Optical measurement method and apparatus which determine a condition based on quasi-elastic-interaction
US6323949A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 18, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 18, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/58
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and an apparatus are provided for the determination of a condition or state of an object based on quasi-elastic interaction between the object and light transmitted to the object. This light is transmitted from a light source through a diffractive optical element. The light that has interacted with the object is collected and detected. The diffractive optical element is designed in such a way that the determination of the condition or state of the object is substantially exclusively defined by the diffractive optical element and substantially independent of properties of the light source. Several diffraction patterns may be integrated in one diffractive optical element, thereby integrating several optical functions, such as lenses, beam splitters, etc. in one optical component. Use: Transit-time-velocity measurement, Doppler velocity measurement, viscoelastic measurement, differential speckle determination, differential vibrometer, distance determination apparatus, etc.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.