Spectrometer miniaturized for working with cellular phones and other portable electronic devices
First Claim
1. A portable electronic device comprising:
- a housing having a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, the housing accommodating(i) a wireless communications unit that transmits and receives information;
(ii) a display unit;
(iii) an input unit that allows a user to input information or commands; and
(iv) a processor (CPU); and
a compact spectrometer that is physically integrated into or attached to the housing, the spectrometer taking spectroscopic measurements by forming a spectrum of light distribution on a detection plane from an input light beam, whereinthe spectrometer includes;
(i) a thin waveguide substrate having a layer that confines the input light beam in a vertical plane without confining the input light beam in a horizontal plane so as to produce a partially confined light beam that propagates in the horizontal plane over a length and width dimension of the waveguide substrate;
(ii) a concave reflective grating surface along an edge of the waveguide substrate that disperses and focuses the partially confined light beam in the horizontal plane without focusing in the vertical plane to form the light distribution on the detection plane; and
(iii) a detector that receives the light distribution on the detection plane,wherein (i) the spectrometer is arranged so that the horizontal plane of the waveguide extends substantially parallel to a plane defined by the length and width dimensions of the housing, (ii) the spectrometer is sized so that it has the same or smaller footprint of the portable electronic device in the length and width dimensions, (iii) the processor processes the spectroscopic measurement results; and
(iv) the display is configured to display results relating to the spectroscopic measurement results.
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Abstract
Based on the present invention, superior compact spectrometers may be constructed and integrated into a cellular phone, or attached to a cellular phone. Such a cellular phone may be a PDA phone, which supplies electrical power to the said spectrometer, provided with data storage, signal processing capability, and real-time display. As a combined standalone system, it allows spectroscopic measurements to be fulfilled in real-time applications in field, and results can be sent out in wireless communication to a remote station or to another cellular phone user in order to share the measurement results right away. When the system is used with a laser to function as a Raman spectrometer system, it can fulfill many daily routine tasks encountered by ordinary civilians, for example, the blood glucose monitoring for diabetes patients at home in a non-invasive manner.
279 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A portable electronic device comprising:
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a housing having a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, the housing accommodating (i) a wireless communications unit that transmits and receives information; (ii) a display unit; (iii) an input unit that allows a user to input information or commands; and (iv) a processor (CPU); and a compact spectrometer that is physically integrated into or attached to the housing, the spectrometer taking spectroscopic measurements by forming a spectrum of light distribution on a detection plane from an input light beam, wherein the spectrometer includes; (i) a thin waveguide substrate having a layer that confines the input light beam in a vertical plane without confining the input light beam in a horizontal plane so as to produce a partially confined light beam that propagates in the horizontal plane over a length and width dimension of the waveguide substrate; (ii) a concave reflective grating surface along an edge of the waveguide substrate that disperses and focuses the partially confined light beam in the horizontal plane without focusing in the vertical plane to form the light distribution on the detection plane; and (iii) a detector that receives the light distribution on the detection plane, wherein (i) the spectrometer is arranged so that the horizontal plane of the waveguide extends substantially parallel to a plane defined by the length and width dimensions of the housing, (ii) the spectrometer is sized so that it has the same or smaller footprint of the portable electronic device in the length and width dimensions, (iii) the processor processes the spectroscopic measurement results; and
(iv) the display is configured to display results relating to the spectroscopic measurement results. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17)
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9. A system comprising:
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a housing having a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, the housing accommodating; (i) a wireless communications unit that transmits and receives information, (ii) a display unit, (iii) an input unit that allows a user to input information or commands, and (iv) a processor (CPU); and a compact spectrometer that is physically integrated into or attached to the housing, the spectrometer taking spectroscopic measurements by forming a spectrum of light distribution on a detection plane from an input light beam, wherein the spectrometer includes; (i) a thin waveguide substrate having a layer that confines the input light beam in a vertical plane without confining the input light beam in a horizontal plane so as to produce a partially confined light beam that propagates in the horizontal plane over a length and width dimension of the waveguide substrate; (ii) a concave reflective grating surface along an edge of the waveguide substrate that disperses and focuses the partially confined light beam in the horizontal plane without focusing in the vertical plane to form the light distribution on the detection plane; and (iii) a detector that receives the light distribution on the detection plane, wherein (i) the spectrometer is arranged so that the horizontal plane of the waveguide extends substantially parallel to a plane defined by the length and width dimensions of the housing, (ii) the spectrometer is sized so that it has the same or smaller footprint or the portable electronic device in the length and width dimensions, (iii) the processor processes the spectroscopic measurement results; and
(iv) the display is configured to display results relating to the spectroscopic measurement results. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18)
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Specification