Patent · US Expired

Optical measurement apparatus and method for optical measurement

US6940589B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 25, 2000
Grant dateSep 6, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 1, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J2001/4466
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An optical measurement apparatus 10 primarily includes: a photon detection unit 12 for detecting incident photons, a time signal output unit 14 for outputting a time signal, and a storage unit 16 for storing the time signal outputted from the time signal output unit 14 when the photon detection unit 12 detects photons. The photon detection unit 12 includes a HPD 24 having a photocathode 24a and an APD 24b, a TZ amplifier 26, a peak holding circuit 28, and an A/D converter 30. The time signal output unit 14 includes a timer 32 and a counter 34. The storage unit 16 includes a comparator 36 and a memory 38. When photons impinge on the HPD 24, a trigger signal is outputted from the comparator 36, causing the photon-number outputted from the A/D converter 30 and the time data outputted from the counter 34 to be stored in the memory 38.

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