Patent · US Active

Calibrated spectroscopy instrument and method

US7561266B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
2References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 25, 2007
Grant dateJul 14, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 7, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J3/28
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A calibrated spectroscopy instrument and a method for calibrating a spectroscopy instrument are disclosed. The spectroscopy instrument includes a monochromator having a drive mechanism comprising a pair of spur gears for rotating a diffraction grating of the monochromator for selecting a desired wavelength. The drive mechanism is calibrated to account for eccentricities in the spur gears to provide an accurate conversion between selected angular settings for the drive mechanism and the wavelength of the diffracted light from the monochromator. The drive mechanism comprises a pinion spur gear and a main spur gear which each have an AGMA (American Gear Manufacturers' Association) rating of at least 10, which allows errors due to random tooth to tooth variations to be neglected. A calibration algorithm is derived which is based on the error due to eccentricities in the spur gears following a precise geometric cyclic pattern.

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