first semi-transparent mirror, said first semi-transparent mirror tending to reflect light of the secondary wavelength category, a diffraction grating for collimating fluoresced light from said cell by reflectively dispersing such light into various wavelength components, a second semi-transparent mirror for reflecting collimated light, said second semi-transparent mirror tending to partially reflect light of the secondary wavelength category; an electronically adjustable mechanism for selectively altering a wavelength defining angular relationship between said detector, said diffraction grating, and said array; control means including a computer, an array driver, and a Hadamard pattern generator operably configured for energizing said elements in an oscillating manner during pattern activation thereof in order to produce corresponding oscillations in said signals, and said computer operably coupled with said detector for receiving, filtering, and processing said signals and for producing a multiplex analysis thereof, said computer coupled with said mechanism in an operable manner for altering said angular relationship.
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29. An electromagnetic radiation source array comprising:
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a plurality of activatable radiation source elements, said elements having a solid state construction; means for selectively activating ensembles of said elements simultaneously in a plurality of multiplexing encodement patterns, said activating means including electronic controls having a computer, a pattern generator and a driver for activating said elements in multiplexing encodement patterns at a rate of at least one pattern per second, said multiplexing encodement patterns selected from the group consisting of Hadamard and Fourier patterns.
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30. A spectrophotometer apparatus comprising:
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an electromagnetic radiation source array having a plurality of activatable radiation source elements configured for activation in a plurality of multiplexing encodement patterns, said elements having a solid state construction; means including a detector for detecting a combination of emissions from said elements activated in said patterns to simultaneously impinge upon said detector, and for producing signals representative thereof representing a combined intensity of said combined radiations at said detector; structure defining an optical pathway for directing said emissions from said array to said detecting means; and control means including means coupled with said array for selectively activating said elements in order to produce a plurality of sequential multiplexing encodement patterns at a pattern rate of at least one pattern per second, and means coupled with said detecting means for receiving and processing said signals, and for producing a multiplex analysis thereof advantage from said detecting means by resolving said signals into respective discrete intensities corresponding to each activated element, said optical pathway including laser means for developing laser light. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of spectrophotometric analysis comprising:
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providing an array having a plurality of light emitting diodes having a solid state construction; simultaneously activating selected ones of said diodes in successive multiplexing encodement patterns, each of said patterns including a plurality of different emissions having different characterizing parameters; combining representative spectral emissions from the individual diodes, to produce combined emissions; producing signals representative of an intensity of said combined emissions; storing values representative of said signals; and performing a multiplex analysis of said values in correspondence with said encodement patterns in order to resolve said values into respective intensity contributions from each of said activated diodes.
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Specification