Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for determination of refractive index

US5663790A · kind A · utility

82Cited by
4References
71Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 6, 1995
Grant dateSep 2, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 6, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2201/0873
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a method of determining the refractive index of a gaseous, liquid or solid sample, preferably a gaseous or liquid sample, there is used a waveguide resonator (1) which includes an open waveguide (4) and a closed waveguide (5) located adjacent the open waveguide. The sample is brought to the vicinity of the closed waveguide (5) so as to influence the proximal surroundings of the waveguide and therewith its effective refractive index. Light derived from a light source (9) is coupled to one end of the open waveguide (4) and transmitted light is measured at the other end of the open waveguide to establish the influence of the sample on the resonance wavelength and therewith determine the refractive index of the sample or a sample-related refractive index difference. A device for carrying out the method includes a waveguide resonator having a sample contact area (12) adjacent the closed waveguide (5) of the waveguide resonator.

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