Geometrical beam splitter and a sensor for multi-element detectors

• US 6,665,124 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Instrumentarium Dental Incorporated (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Instrumentarium Dental Incorporated (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Weckstrom, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Brandi N
• Application Number:
  US10/218,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 359/618, 359/629, 359/636, 359/638, 359/639, 359/583, 359/589, 359/722, 250/203.2, 250/494.1
• US Class Current: 359/639
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/143 using macroscopically faceted or segmented reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a geometrical beam splitter, e.g. in a sensor, for transversally dividing a radiation beam (4) into at least one reflected beam portion (5_R) and at least one passing beam portion (5_T). The beam splitter (1) is composed of a piece (11) of rigid material having a non-transparent reflective surface (3) at an angle (α) deviating from the right angle in respect to the incident direction (R_I) of said radiation beam. The beam splitter has a width (W) and a height (H) extending over a total effective cross-sectional area (A*) of the radiation beam (4) and e.g. two holes (2a, 2b) extending through said piece of rigid material. The holes allow passing of at least two beam portions (5_T), and simultaneously the non-transparent reflective surface divert at least one reflected beam portion (5_R) so that said beam portions have substantially similar wavelength distributions.

Claims

1. A geometrical beam splitter for transversally dividing a radiation beam into at least one reflected beam portion and at least one passing beam portion, said beam splitter:

being composed of a piece of rigid material having a non-transparent reflective surface at an angle in respect to the incident direction of said radiation beam, said angle substantially deviating from the right angle; and

having a width and a height extending over a total effective cross-sectional area of the radiation beam, and at least two holes extending through said piece of rigid material, wherein

said holes have at least a length that is equal with the diameter of the holes and reflective walls to form radiation guiding wavetubes, whereupon;

said holes allow passing of at least two beam portions with radiation from a substantially same object area or volume into separate and independent targets; and

simultaneously said non-transparent reflective surface divert at least one reflected beam portion with radiation from said substantially same object area or volume into one or more separate and independent target(s), said beam portions having substantially similar wavelength distributions.

2. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein said non-transparent reflective surface extends at least between said at least two holes;

and said reflective surface has a total reflection area at least 30% of said total area, and said holes has a summed transmission area at least 30% of said total area.

3. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, further comprising said two, or three, or several holes in said piece of rigid material and extending therethrough.

4. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein said holes has a circular, or an elliptical, or a square, or a rectangular cross-sectional form.

5. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein said rigid material is a metal.

6. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 5, wherein said rigid material is a single plate or a continuous part of an apparatus body.

7. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 6, wherein said piece of rigid material has a substantial thickness which is changing wedge like over the height of the beam splitter.

8. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 6, wherein said piece of rigid material has a substantial thickness, which is substantially constant over the height of the beam splitter.

9. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein said angle has a value between 30°

and 60°

in respect to the incident direction of said radiation beam.

10. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein said non-transparent reflective surface is adapted to divert two or more reflected beam portions.

11. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein said non-transparent reflective surface diverting said reflected beam portions is planar.

12. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein said walls of the holes consist of a metallic material.

13. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein the walls of said holes are parallel, or converging, or diverging in the longitudinal direction thereof.

14. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 1, wherein that said holes have diameters and distances between the reflective areas, and said reflective surface has surface dimensions and distances between said holes, each of which are substantially greater than any diameters or surface dimension and distances therebetween affecting a noticeable interference.

15. A geometrical beam splitter according to claim 14, wherein said diameters of the holes and said surface dimensions between the holes are deviating 50% at maximum from each other.

16. A sensor comprising:

a radiation source;

a measuring chamber, and

a geometrical beam splitter composed of a piece of rigid material, with

at least one hole extending through said piece of rigid material, said hole passing a transversal beam portion into at least a first detector,

a non-transparent reflective surface on said piece of rigid material reflecting at least two transversal beam portions into at least a second and a third detector, and

a width and a height extending over a total effective cross-sectional area of the radiation beam necessitated by the detectors;

whereupon a radiation beam from said radiation source travels to said at least three detectors through the measuring chamber, said beam splitter positioned between the detectors and the measuring chamber so as to allow a reflected portion and an undiverted portion of said radiation beam to reach the detectors simultaneously, wherein in said beam splitter;

said at least one hole has/have length(s) at least equal with the diameter of the holes forming wavetube(s) for the transversal beam portion(s) passing through the hole(s); and

said non-transparent reflective surface has such continuous surface dimensions around said at least one hole, and said hole(s) has/have such diameter(s), which allow reflectance and respectively passing of said beam portions with substantially similar wavelength distributions, concentrating the sensitivies of the detectors to receive radiation substantially from a common area or volume of the measuring chamber.

17. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein said piece of rigid material for the geometrical beam splitter comprises at least two holes extending through said piece of rigid material, said second hole passing another transversal beam portion into a fourth detector.

18. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein said piece of rigid material for the geometrical beam splitter comprises several holes extending through said piece of rigid material, said holes passing several transversal beam portions into the respective ones of several detectors.

19. A sensor according to claims 17, wherein said hole(s) for attaining said passing beam portion(s) are arranged between those reflective areas of said non-transparent reflective surface for attaining said reflected beam portions, or vice versa.

20. A sensor according to claims 17, wherein said hole(s) for attaining said passing beam portion(s) form a first pattern, and those reflective areas of said non-transparent reflective surface for attaining said reflected beam portions form a second pattern;

and said first pattern and said second pattern are arranged to lay within said total area of the beam or a part thereof so that any of said hole(s) is not crossing any of said areas.

21. A sensor according to claim 20, wherein said first pattern has substantially the same or different configuration than said second pattern.

22. A sensor according to claim 21, wherein said second pattern is shifted in the direction of the reflective surface in respect to the first pattern, or turned around one of the optical axes, or the second pattern is a mirror image of the first pattern and shifted or not shifted in the direction of the reflective surface is respect to the first pattern.

23. A sensor according to claim 21, wherein said first pattern has a first central point and said second pattern has a second central point, and said first central point and said second central point coincide with each other or have a spacing respective to at least some diameter of the hole(s) or said reflective areas.

24. A sensor according to claim 19, wherein said hole(s) and said reflective areas has a circular, or an elliptical, or a square, or a rectangular configuration at the plane of said non-transparent reflective surface.

25. A sensor according to claim 24, wherein said non-transparent reflective surface is a single plane.

26. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein said rigid material is a metal.

27. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein said rigid material is a separate plate or an integral part of a sensor body.

28. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein said non-transparent reflective surface has an angle in respect to said radiation beam, and said angle substantially deviates from 90°

.

29. A sensor according to claim 28, wherein said angle is between 30°

and 60°

.

30. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein said geometrical beam splitter is positioned spatially within said radiation beam:

transversally in front of a first array of detectors and longitudinally to reflect to a second lateral array of detectors.

31. A sensor according to claim 30, wherein said first pattern matches with said first array and is aligned therewith to pass a passing beam portion, and said second pattern matches with said second array and is aligned therewith to divert a reflected beam portion.

32. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein the walls of the holes consist of a metallic material.

33. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein the wall(s) of said hole(s) is/are substantially parallel and reflective to form said wavetube(s).

34. A sensor according to claim 33, wherein the wall(s) of said hole(s) is/are internally lustrous to form said wavetube(s).

35. A sensor according to claim 16, wherein the number of detectors is greater than the number of the holes.

36. A sensor according to claim 16, further comprising at least two optical filters each of which between the radiation source and one of the detectors, whereupon said radiation beam from the radiation source travels to said at least two detectors through the respective optical filters.