Complementary safety systems for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

US10883921B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc. · US

Inventors

• Michael L. Bush · Arlington, US
• Eric A. Martin · Medford, US
• David PEREZ · Milford, US
• Michael Derek Hargreaves · Burlington, US
• Lin Zhang · Qiaonanxiang, CN
• Xiaofeng TAN · Longbeilingcun, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 16, 2018
• Grant date: Jan 5, 2021
• Expiry date: Aug 25, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2201/0221
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In the operation of analytical devices, and particularly laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) devices, a number of advantages may be obtained by the use of complementary safety mechanisms, such as those that govern the operation or firing of a laser. Such complementary safety mechanisms, compared to the individual safety mechanisms acting alone, prevent operation of the laser under a greater number of unsafe circumstances (even if one or more detected conditions are safe, based on not activating the associated safety mechanism) and permits operation under a greater number of safe circumstances (even if one or more detected conditions are unsafe, based on activating the associated safety mechanism).