Analysis apparatus and method

• US 7,244,934 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TeraView Limited
• Original Assignee: TeraView Limited
• Inventors: Arnone, Donald Dominic, Taday, Philip Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Gagliardi, Albert
• Application Number:
  US10/504,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 250/336.1, 250/358.1
• US Class Current: 250/336.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of microwaves or radio waves, i.e. electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of one millimetre or more G01N3/00 - G01N17/00, G01N24/00 take precedence

Abstract

A method for investigating the macromolecular structure of a molecular sample, the method composing irradiating the sample with radiation having a plurality of frequencies in the range of 25 GHz to 20 THz; detecting radiation reflected from and/or transmitted by said sample to obtain a spectra of the sample; and identifying structure in the resultant spectra which arises from intermolecular interactions.

Claims

1. A method for investigating the macro structure of a sample, the method comprising:

irradiating the sample with radiation having a plurality of frequencies in the range from 25 GHz to 20 THz;

detecting radiation reflected from and/or transmitted by said sample to obtain a spectra of the sample; and

identifying structure in the resultant spectra which arises from intermolecular interactions in order to determine information about the macrostructure of the sample.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising irradiating the sample with radiation in the range of 25 THz to 120 THz and identifying structure in the resultant spectra which arises from intramolecular vibrations.

3. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the radiation is pulsed radiation.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of deriving the refractive index of the sample.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein said sample is held at a maximum temperature of up to 150K during irradiation.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said sample is held at a maximum temperature of up to 101K.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein the sample is under vacuum when irradiated.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein the sample is under dry nitrogen or dry air when irradiated.

9. A method according to claim 3, wherein the sample is powderized and mixed with an inert material prior to irradiation.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the inert material is polyethylene.

11. A method according to claim 3, wherein said sample is at most 5 mm thick.

12. A method according to claim 3, adapted for assessing samples after storage, where the resultant spectra is compared with the known spectra of the molecule.

13. A method according to claim 3, wherein the sample is irradiated while located in a plastic bag.

14. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of identifying structure in the resultant spectra comprises comparing the resultant spectra with known spectra.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the structure in the resultant spectra comprises determining information concerning the polymorphic structure of the sample.

16. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the radiation is continuous wave radiation.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of deriving the refractive index of the sample.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein said sample is held at a maximum temperature of up to 150K during irradiation.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said sample is held at a maximum temperature of up to 101K.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein the sample is under vacuum when irradiated.

21. A method according to any of claim 16, wherein the sample is under dry nitrogen or dry air when irradiated.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein the sample is powderized and mixed with an inert material prior to irradiation.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the inert material is polyethylene.

24. A method according to claim 16, wherein said sample is at most 5 mm thick.

25. A method according to claim 16, adapted for assessing samples after storage, where the resultant spectra is compared with the known spectra of the molecule.

26. A method according to claim 16, wherein the sample is irradiated while located in a plastic bag.

27. A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of identifying structure in the resultant spectra comprises comparing the resultant spectra with known spectra.

28. method according to either of claims 1 or 2, further comprising the step of deriving the refractive index of the sample.

29. A method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said sample is held at a maximum temperature of up to 150K during irradiation.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein said sample is held at a maximum temperature of up to 101K.

31. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the sample is under vacuum when irradiated.

32. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the sample is under dry nitrogen or dry air when irradiated.

33. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the sample is powderized and mixed with an inert material prior to irradiation.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the inert material is polyethylene.

35. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein said sample is at most 5 mm thick.

36. A method according to either of claims 1 or 3 adapted for quality control, where the resultant spectra is compared with the known spectra of the molecule.

37. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, adapted for assessing samples after storage, where the resultant spectra is compared with the known spectra of the molecule.

38. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the sample is irradiated while located in a plastic bag.

39. A method according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the step of identifying structure in the resultant spectra comprises comparing the resultant spectra with known spectra.

40. An apparatus for studying the macro structure of a molecular sample, the apparatus comprising:

an emitter for irradiating the sample with radiation having a plurality of frequencies in the range from 25 GHz to 20 THz;

a detector for detecting radiation reflected from and/or transmitted by the sample and producing a spectra of the sample; and

means for identifying structure in the spectra arising from intermolecular interactions in order to determine information about the macrostructure of the sample.

41. An apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said means for identifying structure comprises means to compare the detected spectra with known spectra.

42. An apparatus according to claim 41, configured to monitor quality of a batch of samples, said apparatus comprising means to set a known spectra of the desired Polymorph and means to compare spectra produced from each of said samples with said known spectra.