Dual interferometer spectroscopic imaging system

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 further comprising positioning means for moving said sample relative to the first and second interferometers.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1, wherein the first interferometer means comprises: a1) a beam splitter for creating a partially transmitted and partially reflected beam from an incident beam; a2) a broadband radiation source for creating a broadband radiation beam incident upon the beam splitter such that the beam splitter creates a first transmitted beam and a first reflected beam; a3) a fixed mirror for reflecting the first transmitted beam back toward the beam splitter, so as to be split by the beam splitter into a second transmitted and a second reflected beam; and a4) a movable mirror being movable in a substantially uniform manner, for reflecting the first reflected beam back to the beam splitter so as to be split into a third transmitted beam and a third reflected beam such that the third transmitted beam constructively and destructively interferes with the second reflected beam to create a time modulated sample excitation beam having a plurality of frequencies, each frequency having an amplitude varying with time inversely according to its frequency.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, wherein the second interferometer means comprises: b1) a beam splitter for creating a partially transmitted and partially reflected beam from an incident beam; b2) a monochromatic radiation source for creating a radiation beam having a frequency which is reflected from said sample surface, the radiation beam being incident upon the beam splitter causing the beam splitter to create a first transmitted beam and a first reflected beam, the first transmitted beam being reflected off of said source surface back toward the beam splitter which is split by the beam splitter into a second transmitted and a second reflected beam; b3) a movable mirror, the movable mirror reflecting the first reflected beam back to the beam splitter which is split into a third transmitted beam and a third reflected beam such that the third transmitted beam constructively and destructively interferes with the second reflected beam creating a detection beam; and b4) a detection means for sensing the detection beam and determining changes in distance versus time between the second interferometer means and said sample surface.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3 further comprising mirror control means for controlling motion of the movable mirror of the first interferometer and providing information regarding the motion of the movable mirror to the image formation means.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4, wherein said detection means simultaneously determines changes in distance between the interferometer means and a plurality of points on said sample surface versus time from the detection beam, thereby obtaining spatially resolved information from the irradiated portion of said sample surface.

Claim 8

The system of claim 6 including means for generating images of said sample surface from the detected changes in distances versus time obtained by said detection means in response to broadband sample excitation beam generated by the first interferometer means.

Claim 9

The system of claim 3, wherein the broadband radiation source comprises means for generating radiation at a wavelength in one of the group of wavelengths consisting of: infra-red wavelengths, visible light wavelengths and ultra-violet wavelengths.

Claim 10

The system of claim 4, wherein the monochromatic radiation source of the second interferometer is a laser.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1, wherein the image formation means includes Fourier transformation means for calculating Fourier transform values of the detected changes in distance versus time for at least one point of the irradiated portion of said sample surface to generate an absorption spectrum for the at least one point.

Claim 12

The system of claim 10 further including an output device for creating an image indicating distribution of a desired chemical type from the absorption spectrum of sample at the at least one point.