Method and apparatus for optical temperature measurements

Claim 1

A method for monitoring the temperature of a substance, the method comprising the steps of: contacting a temperature probe material with the substance, the temperature probe material having an excitation-dependent emission line whose fluorescence intensity varies directly with temperature whenever excited by light having a first wavelength, and where the excitation-dependent emission line has a fluorescence intensity that varies inversely with temperature whenever excited by light having a second wavelength, which is different from the first wavelength; alternatively illuminating the temperature probe material with a first illumination beam comprising light of the first wavelength and a second illumination beam comprising light of the second wavelength; measuring for successive periods of illumination by the first and second illumination beams the fluorescent intensity of the excitation-dependent emission line; computing a ratio of successively measured intensities; and relating the ratio of successively measured intensities to the temperature of the substance.

Claim 2

A method for monitoring the temperature of a substance, the method comprising the steps of: contacting a temperature probe material with the substance, the temperature probe material having an excitation-dependent emission line whose fluorescence intensity varies directly with temperature whenever excited by light having a first wavelength, and where the excitation-dependent emission line has a fluorescence intensity that varies inversely with temperature whenever excited by light having a second wavelength, which is different from the first wavelength; alternatively illuminating the temperature probe material with a first illumination beam comprising light of the first wavelength and a second illumination beam comprising light of the second wavelength; measuring for successive periods of illumination by the first and second illumination beams the fluorescent intensity of the excitation-dependent emission line; computing a ratio of successively measured intensities; and relating the ratio of successively measured intensities to the temperature of the substance.

Claim 8

An apparatus for monitoring temperature, the apparatus comprising: a fiber optic through which light from an associated light source is transmitted from a first end of the fiber optic to a second end of the fiber optic; a temperature probe material having an excitation-dependent emission line whose fluorescence intensity varies directly with temperature whenever excited by light having a first wavelength, and where the excitation-dependent emission line has a fluorescence intensity that varies inversely with temperature whenever excited by light having a second wavelength which is different from the first wavelength, the temperature probe material being attached to the second end of the fiber optic such that light from the associated light source emanating from the second end of the fiber optic impinges on the temperature probe material causing it to generate a fluorescent signal which is collected and transmitted to the first end of the fiber optic thus becoming a fluorescent signal collected and transmitted by the fiber optic; means adjacent to the first end of the fiber optic for separating light from the associated light source from the fluorescent signal collected and transmitted by the fiber optic; detection means adjacent to the separation means for collecting and analyzing the fluorescent signal generated by the temperature probe material and relating the fluorescence intensity from the first wavelength as compared with the fluorescence intensity from the second wavelength to the temperature; and wherein said associated light source alternately generates a first illumination beam having said first wavelength and a second illumination beam having said second wavelength.

Claim 9

An apparatus for monitoring temperature, the apparatus comprising: a fiber optic through which light from an associated light source is transmitted from a first end of the fiber optic to a second end of the fiber optic; a temperature probe material having an excitation-dependent emission line whose fluorescence intensity varies directly with temperature whenever excited by light having a first wavelength, and where the excitation-dependent emission line has a fluorescence intensity that varies inversely with temperature whenever excited by light having a second wavelength which is different from the first wavelength, the temperature probe material being attached to the second end of the fiber optic such that light from the associated light source emanating from the second end of the fiber optic impinges on the temperature probe material causing it to generate a fluorescent signal which is collected and transmitted to the first end of the fiber optic thus becoming a fluorescent signal collected and transmitted by the fiber optic; means adjacent to the first end of the fiber optic for separating light from the associated light source from the fluorescent signal collected and transmitted by the fiber optic; detection means adjacent to the separation means for collecting and analyzing the fluorescent signal generated by the temperature probe material and relating the fluorescence intensity from the first wavelength as compared with the fluorescence intensity from the second wavelength to the temperature; and wherein said associated light source alternately generates a first illumination beam having said first wavelength and a second illumination beam having said second wavelength.