Method and apparatus for material analysis
First Claim
1. The method of determining the concentration of a chemical species in condensed that scatters and absorbs electromagnetic energy comprising the steps ofexciting a volume of said matter with electromagnetic energy of predetermined wavelength to cause said volume to generate acoustic energy,detecting said acoustic energy and generating a signal representative of the amplitude of the acoustic energy;
- developing a relationship between the amplitude of the acoustic energy generated in said condensed matter and the degree of absorption of said electromagnetic energy by said matter and chemical species; and
analyzing the amplitude of said acoustic energy, making use of said relationship to determine the concentration of said species.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for determining the presence and/or concentration of chemical species which absorb electromagnetic energy, dependent to a degree upon the chemical species and the wavelength of electromagnetic energy applied to matter including said species. The absorbed electromagnetic energy generates acoustic energy which is detected and analyzed to determine the presence and/or concentration of the chemical species in the matter.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. The method of determining the concentration of a chemical species in condensed that scatters and absorbs electromagnetic energy comprising the steps of
exciting a volume of said matter with electromagnetic energy of predetermined wavelength to cause said volume to generate acoustic energy, detecting said acoustic energy and generating a signal representative of the amplitude of the acoustic energy; -
developing a relationship between the amplitude of the acoustic energy generated in said condensed matter and the degree of absorption of said electromagnetic energy by said matter and chemical species; and analyzing the amplitude of said acoustic energy, making use of said relationship to determine the concentration of said species. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11)
-
-
3. The method of determining the concentration of multiple or single chemical species in a sample which both scatters and absorbs electromagnetic energy comprising the steps of
irradiating the sample with electromagnetic energy at selected wavelengths to cause the sample to generate acoustic energy; -
detecting the acoustic energy and generating signals representative of the amplitude of said acoustic energy at said wavelengths; developing a relationship between the amplitude of said acoustic energy in said sample and the degree of absorption by said sample and multiple or single species for each selected wavelength; and analyzing the dependence of the amplitude of said acoustic signal on the selected wavelength of the electromagnetic energy, making use of said relationship to determine the concentration of said multiple or single species in said sample. - View Dependent Claims (4, 10)
-
-
12. The method of determining the absorption coefficient of a biological substance comprising the steps of
exciting a volume of said biological substance with electromagnetic energy of predetermined wavelength to cause said volume to generate acoustic energy within said medium whose amplitude is dependent upon the wavelength and intensity of said electromagnetic energy and the absorption coefficient of said biological substance at said wavelength; -
detecting said acoustic energy and generating a signal representative of the amplitude of said acoustic energy; developing a relationship between the amplitude of said acoustic energy in said biological substance and the degree of absorption of said electromagnetic energy, from said relationship and from the amplitude of the acoustic signal, determining the absorption coefficient of said biological substance at said wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (18, 24)
-
-
13. The method of determining the concentration of a component species in an electromagnetic energy scattering medium comprising the steps of
irradiating said medium with electromagnetic energy at selected wavelengths to cause said medium to generate acoustic energy within said medium whose amplitude is dependent upon the wavelength and intensity of said electromagnetic energy and the absorption coefficient of said component and scattering medium at said wavelength; -
scanning the wavelength of said electromagnetic energy over a predetermined range of frequencies; measuring the intensity of said electromagnetic energy at said wavelengths and generating an intensity signal representative of the intensity at each of said wavelengths; detecting the acoustic energy at said wavelengths to provide an output signal having an amplitude representative of the amplitude of said acoustic energy at said wavelengths; and determining the concentration of said component species by comparing the electromagnetic energy signal and the acoustic amplitude signal with known signals for component species in a scattering medium. - View Dependent Claims (14, 19, 22, 23, 25)
-
-
15. The method of determining the concentration of a component in a biological material, said method comprising the steps of
exciting a volume of said material with electromagnetic energy to cause a finite volume of said material to generate acoustic energy whose amplitude is dependent upon the intensity and wavelength of said electromagnetic energy and the absorption coefficient of said component at said wavelength; -
detecting said generated acoustic energy and generating a representative acoustic signal; developing a relationship between the amplitude of said acoustic energy in said biological material and the degree of absorption of said electromagnetic energy by said biological material and said component; determining by analysis from the intensity of the electromagnetic energy and the amplitude of the acoustic signal the absorption coefficient at said wavelength; and comparing said absorption at said wavelength with known absorption coefficients for various concentrations of said component to determine the concentration of said component.
