Transmitting/reflecting emanating light with time variation

• US 8,373,860 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kiesel, Peter, Beck, Markus, Johnson, Noble M., Bassler, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Geisel, Kara E
• Application Number:
  US12/762,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 356417-418
• US Class Current: 356/417
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters

Abstract

A filter arrangement can transmit and/or reflect light emanating from a moving object so that the emanating light has time variation, and the time variation can include information about the object, such as its type. For example, emanating light from segments of a path can be transmitted/reflected through positions of a filter assembly, and the transmission functions of the positions can be sufficiently different that time variation occurs in the emanating light between segments. Or emanating light from a segment can be transmitted/reflected through a filter component in which simpler transmission functions are superimposed, so that time variation occurs in the emanating light in accordance with superposition of two simpler non-uniform transmission functions. One or more mask arrangements can be configured to receive the emanating light and in response provide encoded emanating light.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a fluid-engaging structure, wherein the fluid-engaging structure includes

(a) a channel that in use can contain fluid and through which objects can move;

(b) one or more bounding parts that bound the channel, and wherein at least one of the one or more bounding parts include one or more light transmissive portions, wherein at least one of the one or more light transmissive portions is configured to receive excitation light and provide the received excitation light, and wherein excitation light enters the channel and interacts with an object resulting in emanating light; and

(c) one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and in response, provide encoded emanating light,

wherein the one or more mask arrangements and the channel are further configured so that the encoded emanating light includes time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the object, the time variation including information about the object;

wherein the fluid-engaging structure further comprises;

a first of the one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and in response provide encoded emanating light to received emanating light, and is located on a first portion of the bounding parts;

one or more mirrors, at least one of the one or more mirrors configured to substantially reflect the excitation light through the one or more light transmissive portions; and

an internal reflecting surface, wherein the internal reflecting surface is configured to retransmit the reflected excitation light into the channel with the fluid and objects, and wherein

the article of manufacturing is configured for use with a host structure, and wherein the host structure includes;

at least one excitation light source;

a filter configured to receive and filter the encoded emanating light; and

a photo-sensor configured to receive the filtered encoded emanating light and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the photosensor is further configured to provide an electrical signal indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms.

2. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a fluid-engaging structure, wherein the fluid-engaging structure includes

(a) a channel that in use can contain fluid and through which objects can move;

(b) one or more bounding parts that bound the channel, and wherein at least one of the one or more bounding parts include one or more light transmissive portions, wherein at least one of the one or more light transmissive portions is configured to receive excitation light and provide the received excitation light, and wherein excitation light enters the channel and interacts with an object resulting in emanating light; and

(c) one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and in response, provide encoded emanating light,

wherein the one or more mask arrangements and the channel are further configured so that the encoded emanating light includes time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the object, the time variation including information about the object;

wherein the fluid-engaging structure further comprises;

at least two mirrors, wherein

a first mirror is configured to substantially reflect first excitation light from a first excitation light source through the one or more light transmissive portions, and

a second mirror is configured to substantially reflect second excitation light from a second excitation light source through the one or more light transmissive portions;

an internal reflecting surface, wherein

the internal reflecting surface is configured to re-transmit the first reflected excitation light into the channel with the fluid and objects, and

the internal reflecting surface is configured to re-transmit the second reflected excitation light into the channel with the fluid and objects, and wherein

the re-transmitted first and second excitation light interacts with the object resulting in a combined emanating light, wherein

a first of the one or more mask arrangements is located on a first portion of the bounding parts, wherein,

the first of the one or more mask arrangements is configured to receive at least part of the combined emanating light at a first range of photon energies and, in response, provide encoded combined emanating light at the first range of photon energies; and

a host structure, the host structure including

the first excitation light source configured to transmit the first excitation light;

the second excitation light source configured to transmit the second excitation light;

a first photo-sensor;

a second photo-sensor;

a second of the one or more mask arrangements, and wherein

the second of the one or more mask arrangements is configured to receive at least part of the combined emanating light and, in response, provide encoded combined emanating light at a second range of photon energies;

a first filter located substantially adjacent to the first photo-sensor, wherein the first filter is configured to pass a first portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the first range of photon energies to the first photo-sensor; and

a second filter located substantially adjacent to the second photo-sensor, wherein the second filter is configured to pass a second portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the second range of photon energies to the second photo-sensor, and wherein,

the first photo-sensor is configured to receive the filtered first portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the first range of photon energies and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the first photosensor is further configured to provide a first set of electrical signals indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms to host structure circuitry, and

the second photo-sensor is configured to receive the filtered second portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the second range of photon energies and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the second photo-sensor is further configured to provide a second set of electrical signals indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms to host circuitry.

3. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a fluid-engaging structure, wherein the fluid-engaging structure includes

(a) a channel that in use can contain fluid and through which objects can move;

(b) one or more bounding parts that bound the channel, and wherein at least one of the one or more bounding parts include one or more light transmissive portions, wherein at least one of the one or more light transmissive portions is configured to receive excitation light and provide the received excitation light, and wherein excitation light enters the channel and interacts with an object resulting in emanating light; and

(c) one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and in response, provide encoded emanating light,

wherein the one or more mask arrangements and the channel are further configured so that the encoded emanating light includes time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the object, the time variation including information about the object;

wherein the fluid-engaging structure comprises;

a first of the one or more mask arrangements is configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and, in response, provide color-dependent encoded emanating light and is located on a first portion of the bounding parts, and wherein

the fluid engaging structure is configured for use with a host structure, and wherein the host structure includes;

at least one excitation light source;

a filter configured to receive and filter the color-dependent encoded emanating light; and

a photo-sensor configured to receive the filtered color-dependent encoded emanating light and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the photo-sensor is further configured to provide an electrical signal indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms.

4. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a fluid-engaging structure, wherein the fluid-engaging structure includes

(a) a channel that in use can contain fluid and through which objects can move;

(b) one or more bounding parts that bound the channel, and wherein at least one of the one or more bounding parts include one or more light transmissive portions, wherein at least one of the one or more light transmissive portions is configured to receive excitation light and provide the received excitation light, and wherein excitation light enters the channel and interacts with an object resulting in emanating light; and

(c) one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and in response, provide encoded emanating light,

wherein the one or more mask arrangements and the channel are further configured so that the encoded emanating light includes time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the object, the time variation including information about the object;

wherein the fluid-engaging structure comprises;

a first of the one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and, in response, provide first color-dependent encoded emanating light and is located on a first portion of the bounding parts;

a second of the one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and, in response, provide second color-dependent encoded emanating light and is located on a second portion of the bounding parts, and wherein

the fluid engaging structure is configured for use with a host structure, and wherein the host structure includes;

a first excitation light source;

a second excitation light source;

a first filter configured to receive and filter the first color-dependent encoded emanating light, the first filter located substantially adjacent to the first of the one or more mask arrangements;

a second filter configured to receive and filter the second color-dependent encoded emanating light, the second filter located substantially adjacent to the second of the one or more mask arrangements;

a first photo-sensor located substantially adjacent to the first filter, and wherein the first photo-sensor is configured to receive the first filtered color-dependent encoded emanating light and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the first photo-sensor is further configured to provide a first electrical signal indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms; and

a second photo-sensor located substantially adjacent to the second filter, and wherein the second photo-sensor is configured to receive the second filtered color-dependent encoded emanating light and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the second photo-sensor is further configured to provide a second electrical signal indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms.

5. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a host structure, wherein the host structure includes

(a) at least one excitation light source;

(b) one or more support parts structured to support a fluid-engaging structure on the host structure, wherein the fluid-engaging structure includes

a channel that in use can contain fluid and through which objects can move;

one or more bounding parts that bound the channel, and wherein at least one of the one or more bounding parts include

one or more light transmissive portions, wherein at least one of the one or more light transmissive portions is configured to receive excitation light and provide the received excitation light, and wherein

excitation light enters the channel and interacts with an object resulting in emanating light; and

one or more mask arrangements configured to receive at least part of the emanating light and, in response, provide encoded emanating light, and wherein

the one or more mask arrangements and the channel are further configured so that the encoded emanating light includes time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the object, the time variation including information about the object;

(c) at least one filter configured to receive and filter the encoded emanating light;

(d) at least one photo-sensor configured to receive the filtered encoded emanating light and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the photo-sensor is further configured to provide a first electrical signal indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms; and

(e) circuitry configured to receive the first electrical signals and which is further configured to provide second electrical signals in response to the first electrical signals resulting from photosensing of the encoded emanating light, and wherein the second electrical signals indicate the information about the objects;

wherein the host structure further comprises;

a first excitation light source configured to transmit first excitation light;

a second excitation light source configured to transmit the second excitation light, and wherein

the fluid-engaging structure is configured to provide combined emanating light resulting from interaction between the first excitation light and the objects, and the second excitation light and the objects, and wherein the fluid-engaging structure further includes

a first of the one or more mask arrangements that is located on a first portion of the bounding parts, and wherein,

the first of the one or more mask arrangements is configured to receive at least part of the combined emanating light at a first range of photon energies and, in response, provide encoded combined emanating light;

a first photo-sensor;

a second photo-sensor;

a second of the one or more mask arrangements, and wherein

the second of the one or more mask arrangements is configured to receive at least part of the combined emanating light and, in response, provide encoded combined emanating light at a second range of photon energies;

a first filter located substantially adjacent to the first photo-sensor, wherein the first filter is configured to pass a first portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the first range of photon energies to the first photo-sensor; and

a second filter located substantially adjacent to the second photo-sensor, wherein the second filter is configured to pass a second portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the second range of photon energies to the second photo-sensor, and wherein

the first photo-sensor is configured to receive the filtered first portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the first range of photon energies and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the first photosensor is further configured to provide a first set of electrical signals indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms to host structure circuitry, and

the second photo-sensor is configured to receive the filtered second portion of the encoded combined emanating light that corresponds to the second range of photon energies and detect time variation resulting from relative movement between the one or more mask arrangements and the objects, the time variation including information about the objects, and wherein the second photo-sensor is further configured to provide a second set of electrical signals indicating one or more sensed time-varying waveforms to host circuitry.