Spectrometer with active beam steering

US10620045B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SpectraSensors, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Alfred Feitisch · Los Gatos, US
• Xiang Liu · Marlboro, US
• Keith Benjamin Helbley · Riverside, US
• Douglas H. Beyer · Redlands, US
• Marc Winter · Gelnhausen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 17, 2019
• Grant date: Apr 14, 2020
• Expiry date: May 17, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2201/062
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A spectrometer includes a light source that emits a beam into a sample volume comprising an absorbing medium. Thereafter, at least one detector detects at least a portion of the beam emitted by the light source. It is later determined, based on the detected at least a portion of the beam and by a controller, that a position and/or an angle of the beam should be changed. The beam emitted by the light source is then actively steered by an actuation element under control of the controller. In addition, a concentration of the absorbing media can be quantified or otherwise calculated (using the controller or optionally a different processor that can be local or remote). The actuation element(s) can be coupled to one or more of the light source, a detector or detectors, and a reflector or reflectors intermediate the light source and the detector(s).