-
-
16. The method of determining the concentration of a component chemical species in an electromagnetic energy scattering medium which comprises the steps of
exciting a volume of said medium with electromagnetic energy at a predetermined wavelength to cause said medium to generate acoustic energy within said medium whose amplitude is dependent upon the wavelength and intensity of said electromagnetic energy and the absorption coefficient of said component species at said wavelength; -
detecting said acoustic energy and generating a signal representative of the amplitude of the acoustic energy; developing a relationship between the amplitude of said acoustic energy in said scattering medium and the degree of absorption of said electromagnetic energy by said medium and said chemical species; determining from the intensity of said electromagnetic energy and the amplitude of the acoustic signal the absorption coefficient at said wavelength; and comparing said absorption coefficient at said wavelength with known absorption coefficients for said component at various concentrations to determine the concentration of said component. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
20. The method of determining the concentration of chemical species in an electromagnetic energy scattering medium which comprises the steps of
irradiating said material with electromagnetic energy to cause said medium to generate acoustic energy within said medium whose amplitude is dependent upon the wavelength and intensity of said electromagnetic energy and the absorption coefficient of aid species at said wavelength; -
scanning the wavelength of said electromagnetic energy over a predetermined band of wavelengths; measuring the intensity of said electromagnetic energy at said scanned wavelengths and generating an intensity signal representative of the intensity at each of said scanned wavelengths; detecting the acoustic energy at said wavelengths to provide an output signal having an amplitude representative of said acoustic energy at said wavelengths; developing a relationship between the amplitude of said acoustic energy in said medium and the degree of absorption in said medium for each of said scanned wavelengths; determining from the electromagnetic energy signal and the acoustic energy signal the absorption coefficient of said species and scattering medium at said wavelengths; and comparing said absorption coefficients at said wavelengths with known absorption coefficients for various concentrations of said species to determine the concentrations of said species. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
-
26. The apparatus for determining the concentration of species in a biological substance comprising
electromechanical means for exciting a volume of said material with electromagnetic energy to cause a finite volume of said material to generate acoustic energy whose amplitude is dependent upon the intensity and wavelength of said electromagnetic energy and the absorption coefficient of said species; -
transducer means for detecting said generated acoustic energy and generating a representative acoustic signal; processing means for developing a relationship between the amplitude of said acoustic energy in said biological substance and the degree of absorption of said electromagnetic energy by said biological substance; and processing means for receiving said acoustic signal, making use of the relationship and determining the concentration of said species. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
-
-
27. Apparatus for determining the concentration of a component in an electromagnetic energy scattering medium which comprises
means for irradiating said material with electromagnetic energy at selected wavelengths to cause said medium to generate acoustic energy within said medium whose amplitude is dependent upon the wavelength and intensity of said electromagnetic energy and the absorption coefficient of said component and scattering medium at said wavelength; -
means for scanning the selected wavelengths of said electromagnetic energy over a predetermined band; means for detecting the acoustic energy at said wavelengths and providing an output signal having an amplitude representative of said acoustic energy at said wavelengths; means for determining from the acoustic amplitude signal and the intensity of said electromagnetic energy the absorption coefficient of said component and scattering medium at said wavelengths; and means for comparing said absorption coefficients at said wavelengths with known absorption coefficients for various concentrations of said components to determine the concentration of said components. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
Specification