Spectrometers

Claim 2

In a spectrometer for monitoring a region for the presence of a particular material, said spectrometer including optical means for receiving radiation from said region, spectrum display means for producing and displaying the spectrum of radiation received by said optical means in a fixed position, the displayed spectrum including lines representative of absorption or emission of radiation by various materials in said region, the improvement comprising: first output means having first aperture means so disposed and arranged relative to said display means as tO pass images of a plurality of said lines characteristic of the particular material; second output means having second aperture means so disposed and arranged relative to said display means as to pass images of continuum between a plurality of said lines characteristic of the particular material, said first and second output means being in fixed positions with respect to said display means; and detector means positioned to receive radiation passed through said first and second aperture means for producing a first signal having a magnitude dependent upon the incident radiation received through said first aperture means and for producing a second signal having a magnitude dependent upon the incident radiation received through said second aperture means.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 further including means for obtaining a ratio of said second signal to said first signal.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 further including divider means for dividing radiation received by said optical means into first and second paths, said spectrum display means displaying a first spectrum of the radiation in said first path and displaying a second spectrum of the radiation in said second path, said first output means viewing said first spectrum and said second output means viewing said second spectrum.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 further including chopper means for alternatively blocking radiation along said first and second paths.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 further including means connected to said chopper means for producing a first gating signal when said chopper means blocks said second radiation path and for producing a second gating signal when said chopper means blocks said first radiation path, first integrator means for integrating said first signal and second integrator means for integrating said seocnd signal, first gate means connected between said detector means and said first integrator means and responsive to said first gating signal for transmitting said first signal to said first integrator means, second gate means connected between said detector means and said second integrator means and responsive to said second gating signal for transmitting said second signal to said second integrator means, and difference means connected to said first and second integrator means for producing an output signal having a magnitude dependant upon the ratio between said first and second signals.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second aperture means is positioned relative to said first aperture means so that said second aperture means passes images of that area of the continuum having minimum intensity.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 further including gain control means for controlling the level of said first and second signal magnitudes in accordance with the intensity of radiation received by said optical means from said region.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 4 further including means for obtaining a ratio of said second signal to said first signal.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 5 further including recorder means connected to said difference means for recording representations of said output signal.

Claim 11

Apparatus for analyzing incident radiation comprising: a. means for spatially dispersing said incident radiation to form a dispersion of radiation in a plane, said dispersion being composed of radiation zones of relatively high intensity and low intensity characteristic of a particular substance when the characteristic spectra of said substance are present in the incident radiation, b. first mask means having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said regions being correlative with said relatively high intensity zones of said dispersion, c. second mask means having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said regions being correlative with said relatively low intensity zones of said dispersion, said first and second mask means being positioned in saId plane, d. means for cyclically passing said dispersed radiation alternately through said first mask means and said second mask means, said first and second mask means respectively being aligned with said relatively high and low intensity zones of said dispersion, e. a photodetector positioned for receiving light which has passed through said mask means, the photodetector producing an output signal proportional to the intensity of the light shining upon it, said output signal being modulated by an alternating current signal when said characteristic spectra are present in the incident radiation, f. means coupled to the photodetector for amplifying said alternating current signal separately from other components of said output signal, and g. means coupled to said amplifying means for measuring the level of the amplified alternating current signal independently of other components in said output signal.

Claim 12

Apparatus for analyzing incident radiation comprising: a. means for spatially dispersing said incident radiation to form a dispersion of radiation in a plane, said dispersion being composed of radiation zones of relatively high intensity and low intensity characteristic of a particular substance when the characteristic spectra of said substance are present in the incident radiation, b. first mask means having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said regions being correlative with said relatively high intensity zones of said dispersion, c. second mask means having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said regions being correlative with said relatively low intensity zones of said dispersion, said first and second mask means being positioned in saId plane, d. means for cyclically passing said dispersed radiation alternately through said first mask means and said second mask means, said first and second mask means respectively being aligned with said relatively high and low intensity zones of said dispersion, e. a photodetector positioned for receiving light which has passed through said mask means, the photodetector producing an output signal proportional to the intensity of the light shining upon it, said output signal being modulated by an alternating current signal when said characteristic spectra are present in the incident radiation, f. means coupled to the photodetector for amplifying said alternating current signal separately from other components of said output signal, and g. means coupled to said amplifying means for measuring the level of the amplified alternating current signal independently of other components in said output signal.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the relative widths of the opaque and transparent regions of the first and second mask means is such that the transmissivity of the first and second mask to white light is substantially the same.

