Coaxial diffuse reflectance read head
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A coaxial read head comprising:
- (a) a collimated light source;
(b) a beam splitter adapted to receive collimated light from said collimated light source and adapted to direct a portion of said collimated light to an optical fiber;
(c) an optical fiber adapted to direct said collimated light received from said beam splitter at one end of said optical fiber to a test area at a second end of said optical fiber and adapted to direct specular and diffuse light from said test area to said beam splitter, said optical fiber being either in contact with said test area or closely approaching said test area; and
(d) a spatial filter adapted to receive said specular light from said beam splitter and to block access of said specular light to a light detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved performance in reflectance photometry is obtained by employing an optical fiber to direct collimated light to a test area and to return both diffuse and specular light from the test area. Specular light is prevented from reaching a light detector by a spatial filter, while diffuse light is collected and measured.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A coaxial read head comprising:
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(a) a collimated light source; (b) a beam splitter adapted to receive collimated light from said collimated light source and adapted to direct a portion of said collimated light to an optical fiber; (c) an optical fiber adapted to direct said collimated light received from said beam splitter at one end of said optical fiber to a test area at a second end of said optical fiber and adapted to direct specular and diffuse light from said test area to said beam splitter, said optical fiber being either in contact with said test area or closely approaching said test area; and (d) a spatial filter adapted to receive said specular light from said beam splitter and to block access of said specular light to a light detector. - 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 method of measuring an analyte in a biological sample the method comprising the acts of:
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(a) providing collimated light from a light source; (b) directing said collimated light with a beam splitter into a first end of an optical fiber, a second end of said optical fiber being in contact with a test area or closely approaching said test area; (c) directing diffuse and specular light from said test area via said optical fiber to said beam splitter, said specular light passing through said beam splitter and contacting a spatial filter, thereby preventing said specular light from being detected, said diffuse light passing around said spatial filter and contacting a light detector; and (d) measuring the diffuse light with said light detector and correlating the measured diffuse light with the amount of an analyte in said biological sample. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification