Raman spectrometer using a remote probe with enhanced efficiency
First Claim
1. A Raman spectrometer of the kind having a remote probe, a sample, a laser, and an analysis means, the remote probe comprising:
- a first optical fiber means optically connected between the laser and the sample and adapted for transporting laser light to the sample for excitation of a Raman spectrum, the first fiber means comprising an optical filter unit to filter out Raman radiation generated by the laser in the first fiber means;
a second optical fiber means optically connected between the sample and the analysis means and adapted for transporting Raman radiation emitted from the sample to the analysis means to be analysed into the Raman spectrum, the first and the second optical fiber means forming an optical fiber bundle having a planar end surface; and
transparent optical means optically connected between the first optical fiber means and the sample and between the second optical fiber means and the sample for concentrating laser light from the first fiber means to a surface of the sample and for collecting and transporting Raman radiation from the sample to the second optical fiber means, the transparent optical means having a first planar surface which is one of attached to and imaged onto the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle, a second surface adapted for contact to the surface of the sample, and a third enclosing surface which is one of covered with a reflecting coating and adapted as a total reflector, the transparent optical means adapted for connection to and detachment from the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a Raman spectrometer connected by a bundle of optical fibers with an external probe to be attached on the surface of the sample with a laser beam for the excitation of Raman radiation within the sample with the laser radiation transported to the sample by one or several central optical fibers and with a collecting element which collects the Raman radiation of the sample and sends it through the optical fiber bundle to a Raman spectrometer to be analyzed. Upon the end of the optical fiber bundle different collecting elements may be attached with the transparent optical elements having the shape of a cylinder, a paraboloid or a truncated sphere. Thus, the spectrometer can be simply adapted to different samples for optimal collection of Raman light.
76 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A Raman spectrometer of the kind having a remote probe, a sample, a laser, and an analysis means, the remote probe comprising:
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a first optical fiber means optically connected between the laser and the sample and adapted for transporting laser light to the sample for excitation of a Raman spectrum, the first fiber means comprising an optical filter unit to filter out Raman radiation generated by the laser in the first fiber means; a second optical fiber means optically connected between the sample and the analysis means and adapted for transporting Raman radiation emitted from the sample to the analysis means to be analysed into the Raman spectrum, the first and the second optical fiber means forming an optical fiber bundle having a planar end surface; and transparent optical means optically connected between the first optical fiber means and the sample and between the second optical fiber means and the sample for concentrating laser light from the first fiber means to a surface of the sample and for collecting and transporting Raman radiation from the sample to the second optical fiber means, the transparent optical means having a first planar surface which is one of attached to and imaged onto the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle, a second surface adapted for contact to the surface of the sample, and a third enclosing surface which is one of covered with a reflecting coating and adapted as a total reflector, the transparent optical means adapted for connection to and detachment from the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A Raman spectrometer of the kind having a remote probe, a sample, a laser, and an analysis means for analyzing a Raman spectrum, the spectrometer comprising:
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a first optical fiber means optically connected between the laser and the sample and adapted for transporting laser light to the sample for excitation of a Raman spectrum of the sample, the first fiber means comprising an optical filter unit near the sample to filter out Raman radiation generated by the laser in the first fiber means, the optical filter comprising two transparent spheres or two GRIN devices for the collimation of light between which an optical filter is optically connected; a second optical fiber means optically connected between the sample and the analysis means and adapted for transporting Raman radiation emitted from the sample to the analysis means to be analysed into the Raman spectrum, the first and the second optical fiber means forming an optical fiber bundle having a planar end surface; and transparent optical means optically connected between the first optical fiber means and the sample and between the second optical fiber means and the sample for concentrating laser light from the first fiber means to surface of the sample and for collecting and transporting Raman radiation from the sample to the second optical fiber means, the transparent optical means having a first planar surface which is attached to or imaged onto the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle, a second surface adapted for contact to the surface of the sample, and a third enclosing surface which is one of covered with a reflecting coating and adapted as a total reflector, the transparent optical means adapted for connection to and detachment from the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle.
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21. A Raman spectrometer of the kind having a remote probe, a sample, a laser, and an analysis means, the spectrometer comprising:
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a first optical fiber means optically connected between the laser and the sample and adapted for transporting laser light to the sample for excitation of a Raman spectrum of the sample, the first fiber means comprising an optical filter unit to filter out Raman radiation generated by the laser in the first fiber means, the optical filter unit comprising one to two transparent spheres and two GRIN devices for the collimation of light between which an optical filter is optically connected, wherein a surface of the optical filter is not exactly perpendicular to a connecting line between centers of one of the two transparent spheres and the two GRIN devices; a second optical fiber means optically connected between the sample and the analysis means and adapted for transporting Raman radiation emitted from the sample to the analysis means to be analysed into the Raman spectrum, the first and the second optical fiber means forming an optical fiber bundle having a planar end surface; transparent optical means optically connected between the first optical fiber means and the sample and between the second optical fiber means and the sample for concentrating laser light from the first fiber means to a surface of the sample and for collecting and transporting Raman radiation from the sample to the second optical fiber means, the transparent optical means having a first surface which is one of attached to and imaged onto the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle, a second surface adapted for contact to the surface of the sample, and a third enclosing surface which is one of covered with a reflecting coating and adapted as a total reflector, the transparent optical means adapted for connection to and detachment from the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle; and a lateral casing means, the lateral casing means being hollow and cylindrical and having an inner diameter equal to an external diameter of the optical fiber bundle for positioning the lateral casing means over the planar end surface of the optical fiber bundle the inner diameter also being equal to a diameter of the first planar surface, the lateral casing means being adapted to accept the third enclosing surface to fix the transparent optical means at an end of the lateral casing means, whereby the transparent optical means and the lateral casing means are integral with each other and exchangeable.
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Specification