Claim 14

Apparatus for analyzing incident radiation comprising: a. means for spatially dispersing said incident radiation to form a dispersion of radiation in a plane, said dispersion being composed of radiation zones of maximum intensity alternating with radiation zones of minimum intensity, in the radiation spectrum, the spacing of the minimum intensity zones from each other as measured by wavelengths being non-identical to the spacing of the maximum intensity zones from each other as measured by wavelengths, said maximum intensity zones and minimum intensity zones being characteristic of a substance when the characteristic spectra of said substance are present in the incident radiation, b. first mask means having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said regions being correlated with said maximum intensity zones of said dispersion, c. second mask means, non-identical to the first mask means, having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said last mentioned regions being correlated with said minimum intensity zones of said dispersion, said first and second mask means being positioned in said plane, d. means for cyclically passing said dispersed radiation alternatively through said first mask means and said second mask means, said first and second mask means respectively being aligned with said maximum intensity zones and minimum intensity zones of said dispersion, e. a photo-detector positioned for receiving light which has passed through said mask means, the photodetector producing an output signal proportioned to the intensity of the light shining upon it, said output signal being modulated by an alternating current signal when said characteristic spectra are present in the incident radiation, f. means coupled to the photo-detector for amplifying said alternating current signal separately from other components of said output signal, and g. means coupled to said amplifying means for measuring the level of the amplified alternating current signal independently of other components in said output signal.

Claim 15

Apparatus for analyzing incident radiation comprising: a. means for spatially dispersing said incident radiation to form a dispersion of radiation in a plane, said dispersion being composed of radiation zones of maximum intensity alternating with radiation zones of minimum intensity, in the radiation spectrum, the spacing of the minimum intensity zones from each other as measured by wavelengths being non-identical to the spacing of the maximum intensity zones from each other as measured by wavelengths, said maximum intensity zones and minimum intensity zones being characteristic of a substance when the characteristic spectra of said substance are present in the incident radiation, b. first mask means having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said regions being correlated with said maximum intensity zones of said dispersion, c. second mask means, non-identical to the first mask means, having a plurality of relatively opaque and transparent regions, said last mentioned regions being correlated with said minimum intensity zones of said dispersion, said first and second mask means being positioned in said plane, d. means for cyclically passing said dispersed radiation alternatively through said first mask means and said second mask means, said first and second mask means respectively being aligned with said maximum intensity zones and minimum intensity zones of said dispersion, e. a photo-detector positioned for receiving light which has passed through said mask means, the photodetector producing an output signal proportioned to the intensity of the light shining upon it, said output signal being modulated by an alternating current signal when said characteristic spectra are present in the incident radiation, f. means coupled to the photo-detector for amplifying said alternating current signal separately from other components of said output signal, and g. means coupled to said amplifying means for measuring the level of the amplified alternating current signal independently of other components in said output signal.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said radiation zones of maximum intensity are spaced non-uniform numbers of wavelengths apart and said regions of said first mask means are spaced corresponding non-uniform distances apart.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said minimum intensity zones are spaced non-uniform numbers of wavelengths apart and said regions of said second mask means are spaced corresponding non-uniform distances apart.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said radiation zones of maximum intensity are spaced non-uniform numbers of wavelengths apart and said region of said first mask means are spaced corresponding non-uniform distances apart, and said minimum intensity zones are spaced non-Uniform numbers of wavelengths apart and said regions of said second mask means are spaced non-uniform distances apart corresponding to the last mentioned non-uniform numbers of wavelengths apart.