# US 10,481,000 B2 · Apparatus and method for evaluation of spectral properties of a measurement object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,000 B2 - Document ID: US10481000B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/953,895 - Filed: 2018-04-16 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-16 - Applicants: Reinhard März; Gustav Müller - Inventors: Reinhard März; Gustav Müller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481000B2 ## CPC - G01J 3/24: using gratings profiled to favour a specific order - G01J 3/108: {for measurement in the infrared range} - G01J 3/1895: {using fiber Bragg gratings or gratings integrated in a waveguide} - G01J 3/2803: {using photoelectric array detector} - G01J 3/36: Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors - G01N 21/3563: for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor - G01J 2003/102: {Plural sources} - G01N 2201/0627: Use of several LED's for spectral resolution - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for evaluating spectral properties of a measurement object. It comprises a plurality of light emission units, each emitting light with a predetermined emission spectrum and having a respective output configured for emitting the light with the predetermined emission spectrum onto the measurement object, an optical spectrograph having an input port adapted to receive light from the measurement object and a diffraction unit adapted to distribute different wavelengths of the received light to different output ports comprising the optical detectors, wherein the diffraction unit is adapted to distribute said received light to the respective output ports such that the lights in the respective output port have different wavelengths at different diffraction orders; a signal identification unit adapted to identify which of the light emission units contribute to the respective light in the respective output ports. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measurement apparatus (100) for evaluating spectral properties of a measurement object (1); comprising: a plurality of light emission units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K), each emitting light with a predetermined emission spectrum and having a respective output configured for emitting the light with the predetermined emission spectrum onto the measurement object (1); an optical spectrograph (3) having an input port (40) adapted to receive light from the measurement object (1) and a diffraction unit (3-1) adapted to distribute different wavelengths of the received light to different output ports (41-1, 41-2, . . . 41-N) comprising optical detectors; the diffraction unit (3-1) adapted to distribute said received light to the respective output ports (41-1, 41-2, . . . 41-N) such that the lights in the respective output port have different wavelengths at different diffraction orders; and a signal identification unit (6) adapted to identify which of the light emission units contribute to the respective light in the respective output ports. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (5) adapted to control the plurality of light emission units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) to emit light onto the measurement object (1) sequentially in time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit (5) adapted to control the plurality of light emission units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) to emit light onto the measurement object (1) simultaneously in time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (5) adapted to control the plurality of light emission units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) to emit light onto the measurement object (1) simultaneously in time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal identification unit (6) is a N-channel heterodyne receiver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) are adapted to emit light in respectively different wavelength ranges corresponding to the diffraction orders of the diffraction unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said diffraction unit (3-1) is an arrayed waveguide grating. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) are one or more selected from the group consisting of a pumped broadband fiber source, a LED, a RED, a RCLED, a ELED, a SLED, a semiconductor laser and a VCSEL. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light identification unit (6) comprises a plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said amplifiers comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of a lock-in amplifier, a boxcar amplifier and a correlator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) emit light in the near infrared region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the lights of the light emitting units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) are in the near infrared region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the lights of the light emitting units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) are in the near infrared region. ### Claim 14 A method for evaluating spectral properties of a measurement object (1), comprising the following steps emitting (S1), by a plurality of light emission units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K), lights with predetermined emission spectra onto the measurement object (1); directing (S2), the lights from the measurement object (1) onto an optical spectrograph (3); distributing (S3), by the optical spectrograph (3) having a diffraction unit (3-1), different wavelengths of the light received from the measurement object (1) to different output ports (41-1, 41-2, . . . 41-N) such that the lights in the respective output port have different wavelengths at different diffraction orders; and detecting (S4), by optical detectors at the output ports (41-1, 41-2, . . . 41-N), the lights; and identifying (S5), by a signal identification unit (6), which of the light emission units contribute to the respective light in the respective output ports. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the lights from the plurality of light emission units (2-2, 2-1, . . . 2-K) are emitted onto the measurement object (1) sequentially in time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the lights from the plurality of light emission units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) is emitted onto the measurement object (1) simultaneously in time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein said identifying step comprises amplifying output signals of the optical detectors, wherein the amplification is done by using a lock-in amplifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the lights from the plurality of light emission units (2-1, 2-2, . . . 2-K) are emitted in different wavelength ranges corresponding to the diffraction orders of the diffraction unit (3-1).