Patent · US Expired

Rheo-optical indexer and method of screening and characterizing arrays of materials

US6535284B1 · kind B1 · utility

33Cited by
25References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 25, 2000
Grant dateMar 18, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 25, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2201/0813
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for characterizing and screening an array of material samples is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sample block having a plurality of regions for containing the material samples, a polarized light source to illuminate the materials, an analyzer having a polarization direction different than the polarization direction of the polarized light source, and a detector for analyzing changes in the intensity of the light beams. The light source, together with a polarizer, may include a plurality of light beams to simultaneously illuminate the entire array of materials with linearly polarized light so that characterization and screening can be performed in parallel. In addition, the materials in the sample block maybe subjected to different environmental conditions or mechanical stresses, and the detector analyzes the array as a function of the different environmental conditions or mechanical stresses.

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