Analytical method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of determining interaction of at least one species with a plurality of individual zones of a sensing surface, which method comprises:
- contacting the sensing surface with a fluid sample containing at least one surface interacting species, irradiating the surface with light so that the light is internally or externally reflected at the surface, imaging reflected light on a first photo-detector, each individual sensing surface zone corresponding to a respective area of the detector, sequentially or continuously scanning the incident angle at the sensing surface and/or the wavelength of the light over an angular and/or wavelength range, measuring the intensities of light imaged on different areas of the detector, at at least a number of incident angles and/or wavelengths to create a series of images of the sensing surface, simultaneously measuring the momentary incident angle and/or wavelength of the scanned light on a second photo-detector to correlate each image to a specific incident angle and/or wavelength, and determining from the relationship between image intensity data and angular and/or wavelength data, interaction of the species with the individual sensing surface zones.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of examining thin layer structures on a surface for differences in respect of optical thickness, which method comprises the steps of: irradiating the surface with light so that the light is internally or externally reflected at the surface; imaging the reflected light on a first two-dimensional detector; sequentially or continuously scanning the incident angle and/or wavelength of the light over an angular and/or wavelength range; measuring the intensities of light reflected from different parts of the surface and impinging on different parts of the detector, at at least a number of incident angles and/or wavelengths, the intensity of light reflected from each part of the surface for each angle and/or wavelength depending on the optical thickness of the thin layer structure thereon; and determining from the detected light intensities at the different light incident angles and/or wavelengths an optical thickness image of the thin layer structures on the surface. According to the invention, part of the light reflected at said surface is detected on a second detector to determine the incident angle or wavelength of the polarized light irradiating the surface. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of determining interaction of at least one species with a plurality of individual zones of a sensing surface, which method comprises:
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contacting the sensing surface with a fluid sample containing at least one surface interacting species, irradiating the surface with light so that the light is internally or externally reflected at the surface, imaging reflected light on a first photo-detector, each individual sensing surface zone corresponding to a respective area of the detector, sequentially or continuously scanning the incident angle at the sensing surface and/or the wavelength of the light over an angular and/or wavelength range, measuring the intensities of light imaged on different areas of the detector, at at least a number of incident angles and/or wavelengths to create a series of images of the sensing surface, simultaneously measuring the momentary incident angle and/or wavelength of the scanned light on a second photo-detector to correlate each image to a specific incident angle and/or wavelength, and determining from the relationship between image intensity data and angular and/or wavelength data, interaction of the species with the individual sensing surface zones. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An analytical system, comprising:
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a sensor unit having a sensing surface with a number of individual zones, means for illuminating the sensing surface with a collimated beam of light, means for imaging reflected light from the illuminated sensing surface into an image plane, means for sequentially or continuously scanning the light incident at the sensing surface over a range of incident angles and/or wavelengths, means for synchronized optical detection of images in the image plane and incident angle and/or wavelength of light illuminating the sensing surface, and evaluation means for determining from the relationship between detected intensity of different parts of the images and incident light angle and/or wavelength, the optical thickness of each zone of the sensing surface. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification