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

• US 9,897,584 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• 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:
  US15/711,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20180024104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 152 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 drug screening with animal cells G01N33/5008
• 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 performs non-destructive quality control or constitutive analysis using a light source generating an output optical beam using semiconductor sources that generate an input optical beam, a multiplexer configured to receive the input beam and to form an intermediate optical beam, and fibers configured to receive the intermediate beam and to form the output beam. The fibers include a fused silica fiber having a core diameter less than 400 microns. The output beam includes wavelengths between 700 and 2500 nanometers and has a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers. The system includes a measurement apparatus that receives the output beam and delivers the beam to a sample to generate a spectroscopy beam. A receiver is configured to receive the spectroscopy beam and process the beam to generate an output signal. The light source and receiver are remote from the sample, which 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 having a core diameter less than 400 microns;

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 light source and the receiver are remote from the sample, wherein the sample comprises plastics or food industry goods, and wherein the measurement system performs non-destructive quality control or constitutive analysis.

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 the sugar content in solid food industry goods.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the output signal is based on a chemical composition of the sample.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the output signal corresponds to overtone or combinational bands of the chemical composition of the sample.

6. 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 having a core diameter less than 400 microns;

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 output signal is based on a chemical composition of the sample;

wherein the spectroscopy output beam comprises spectral features of hydrocarbons or organic compounds; and

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

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the light source comprises a super-continuum laser.

8. The system of claim 6, 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.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the measurement system is used for non-destructive testing of the sample.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the measurement system is used for quality control or constitutive analysis of the sample.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the receiver comprises a wavelength tunable detection system.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the measurement system is used for on-line process control.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the output signal at least in part determines the sugar content in solid food industry goods.

15. A method of measuring, comprising:

generating an output optical beam, comprising;

generating an input optical beam from a plurality of semiconductor sources;

multiplexing at least a portion of the input optical beam and forming an intermediate optical beam; and

guiding at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam using one or more fibers including a fused silica fiber having a core diameter less than 400 microns; and

broadening a spectrum of at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam to at least 10 nanometers to form the output optical beam with an output beam broadened spectrum, wherein the output optical beam comprises one or more optical wavelengths between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers;

receiving a received portion of the output optical beam and delivering a delivered portion of the output optical beam to a sample comprising plastics or food industry goods located remotely from the generated output optical beam;

generating a spectroscopy output beam having a bandwidth of at least 10 nanometers from the sample, wherein the spectroscopy output beam comprises spectral features based on a chemical composition of the sample;

receiving at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam; and

processing the at least a portion of the spectroscopy output beam and generating an output signal;

wherein the measuring method is used for non-destructive quality control or constitutive analysis.

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

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the measuring method is used for on-line process control.