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Short-wave infrared super-continuum lasers for detecting counterfeit or illicit drugs and pharmaceutical process control

  • US 9,164,032 B2
  • Filed: 12/17/2013
  • Issued: 10/20/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A measurement system comprising:

  • a light source configured to generate an output optical beam, comprising;

    one or more semiconductor sources configured to generate an input beam;

    one or more optical amplifiers configured to receive at least a portion of the input beam and to deliver an intermediate beam to an output end of the one or more optical amplifiers; and

    one or more optical fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate beam and to deliver at least the portion of the intermediate beam to a distal end of the one or more optical fibers to form a first optical beam;

    a nonlinear element configured to receive at least a portion of the first optical beam and to broaden a spectrum associated with the at least a portion of the first optical beam to at least 10 nm through a nonlinear effect in the nonlinear element to form the output optical beam with an output beam broadened spectrum; and

    wherein at least a portion of the output beam broadened spectrum comprises a short-wave infrared wavelength between approximately 1400 nanometers and approximately 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the one or more fibers is a fused silica fiber with a core diameter less than approximately 400 microns;

    a measurement apparatus configured to receive a received portion of the output optical beam and to deliver a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample for a non-destructive and non-contact measurement, wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is configured to generate a spectroscopy output beam from the sample;

    a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam having a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers and to process the portion of the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal, and wherein at least a part of the delivered portion of the output optical beam is at least partially transmitting through a packaging material covering at least a part of the sample, and wherein the output signal is based on a chemical composition of the sample; and

    wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is a spatially coherent beam, and wherein the sample is remote from the light source and the receiver.

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