Mid-infrared hyperspectral spectroscopy systems and methods therefor
First Claim
1. A mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy system for detecting an analyte in a test sample, the spectroscopy system comprising:
- (1) a hierarchical spectral dispersion system comprising;
(a) a first plurality of lenses arranged to receive a plurality of radiation signals, each having a different first spectral range, the plurality of first spectral ranges collectively spanning at least a portion of the MIR spectrum, each lens of the first plurality thereof being operative for receiving a different radiation signal of the plurality thereof and distributing it into a plurality of radiation beams focused at a first focal field after interacting with the test sample, wherein each radiation beam has a second spectral range that is smaller than the first spectral range, and wherein the plurality of second spectral ranges is collectively equal to the first spectral range; and
(b) a second plurality of lenses located at the first focal field, each lens of the second plurality thereof being operative for receiving a different radiation beam of the plurality thereof and distributing it into a plurality of radiation beamlets focused at a second focal field, wherein each radiation beamlet has a different third spectral range that is smaller than the second spectral range of its respective radiation beam, and wherein the plurality of third spectral ranges is collectively equal to the second spectral range; and
(2) a first plurality of detector pixels located at the second focal field, the first plurality of detector pixels being arranged such that each detector pixel receives a different radiation beamlet of the plurality thereof;
wherein the plurality of first spectral ranges collectively spans the MIR spectrum.
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Accused Products
Abstract
MIR spectroscopy systems comprising hierarchical spectral dispersion that enables fine spectral resolution and high sensitivity spectroscopy are disclosed. Hierarchical spectral dispersion is derived by employing at least two diffractive lens arrays, located on either side of a test sample, each receiving input radiation having an input spectral range and distributing the input radiation into a plurality of output signals, each having a fraction of the spectral range of the input radiation. As a result, the signal multiplication factor of the two arrays is multiplied in a manner that mitigates the propagation of wavelength harmonics through the system. In some embodiments, an emitter array comprising a plurality of spectrally selective emitters provides the input MIR radiation to a spectroscopy system. In some embodiments, spectrally selective detectors are used to detect narrow spectral components in the radiation after they have passed through the test sample.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy system for detecting an analyte in a test sample, the spectroscopy system comprising:
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(1) a hierarchical spectral dispersion system comprising; (a) a first plurality of lenses arranged to receive a plurality of radiation signals, each having a different first spectral range, the plurality of first spectral ranges collectively spanning at least a portion of the MIR spectrum, each lens of the first plurality thereof being operative for receiving a different radiation signal of the plurality thereof and distributing it into a plurality of radiation beams focused at a first focal field after interacting with the test sample, wherein each radiation beam has a second spectral range that is smaller than the first spectral range, and wherein the plurality of second spectral ranges is collectively equal to the first spectral range; and (b) a second plurality of lenses located at the first focal field, each lens of the second plurality thereof being operative for receiving a different radiation beam of the plurality thereof and distributing it into a plurality of radiation beamlets focused at a second focal field, wherein each radiation beamlet has a different third spectral range that is smaller than the second spectral range of its respective radiation beam, and wherein the plurality of third spectral ranges is collectively equal to the second spectral range; and (2) a first plurality of detector pixels located at the second focal field, the first plurality of detector pixels being arranged such that each detector pixel receives a different radiation beamlet of the plurality thereof; wherein the plurality of first spectral ranges collectively spans the MIR spectrum. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A hyperspectral spectroscopy system comprising:
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a hierarchical spectral dispersion system that is dimensioned and arranged to distribute the spectral components of a first plurality of radiation signals into a plurality of radiation beamlets, the first plurality of radiation signals collectively spanning a first spectral range that is at least a portion of the mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum, and each radiation beamlet including a different spectral component included in the first spectral range such that the plurality of spectral components collectively spans the first spectral range, each spectral component having a second spectral range that is smaller than the first spectral range; and a plurality of detectors, each detector including a plurality of detector pixels, and each detector pixel being spectrally selective such that it detects only one spectral component of the plurality thereof; wherein the hierarchical spectral dispersion system and the plurality of detectors are arranged such that each radiation beamlet of the plurality thereof is directed to the detector pixel that is spectrally selective for its respective spectral component. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for analyzing a test sample, the method comprising:
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distributing each of a first plurality of radiation signals into a first plurality of radiation beams, each radiation signal being characterized by a different first spectral range such that the plurality of first spectral ranges collectively spans at least a portion of the MIR spectrum; focusing each radiation beam of the first plurality thereof at a first focal field such that the first plurality of radiation beams interacts with the test sample to give rise to a second plurality of radiation beams whose spectral content is based on the chemical composition of the test sample, wherein each radiation beam of the second plurality thereof has a different second spectral range that is smaller than the first spectral range of its respective radiation signal, and wherein each plurality of second spectral ranges collectively spans the first spectral range of its respective radiation signal; distributing each radiation beam of the second plurality thereof into a plurality of radiation beamlets that are focused at a second focal field, each radiation beamlet having a spectral component characterized by a different third spectral range that is smaller than the second spectral range of its respective radiation beam of the second plurality thereof, and wherein each plurality of third spectral ranges collectively spans the second spectral range of its respective radiation beam of the second plurality thereof; detecting the plurality of radiation beamlets at a plurality of detectors located at the second focal field, wherein each detector provides an output signal based on respective radiation beamlet; and detecting at least one analyte in the test sample based on the plurality of output signals. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification