Patent EP0242725A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0242725A2
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Remote reading spectrophotometer
Assignee: Kollmorgen Instrument Corp
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Filing: 1987-04-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-04-09
Abstract
Abstract A remote reading spectrophotometer (10) is provided having the capability to accurately measure spectral reflectance at relatively long sample distances. A first illumination optics arrangement (14) assures uniform illumination to a portion of the sample and a second optical means (20) focuses the reflected image of part of the illuminated sample onto a polychromator (22). Reference beam means are provided so that the polychromator sequentially measures the spectral characteristics of the reference beam and the sample. Continuous monitoring of the illumination at select wavelengths provides illumination normalization data so that a microprocessor (40) can normalize the illumination and compare the reference beam and sample measurements to accurately determine the spectral reflectance characteristics of the sample. Angular and raster scanning capability is also provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold R. Van Aken
- 👤 William L. Weber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 05:10
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/4738; G01N21/474; G01J; G01J3/00; G01J3/02; G01J3/0205; G01J3/0254; G01J3/28; G01J2003/2866; G01J3/42; G01J2003/425; G01J3/30; G01J3/36; G01N2021/1793; G01N2201/00; G01N2201/06; G01N2201/065; G01N2201/069; G01N2201/0696; G01N2201/08; G01N2201/0806; G01N2201/12; G01N2201/126
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A remote reading spectrophotometer (10) comprising illumination means (12); first optical means (14) for directing illumination from said illumination means (12) to an area of a sample A to be measured; means (16) for obtaining an illumination reference beam from said first optical means (14); second optical means (20) for sequentially focusing component wavelengths of said illumination reflected from said sample A onto a monochromator or a polychromator (22); and analyzing means (40,46) for analyzing said reflected illumination and said reference beam to determine the spectral characteristics of said sample A.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A remote reading spectrophotometer (10) comprising illumination means (12); first optical means (14) for directing illumination from said illumination means (12) to an area of a sample A to be measured; means (16) for obtaining an illumination reference beam from said first optical means (14); second optical means (20) for sequentially focusing component wavelengths of said illumination reflected from said sample A onto a monochromator or a polychromator (22); and analyzing means (40,46) for analyzing said reflected illumination and said reference beam to determine the spectral characteristics of said sample A.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 1 wherein said illumination means (12) comprises a Xenon arc lamp, preferably a pulsed Xenon lamp.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 2 further comprising a curved mirror (26) disposed behind said pulsed Xenon lamp (12) to direct stray illumination from said lamp toward said first optical means (14).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claims 1 to 3 wherein said first optical means (14) further comprises an illumination focusing lens (24).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 1 wherein said means (16) for obtaining an illumination reference beam further comprises at least one optical fiber (28), the first end of said fiber being disposed adjacent to said illumination focusing lens (24) and aligned to receive a portion of said illumination, the second end of said fiber being disposed adjacent to a bandpass filter (29) and a reference detector (18) such that said fiber projects said illumination portion through said bandpass filter (29) onto said reference detector (18).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 1 wherein said second optical means (20) further comprises a focusing lens (30).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claims 1 to 6 wherein said analyzing means comprises amplifying and integrating circuitry (46) and microprocessor (40).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claims 1 to 7 further comprising third optical means disposed in the optical path between said second optical means (20) and said polychromator means (22) to focus the light directed from said second optical means (20) onto said polychromator means (22),and analyzing means connected to said polychromator means (22).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 8 wherein said polychromator means (22) further comprises a separation filter (36) to separate the light incident thereon into component wavelengths and detection means (32) for detecting the intensity of light at each said component wavelength.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 8 wherein said first optical means comprises a first lens element (48) to receive said illumination from said illumination means (12) and a second lens element (50) to receive said illumination from said first lens element (48) and direct said illumination toward said sample A.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 10 wherein said first lens element (48) is a condenser lens and said second lens element (50) is an objective lens.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 10 further comprising aperture defining means (51) adjacent to said first lens element (48).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 10 wherein the reference beam means further comprises a beamsplitter (52) disposed in the path of said illumination between said first lens element (48) and said second lens element (50).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 13 further comprising an integrating sphere (54) having a first aperture (56) therein to receive said reference beam from said beamsplitter (52).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 14 wherein said integrating sphere (54) further includes a second entrance aperture (58) and a third exit aperture (60) opposed to one another along a chord through said integrating sphere (54) such that the optical path of said reflected sample image passes directly through said integrating sphere (54).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 15 wherein said second optical means further comprises a beamswitch (64) disposed adjacent to said third exit aperture (60), said beamswitch (64) permitting the integrated reference beam from said integrating sphere (54) and said reflected sample image to be sequentially focused onto said polychromator (22) by said third optical means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 8 wherein said second optical means further comprises a beamswitch.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 9 wherein said third optical means further comprises a focusing lens.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claims 14 to 18 further comprising optical monitoring means disposed within said integrating sphere (54) for continuously detecting and monitoring said integrated reference beam at at least one wavelength as both said reference beam and said reflected sample image are sequentially directed towards said polychromator.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 8 wherein the reflection angle between said illumination beam directed towards said sample A and said reflected sample image is relatively small.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 8 further comprising scanning means for successively directing said illumination beam from said first optical means onto successive portions of the sample A, said scanning means receiving said reflected image from said sample and directing said reflected image to said second optical means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 21 wherein said scanning means further comprises a plane scanning mirror (76).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
The remote reading spectrophotometer of claim 21 wherein said scanning means provides a raster scan.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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