Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for detecting fluorescence of a luminescent material

US5063297A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
1References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 27, 1990
Grant dateNov 5, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 27, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/1748
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting the fluorescence of a luminescent material. Photo-semiconductors receiving the visible fluorescence from a target luminescent material and directly from a discharge lamp are electrically coupled to oppose each other resulting in a single-channel detector inherently balanced and insensitive to variations in the excitation stimulus. The photo-semiconductor output is sent through a second harmonic amplifier making available a phase detection of the fluorescence instead of an amplitude detection. The phase of the signal is compared with a known phase from the excitation power source. By adding signals that either reinforce or oppose, the phase information is converted back to amplitude information at a voltage level that can be easily detected. The compared output then triggers an indicator producing an indication of the amount of fluorescence of the target luminescent material.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.