Visual indicator of scan workflow

• US 9,841,321 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2017
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pastore, Timothy M., Perez, David, Hargreaves, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Md M
• Application Number:
  US15/406,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 356326
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/027 Control of working procedures of a spectrometer; Failure detection; Bandwidth calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3595 using FTIR
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/399 Diode laser
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/718 Laser microanalysis, i.e. with formation of sample plasma
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held

Abstract

A hand-held spectrometer includes at least one indicator light and a processor configured to control the at least one indicator light to indicate a state of the hand-held spectrometer selected from a group consisting of a background scanning state, a ready-to-scan-sample state, a signal strength state, a fluorescence intensity state, a sample match state, a sample classification state, an error state, a data transfer state, a battery charge state, and a memory capacity state. The sample match state can be, for example, one of a positive match state, a mixture match state, a negative match state, and a match error state. In some embodiments, the error state can be at least one of a background error state, a user error state, and an instrument error state, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method for providing a visual indicator of a workflow, comprising:

performing a background data collection operation in the absence of a sample on a sensing area positioned on a top side of an FTIR instrument, wherein one or more indicator lights arranged on the top side of the FTIR instrument in a ring formation around the sensing area turns to a first color that indicates to a user when the background data collection operation has completed, and the user has obscured visibility that limits the ability to read information on a screen;

applying the sample to a surface of the sensing area surrounded by the one or more indicator lights if the first color does not indicate an error state;

measuring a spectrum of the sample;

processing the spectrum and background data to determine a sample match state to a known material, wherein the one or more indicator lights turn to a second color that indicates the sample match state to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

prior to performing the background data collection operation, initiating the FTIR instrument for operation wherein the one or more indicator lights turn to a color that indicates to the user that no sample should be applied to the sensing area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the step of initiating includes cleaning the sensing area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sample match state comprises a positive match state, a mixture match state, a negative match state, and a error match state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise a level of brightness.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise blinking in a pattern.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the blinking in a pattern comprises a clockwise rotating pattern of a plurality of the indicator lights.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the known material comprises an explosive, a narcotic, a biological, or a toxic material.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more indicator lights turn to a color that indicates a signal strength state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first color that indicates the background data collection operation has completed comprises a ready-to-scan-sample state or the error state.

11. A system that provides a visual indicator of a workflow, comprising:

a portable hand-held an FTIR instrument comprising;

a sensing area positioned on a top side of the FTIR instrument;

one or more indicator lights arranged on the top side of the FTIR instrument in a ring formation around the sensing area;

a radiation source configured to direct radiation at a sample disposed on a surface of the sensing area;

a processor configured to analyze a spectrum and background data detected by the sensing area in response to the radiation and control the plurality of lights;

wherein the one or more indicator lights in the ring formation around the sensing area turns to a color that indicates to a user that has obscured visibility that limits the ability to read information on a screen of

     1) completion of a background data collection operation in the absence of a sample on the sensing area, wherein the sample is applied to the surface of the sensing area if a first color for the background data collection operation provided by the one or more indicator lights does not include an error state; and

     2) a second color that indicates a sample match state to a known material determined from the spectrum and background data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the sample match state comprises a positive match state, a mixture match state, a negative match state, and a error match state.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise a level of brightness.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the first or second color provided by the one or more indicator lights comprise blinking in a pattern.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the blinking in a pattern comprises a clockwise rotating pattern of a plurality of the indicator lights.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the known material comprises an explosive, a narcotic, a biological, or a toxic material.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the one or more indicator lights turn to a color that indicates a signal strength state.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the first color that indicates the background data collection operation has completed comprises a ready-to-scan-sample state or the error state.