Optical analysis system for dynamic real-time detection and measurement

• US 8,358,418 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Myrick, Michael L., Freese, Robert P., Priore, Ryan J., Blackburn, John C., James, Jonathan H., Perkins, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akanbi, Isiaka O
• Application Number:
  US12/094,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20090219539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• Field of Search: 356/445, 356/419, 356/310, 356/319, 356/301, 356/367
• US Class Current: 356/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4738 Diffuse reflection precedence is given to G01N21/55 - G01N21/57 if specular component is taken into consideration, e.g. also for testing fluids, fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9508 Capsules; Tablets

Abstract

A method of real-time processing and monitoring comprises the steps of blending a material of interest (e.g., an active pharmaceutical material), with a secondary material, (e.g., an excipient), illuminating the blended materials with light, reflecting light carrying information about the blended materials through at least one multivariate optical element (148) and detecting said light with a first detector (152), detecting a deflected portion of the information carrying light with a second detector (156), and determining in real-time at least one selected property of the blended materials based on the detector outputs.

Claims

1. A method of real-time processing and monitoring, comprising:

blending a material of interest with a secondary material;

separating a source light into an illumination light and a calibration light;

illuminating the blended materials with the illumination light;

dividing light carrying information about the blended materials with a beam splitter into a first light portion and a second light portion, the first light portion and the second light portion having substantially similar characteristics;

after dividing the light with the beam splitter, directing the first light portion through at least one multivariate optical element to produce a first signal;

detecting the first signal at a first detector;

directing the second light portion in a direction of a second detector, the second detector configured to detect the second light portion;

detecting a portion of the calibration light at the first detector; and

determining, in real time, at least one selected property of at least one of the blended materials based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein real time is faster than 1/1000 of a second.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein real time is faster than 1/100 of a second.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein real time is faster than 1/10 of a second.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein real time is faster than 1 second.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein real time is faster than 5 seconds.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein real time is faster than 30 seconds.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the blending material of interest includes a gasoline and the at least one selected property is an octane rating.

9. A method of real-time pharmaceutical processing and monitoring, comprising:

blending a pharmaceutical powder by mixing an active agent with an excipient;

separating a source light into a spectral-specific light and a calibration light;

illuminating the pharmaceutical powder with the spectral-specific light through an optic window, the optic window configured to focus the spectral-specific light into the pharmaceutical powder;

dividing light carrying information about the pharmaceutical powder with a beam splitter into a first light portion and a second light portion, the first light portion and the second light portion having substantially similar spectral characteristics;

after dividing the light with the beam splitter, directing the first light portion through at least one multivariate optical element to produce a first signal;

detecting the first signal at a first detector;

detecting a portion of the calibration light at the first detector;

directing the second light portion in a direction of a second detector, the second detector configured to detect the second light portion; and

determining, in real time, at least one selected property of the pharmaceutical powder based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein the selected property of the pharmaceutical powder is an active property of the active agent.

11. The method as in claim 9, wherein the selected property of the pharmaceutical powder is a particulate size of the active agent.

12. The method as in claim 9, wherein the selected property of the pharmaceutical powder is a secondary property of the excipient.

13. The method as in claim 9, further comprising assessing an homogeneity asymptote of the pharmaceutical powder.

14. The method as in claim 9, wherein real time is faster than 1/1000 of a second.

15. The method as in claim 9, wherein real time is faster than 1/100 of a second.

16. The method as in claim 9, wherein real time is faster than 1/10 of a second.

17. The method as in claim 9, wherein real time is faster than 1 second.

18. The method as in claim 9, wherein real time is faster than 5 seconds.

19. The method as in claim 9, wherein real time is faster than 30 seconds.

20. A method of real-time pharmaceutical processing and monitoring, comprising:

separating a source light into a spectral-specific light and a calibration light;

illuminating a fluid in a container with the spectral-specific light through an optic window disposed proximate an aperture in a conduit in communication with the container;

dividing light carrying information about the fluid with a beam splitter into a first light portion and a second light portion, the first light portion and the second light portion having substantially similar spectral characteristics;

after dividing the light with the beam splitter, directing the first light portion through at least one multivariate optical element to produce a first signal;

detecting the first signal at a first detector;

detecting a portion of the calibration light at the first detector;

directing the second light portion in a direction of a second detector, the second detector configured to detect the second light portion; and

determining, in real time, at least one selected property of the fluid as the fluid flows past the optic window, based on a first detector output and a second detector output.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein the fluid is opaque in appearance.

22. The method as in claim 20, wherein the fluid is a liquid chemical and the window is configured to focus the spectral-specific light into the liquid chemical.

23. The method as in claim 22, wherein the liquid chemical is a blend of at least one active pharmaceutical agent and at least one excipient.

24. The method as in claim 20, wherein the fluid is a gas.

25. The method as in claim 24, wherein the gas is opaque in appearance.

26. The method as in claim 20, wherein real time is between about 1/1000 of a second to about 30 seconds.

27. A method of real-time processing and monitoring, comprising:

mixing a material of interest with a secondary material;

separating a source light into an illumination light and a calibration light;

illuminating the materials with the illumination light;

dividing light carrying information about the materials with a beam splitter into a first light portion and a second light portion, the first light portion and the second light portion having substantially similar spectral characteristics;

after dividing the light with a beam splitter, directing the first light portion through at least one multivariate optical element to produce a first signal;

detecting the first signal at a first detector;

detecting a portion of the calibration light at the first detector;

directing the second light portion in a direction of a second detector, the second detector configured to detect the deflected portion; and

determining, in real time, at least one selected property of at least one of the materials, based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.

28. The method as in claim 27, wherein the selected property is determined based upon a compositional change.

29. The method as in claim 28, wherein the compositional change includes a chemical reaction.

30. The method as in claim 28, wherein the compositional change includes a crystallization process.