Rotating optics for multiple cuvette array

• US 9,360,412 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kelley, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amara, Mohamed K
• Application Number:
  US13/678,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 356/246, 356/440, 356/244, 356/39, 356/36, 356/410, 356/432, 356/73, 356/441, 356/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation

Abstract

A system includes a testing instrument to hold a test card having multiple cuvettes radially spaced about a point on the card. A rotatable mount is supported in relation the point on the card when the card is held in the testing system. Optics are supported on the rotatable mount to provide radiation to the multiple cuvettes.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a testing instrument to hold, in a selected fixed position, a removable multilayer transparent test card having multiple cuvettes equally radially spaced about a center axis on the test card;

a rotatable mount coaxially supported with the center axis of the transparent test card when the card is held in the testing instrument; and

optics supported on the rotatable mount that rotates coaxially with the center axis, the optics radially spaced a fixed distance from the center axis to provide radiation to the multiple cuvettes by rotating to different positions around the center axis of the transparent test card such that the optics move to positions corresponding to the multiple cuvettes.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the optics comprises multiple optics to provide radiation having different frequencies.

3. The system of claim 2 and further comprising an encoded motor coupled to the rotatable mount to selectively rotate the optics to provide different frequencies of radiation to the multiple cuvettes.

4. The system of claim 1 and further comprising a detector supported by the testing instrument on a side of the card opposite the optics to receive radiation from the optics through selected cuvettes.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the detector comprises a rotatable detector.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the detector comprises multiple rotatable detectors.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the multiple rotatable detectors comprise detectors having different frequency sensitivities.

8. The system of claim 4 and further comprising optics to direct light received through each cuvette to the detector.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the optics include multiple LED having different frequencies of light emission.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the optics are arranged in concentric circles about the center axis.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the optics comprise lenses optically coupled to a light source.

12. A system comprising:

a testing instrument to hold, in a selected fixed position, a removable multilayer transparent test card having multiple cuvettes equally radially spaced about a center axis on the card;

multiple light emitting diodes supported in the testing instrument and radially spaced a fixed distance from the center axis to rotate around the center axis of the transparent test card when held, the multiple light emitting diodes to provide multiple different frequencies of light to the multiple cuvettes by rotating to different positions around the center axis of the transparent test card such that the light emitting diodes move to positions corresponding to the multiple cuvettes.

13. The system of claim 12 and further comprising a detector supported on a side of the card opposite the light emitting diodes to receive radiation from the light emitting diodes through selected cuvettes.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the detector comprises multiple rotatable detectors to detect different frequencies of light.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a multilayer card into a test instrument to hold the card in a fixed position within the test instrument, the card having multiple cuvettes equally radially spaced about a center axis on the card to hold samples, the card being transparent to light;

rotating optics coaxial with and radially spaced a fixed distance from the center axis to different positions around the center axis of the transparent test card to provide light to selected cuvettes such that the optics move to positions corresponding to the multiple cuvettes; and

detecting light from the optics through the selected cuvettes.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the optics comprise a light emitting diode.

17. The method of claim 15 and further comprising rotating the optics to provide different frequencies of light to selected cuvettes.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the different frequencies of light are provided by multiple light emitting diodes having different frequencies of light emission.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein detecting light comprises rotating a light detector to different positions to receive light through the selected cuvettes.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein detecting light comprises rotating multiple light detectors to different positions to receive light through the selected cuvettes.