PREPARING SAMPLES FOR OPTICAL MEASUREMENT

• US 20090237647A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ahura Scientific, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ahura Scientific, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Azimi, Masud, Knopp, Kevin J., McLaughlin, Stephen, Wang, Peidong, Vakhshoori, Daryoosh, Bibby, Arran, Chen, Peili, Brown, Christopher D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,081,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0202 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/024 using means for illuminating a slit efficiently (e.g. entrance slit of a spectrometer or entrance face of fiber)
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0286 Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by temperature, humidity or pressure, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a spectrometer, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4535 Devices with moving mirror G01J3/4532 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

We disclose an apparatus comprising: a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit. The device comprises: a housing; a sample unit in the housing; and a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit. Methods of analyzing samples are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and

a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit, the device comprising;

a housing;

a sample unit in the housing; and

a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sample unit includes a projection extending outward from adjacent portions of the sample unit, the projection aligned with the optical interface of the hand-portable optical analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sample unit comprises a concave surface from which the projection extends.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to apply a pressure of between about 1,000 and about 3,000 pounds per square inch to portions of a sample disposed between the projection of the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sample unit is displaced between about 0.075 inches and about 0.105 inches from a rest position when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the projection of the sample unit comprises a substantially planar surface oriented towards the hand-portable analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the substantially planar surface has a total area of between about 5.0 and about 7.0 square millimeters.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the projection of the sample unit comprises a material with a hardness of at least 8 on the Mohs scale.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the projection of the sample unit comprises sapphire, diamond, or ruby.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing defines an internal aperture and the sample unit is movably disposed in the internal aperture.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the resilient member biases the sample unit towards the hand-portable analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resilient member is a spring with a spring rate between about 20 and about 25 pounds per inch.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical analysis unit weighs between about 2.5 and about 3.5 pounds and the device weighs between about 1 and about 2 pounds.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical interface is a prism.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sample receptacle is open to the atmosphere.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises retention members configured to engage and hold the hand-portable analysis unit in place against a force exerted by the resilient member.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a device configured to receive and releasably engage a handportable analysis unit, the device comprising;

a housing;

a sample unit movably disposed in the housing; and

a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit towards the hand-portable analysis unit when the hand-portable analysis unit is received in the device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sample unit includes a projection extending outward from adjacent portions of the sample unit, the projection aligned with an optical interface of a hand-portable optical analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the device is configured to apply a pressure of between about 1,000 and about 3,000 pounds per square inch to portions of a sample disposed between the projection of the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sample unit is displaced between about 0.075 inches and about 0.105 inches from a rest position when a hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the projection of the sample unit comprises a substantially planar surface oriented towards the hand-portable analysis unit when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the substantially planar surface has a total area of between about 5.0 and about 7.0 square millimeters.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the projection of the sample unit comprises sapphire, diamond, or ruby.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the housing defines an internal aperture and the sample unit is movably disposed in the internal aperture.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the resilient member is a spring with a spring rate between about 20 and about 25 pounds per inch.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the device weighs between about 1 and about 2 pounds.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the housing comprises a substantially flat surface opposite the sample unit.

28. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sample receptacle is open to the atmosphere.

29. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the housing comprises retention members configured to engage and hold the hand-portable analysis unit in place against a force exerted by the resilient member.

30. A method of analyzing a sample, the method comprising:

placing the sample in a sample receptacle of a device;

pressing a hand-portable optical analysis unit into locking engagement with the device such that the sample is disposed between the sample receptacle and an optical interface of the optical analysis unit;

compressing the sample between a sample interface of the sample receptacle and an optical interface of the optical analysis unit;

directing radiation from the optical analysis unit towards the sample;

determining information about the sample by detecting radiation; and

removing the hand-portable optical analysis unit from the device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein compressing the sample comprises displacing the sample receptacle from a rest position of the sample receptacle.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein compressing the sample comprises applying a force to the sample receptacle that is proportional to a distance that the sample receptacle is displaced from the rest position.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein compressing the sample comprises automatically controlling force applied to the sample by the device and the optical analysis unit.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein compressing the sample comprises displacing a portion of the sample from between the sample interface of the sample receptacle and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein determining information about the sample comprises measuring infrared absorption information about the sample.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein determining information about the sample comprises obtaining Raman scattering information about the sample.

37. The method of claim 36, comprising determining an identity of the sample based on the infrared absorption information and the Raman scattering information about the sample.