Short-wave infrared super-continuum lasers for natural gas leak detection, exploration, and other active remote sensing applications

• US 9,995,722 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Inventors: Islam, Mohammed N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Md M
• Application Number:
  US15/855,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20180120280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 167 Days
• Field of Search: 356300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/146 for optical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/02 specially adapted for a particular organ or body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/104 Monochromatic plural sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2826 Multispectral imaging, e.g. filter imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/108 for measurement in the infrared range
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/14 using refracting elements, e.g. prisms G01J3/18, G01J3/26 take precedence prisms per se G02B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/1838 Holographic gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 : Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 : Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/453 : by correlation of the amplitudes
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 : by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3513 : Open path with an instrumental source
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/399 : Diode laser
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 : for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 : for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 : using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/39 : using tunable lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 : Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/061 : Sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 : LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 : Optical fibres; light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/12 : Circuits of general importance; Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 : Food
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/15 : Medicinal preparations ; Physical properties thereof, e.g. dissolubility
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/442 : Resins; Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 : Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/302 : in an optical fibre

Abstract

A measurement system includes a light source having semiconductor sources configured to generate an input optical beam, a multiplexer configured form an intermediate optical beam from the input optical beam, fibers including a fused silica fiber configured to receive the intermediate optical beam and to form an output optical beam. The output optical beam comprises wavelengths between 700 and 2500 nanometers with a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers. A measurement apparatus is configured to deliver the output beam to a sample to generate a spectroscopy output beam. A receiver is configured to receive and process the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal, wherein the receiver processing includes chemometrics or multivariate analysis methods to permit identification of materials within the sample, the light source and the receiver are remote from the sample, and the sample includes plastics or food industry goods.

Claims

1. A measurement system comprising:

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

a plurality of semiconductor sources configured to generate an input optical beam;

a multiplexer configured to receive at least a portion of the input optical beam and to form an intermediate optical beam;

one or more fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and to form the output optical beam;

wherein at least a portion of the one or more fibers comprises a fused silica fiber;

wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths, at least a portion of which are between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers; and

wherein the output optical beam has a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers;

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, wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is configured to generate a spectroscopy output beam from the sample; and

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 at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal, wherein the receiver processing includes at least in part using chemometrics or multivariate analysis methods to permit identification of materials within the sample;

wherein the light source and the receiver are remote from the sample, and wherein the sample comprises plastics or food industry goods.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement apparatus is a stand-off detection apparatus, and the spectroscopy output beam is based at least in part on diffuse reflection from the sample.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement system is used for on-line process control.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the output signal at least in part determines a sugar content in solid food industry goods.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement system performs non-destructive quality control or constitutive analysis.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a signal-to-noise ratio of the output signal is improved using lock-in detection techniques or change detection schemes.

7. A measurement system comprising:

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

a plurality of semiconductor sources configured to generate an input optical beam;

a multiplexer configured to receive at least a portion of the input optical beam and to form an intermediate optical beam;

one or more fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and to form the output optical beam;

wherein at least a portion of the one or more fibers comprises a fused silica fiber;

wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths, at least a portion of which are between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers; and

wherein the output optical beam has a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers;

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, wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is configured to generate a spectroscopy output beam from the sample; and

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 at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal, wherein the receiver processing includes at least in part using chemometrics or multivariate analysis methods to permit identification of materials within the sample;

wherein the output signal is based at least in part on a chemical composition of the sample; and

wherein the spectroscopy output beam comprises at least in part spectral features of hydrocarbons or organic compounds.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the light source comprises a super-continuum laser.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the measurement apparatus is a stand-off detection apparatus wherein the light source and the receiver are remote from the sample, and the spectroscopy output beam is based at least in part on diffuse reflection from the sample.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the measurement system is used for non-destructive quality control or constitutive analysis.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the sample comprises plastics or food industry goods.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein a signal-to-noise ratio of the output signal is improved using lock-in detection techniques or change detection schemes.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver comprises a wavelength tunable detection system.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the measurement system is used for on-line process control.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the output signal at least in part determines a sugar content in solid food industry goods.

16. A measurement system comprising:

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

a plurality of semiconductor sources configured to generate an input optical beam;

a multiplexer configured to receive at least a portion of the input optical beam and to form an intermediate optical beam;

one or more fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and to form the output optical beam;

wherein at least a portion of the one or more fibers comprises a fused silica fiber;

wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths, at least a portion of which are between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers; and

wherein the output optical beam has a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers;

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, wherein the delivered portion of the output optical beam is configured to generate a spectroscopy output beam from the sample; and

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 at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam to generate an output signal, wherein the receiver processing includes at least in part using chemometrics or multivariate analysis methods to permit identification of materials within the sample;

wherein the output signal is based on a chemical composition of the sample, and wherein the sample comprises tissue including collagen and lipids.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the light source and the receiver are remote from the sample, and the spectroscopy output beam is based at least in part on diffuse reflection from the sample.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the measurement apparatus is configured to deliver the delivered portion of the output optical beam to the sample through a needle.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the output signal at least in part distinguishes between normal and cancerous tissue.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein a signal-to-noise ratio of the output signal is improved using lock-in detection techniques or change detection schemes.