# US 10,945,607 B2 · Spectroscope, optical inspection device and OCT device

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- Number: US 10,945,607 B2
- Document ID: US10945607B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/781,630
- Filed: 2016-12-13
- Published: 2020-08-20
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-15
- Assignees: Horiba, Ltd.
- Applicants: HORIBA, Ltd.
- Inventors: Seichi Sato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945607B2

## CPC

- A61B 3/10: Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
- A61B 5/0066: {Optical coherence imaging}
- A61B 5/0075: {by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence)}
- G01J 3/0208: {using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction}
- G01J 3/0218: {using optical fibers}
- G01J 3/0224: {using polarising or depolarising elements}
- G01J 3/108: {for measurement in the infrared range}
- G01J 3/18: using diffraction elements, e.g. grating (gratings per se G02B)
- G01N 21/17: Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated (where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63)
- G02B 5/1866: {Transmission gratings characterised by their structure, e.g. step profile, contours of substrate or grooves, pitch variations, materials (G02B5/1809, G02B5/1828, G02B5/1833, G02B5/1838 and G02B5/1847 take precedence)}
- G02B 27/4261: {having a diffractive element with major polarization dependent properties}
- A61B 3/102: {for optical coherence tomography [OCT]}
- A61B 3/1225: {using coherent radiation}
- A61B 5/0088: {for oral or dental tissue}
- A61B 2090/3614: {using optical fibre}
- A61B 2562/0233: Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
- G01J 2003/1291: {polarised, birefringent}
- G01J 2003/1861: {Transmission gratings}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- 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)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

This invention is to provide a spectroscope that can improve resolution and reduce loss of light intensity and/or distortion of a wave front while enabling detection of the optical spectrum for each of a plurality of polarization components in incident light. The spectroscope is a spectroscope that comprises a first diffraction grating 51 to which at least a transmitted light or a reflected light from an object to be measured enters, which diffracts a first polarization component of the incident light and which transmits a second polarization component that is different from the first polarization component of the incident light without diffraction, and a first light-receiving element 55 that receives a spectrum of the light diffracted by the first diffraction grating 51.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A spectroscope comprising
a first diffraction grating to which an incident light including at least a transmitted light or a reflected light from an object to be measured enters, which diffracts a first polarization component of the incident light, and which transmits a second polarization component of the incident light without diffraction, the second polarization component of the incident light being different from the first polarization component of the incident light,
a first light-receiving element that receives a spectrum of the first polarization component of the incident light diffracted by the first diffraction grating,
a second diffraction grating to which the second polarization component of the incident light transmitted through the first diffraction grating without diffraction enters and which diffracts the second polarization component of the incident light that is transmitted through the first diffraction grating, and
a second light-receiving element that receives a spectrum of the second polarization component of the incident light diffracted by the second diffraction grating,
wherein the first polarization component of the incident light received by the first light-receiving element does not pass through the second diffraction grating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The spectroscope described in claim 1, wherein
each of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating is a transmission type diffraction grating.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The spectroscope described in claim 1, and further comprising
a first lens arranged between the first diffraction grating and the first light-receiving element, and
a second lens arranged between the second diffraction grating and the second light-receiving element.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The spectroscope described in claim 1, wherein
the first polarization component is a TM polarization component and the second polarization component is a TE polarization component.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The spectroscope described in claim 1 further comprising
a first lens that is arranged between the first diffraction grating and the first light-receiving element, wherein
the spectrum of the first polarization component of the incident light received by the first light-receiving element is condensed by the first lens after being diffracted solely by the first diffraction grating and the second polarization component of the incident light that is transmitted through the first diffraction grating does not pass through the first lens.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The spectroscope described in claim 1 further comprising
a first polarizer that is arranged between the first diffraction grating and the first light-receiving element, wherein
the spectrum of the first polarization component of the incident light received by the first light-receiving element is transmitted by the first polarizer after being diffracted solely by the first diffraction grating and the second polarization component of the incident light that is transmitted through the first diffraction grating does not pass through the first polarizer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The spectroscope described in claim 1 further comprising
a polarizer disposed between the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating that receives the second polarization component of the incident light transmitted through the first diffraction grating, wherein the first polarization component of the incident light diffracted by the first diffraction grating does not pass through the polarizer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

An optical inspection device comprising
the spectroscope described in claim 1, and
a spectrum signal output part that outputs a spectrum signal indicating a distribution for each wavelength based on at least an output signal of the first light-receiving element.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

An OCT device comprising
the optical inspection device described in claim 8,
an optical fiber mechanism wherein the incident light that enters from a light incident end is emitted from a light emission end to the first diffraction grating,
a light source that emits a near infrared light,
a diverging mechanism that diverges the light that is emitted from the light source into a measurement light and a reference light,
a reference optical system that enters the reference light diverged by the diverging mechanism to the light incident end and
a measurement optical system that irradiates the measurement light diverged by the diverging mechanism on the object to be measured so as to enter the reflected light that generates on the object to be measured.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The OCT device described in claim 9 and further comprising
an analysis part that produces a first tomographic image based on the output signal of the first light-receiving element and produces a second tomographic image based on an output from the second light-receiving element.