Method and apparatus for optical interactance and transmittance measurements

• US 7,397,566 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward W. Stark
• Original Assignee: Edward W. Stark
• Inventors: Stark, Edward W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lauchman; Layla G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VALENTIN II, JUAN D
• Application Number:
  US11/508,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20070052967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 356/41, 356/434, 356/442, 356/445, 356/446, 356/239.1, 385/12, 385/115, 250/227.28
• US Class Current: 356/446
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/474 Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for improving at least one of a) optical interactance measurements, b) optical transmittance measurements and c) optical reflectance measurements. The apparatus has a probe having a body portion and an tip portion. The body portion has a central tubular element having an opening therethrough. The tip portion has a central aperture and a number that is a plurality of ring openings therein. At least some of the plurality of rings are angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the probe. A plurality of fiber optic bundles corresponds in number at least to the number of ring openings, and at least one fiber optic bundle is arranged at one end of the longitudinal axis for receiving specimen information and at another end of the longitudinal axis connected to a detector for receiving a signal.

Claims

1. Apparatus for improving at least one of a) optical interactance measurements, b) optical transmittance measurements and c) optical reflectance measurements comprising:

a probe having a body portion and an tip portion;

the body portion comprising a central tubular element having an opening therethrough;

the tip portion having a central aperture and a number that is a plurality of ring openings therein;

at least some of the plurality of rings being angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the probe;

a plurality of fiber optic bundles corresponding in number at least to the number of ring openings, and at least one fiber optic bundle arranged at one end of the longitudinal axis for receiving specimen information and at another end of the longitudinal axis connected to a detector for receiving a signal.

2. A method for receiving specimen information and analyzing specimen information comprising placing said one end of the apparatus of claim 1 against a surface providing specimen information, detecting transmitted specimen information at the another end, and analyzing detected specimen information.

3. A system for for improving at least one of a) optical interactance measurements, b) optical transmittance measurements and c) optical reflectance measurements comprising:

the apparatus of claim 1;

a processor receiving signals from the apparatus comprising signal information, and

software in the processor performing an analytic procedure on the information to provide information regarding the specimen.