Combined high spatial resolution and high total intensity selection optical train for laser spectroscopy

Claim 1

An optical assembly having a central aperture of radius RA specially adapted for simultaneously acquiring scattered light data, said optical assembly comprising: a focusing lens, having first and second faces, a focal length f, a radius RL, and having a hole bored concentrically therethrough from the first face to the second face; and first and second lens insert elements; said first lens insert element comprising an essentially hollow cylinder having first and second ends, said cylinder having an external diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole in the lens and an internal surface with an engaging means disposed on at least a portion thereof, and a flanged portion affixed perpendicular to the external surface of the cylinder near the second end, said flanged portion having a diameter no larger than 2 RL; said second lens insert element comprising an essentially solid cylinder having first and second ends with a hole of diameter 2 RA bored longitudinally therethrough, said cylinder having an external surface with an engaging means disposed thereon, adapted for engaging the internal surface of the first lens insert element, and a flanged portion affixed perpendicular to the external surface of the cylinder near the second end; said first and second lens insert elements having lengths such that when the first end of the first lens insert element is disposed into the hole in the lens from the first face of the lens and the first end of the second lens insert element is inserted into the first end of the first lens insert element and the engaging means thereon is engaged by the engaging means on the first lens insert element, the respective flanged portions of the first and second lens insert elements bear slightly upon the respective first and second faces of the lens.

Claim 15

A method for simultaneously acquiring total intensity and fluctuation light scattering data, said method comprising: causing a light beam to be emitted from a light source and to pass into a sample contained within a sample cell; aligning an optical train at a fixed angle θ from the incident axis of said light beam, said optical train disposed on a base and comprising: first and second optical assemblies, each having a central aperture of radius RA, and a focusing lens element with radius RL and focal length f, each said optical assembly being specially adapted for simultaneously acquiring scattered light data; an aperture element, said aperture element being essentially an opaque plate with an aperture of diameter 2 RA bored perpendicularly therethrough; first and second light detecting means; and first and second light analyzing means; said first optical assembly, second optical assembly, first light detecting means, aperture element and second light detecting means, aperture element and second light detecting means being disposed colinearly, in that order, upon the base along the axis off the scattered light beam, such tat each is centered upon the light beam, the first optical assembly being located one focal length f from the center of the sample cell, the first light detecting means being proximate to the second optical assembly, the aperture element being located one focal length f from the second optical assembly, and the second light detecting means being proximate to the aperture element; said first and second light detecting means communicated to first and second light analyzing means by conventional electrical wiring means, irrelevant of whether said first and second analyzing means are disposed upon said base; collecting simultaneously total intensity light data in the first light detecting means and fluctuation light data in the second light detecting means; communicating simultaneously said total intensity light data and said fluctuation light data via conventional electrical wiring means to respective first and second light analyzing means; and analyzing simultaneously said total intensity light data and said fluctuatioon light data in respective first and second light analyzing means.

Claim 16

A method for simultaneously acquiring total intensity and fluctuation light scattering data, said method comprising: causing a light beam to be emitted from a light source and to pass into a sample contained within a sample cell; aligning an optical train at a fixed angle θ from the incident axis of said light beam, said optical train disposed on a base and comprising: first and second optical assemblies, each having a central aperture of radius RA, and a focusing lens element with radius RL and focal length f, each said optical assembly being specially adapted for simultaneously acquiring scattered light data; an aperture element, said aperture element being essentially an opaque plate with an aperture of diameter 2 RA bored perpendicularly therethrough; first and second light detecting means; and first and second light analyzing means; said first optical assembly, second optical assembly, first light detecting means, aperture element and second light detecting means, aperture element and second light detecting means being disposed colinearly, in that order, upon the base along the axis off the scattered light beam, such tat each is centered upon the light beam, the first optical assembly being located one focal length f from the center of the sample cell, the first light detecting means being proximate to the second optical assembly, the aperture element being located one focal length f from the second optical assembly, and the second light detecting means being proximate to the aperture element; said first and second light detecting means communicated to first and second light analyzing means by conventional electrical wiring means, irrelevant of whether said first and second analyzing means are disposed upon said base; collecting simultaneously total intensity light data in the first light detecting means and fluctuation light data in the second light detecting means; communicating simultaneously said total intensity light data and said fluctuation light data via conventional electrical wiring means to respective first and second light analyzing means; and analyzing simultaneously said total intensity light data and said fluctuatioon light data in respective first and second light analyzing means.