# US 11,112,392 B2 · DMD based UV absorption detector for liquid chromatography

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- Number: US 11,112,392 B2
- Document ID: US11112392B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/597,191
- Filed: 2019-10-09
- Published: 2020-02-13
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-03
- Assignees: Waters Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: Waters Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Anthony C. Jeannotte; Daniel Gillund; Aditya Shankar Prasad; Saksham Saxena
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112392B2

## CPC

- G01N 30/95: Detectors specially adapted therefor; Signal analysis
- G01J 1/429: {applied to measurement of ultraviolet light (using counting tubes G01T)}
- G01J 3/00: Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours
- G01J 3/0208: {using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction}
- G01J 3/021: {using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors}
- G01J 3/0218: {using optical fibers}
- G01J 3/0262: {Constructional arrangements for removing stray light}
- G01J 3/0286: {Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by temperature, humidity or pressure, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a spectrometer, e.g. vacuum}
- G01J 3/0291: {Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements}
- G01J 3/04: Slit arrangements {slit adjustment}
- G01J 3/10: Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
- G01J 3/18: using diffraction elements, e.g. grating (gratings per se G02B)
- G01J 3/28: Investigating the spectrum (using colour filters G01J3/51)
- G01J 3/2803: {using photoelectric array detector}
- G01J 3/42: Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry (beam switching arrangements G01J3/08)
- G01N 21/31: Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)}
- G01N 30/74: Optical detectors {(measurement of intensity, velocity, spectral content, polarisation, or phase of infrared, visible or ultraviolet light G01J)}
- G01J 2003/1213: {Filters in general, e.g. dichroic, band}
- G01J 2003/2866: {Markers; Calibrating of scan}
- G01N 21/05: Flow-through cuvettes (G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10)
- G01N 2021/3181: {using LEDs}
- G02B 26/0841: {the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means}
- 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)
- 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)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A detector for use in liquid chromatography is provided. The detector includes a light delivery system comprising a light source that emits one or more spectral lines of light of a light spectrum. The detector has an entrance slit configured to receive the one or more spectral lines of light and a wavelength selection module comprising a digital micro-mirror device. The digital micro-mirror device is configured to redirect the one or more spectral lines of light to a flow cell. The flow cell is optically connected to the wavelength selection module.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A detector for liquid chromatography comprising:
a light delivery system comprising a light source that emits light having a plurality of wavelengths; and
a wavelength selection module optically coupled to the light delivery system, the wavelength selection module comprising:
a first spectrally dispersive optical element to receive the light from the light delivery system and to provide diffracted light having a linear dispersion of the wavelengths;
a digital micro-mirror device configured to receive the diffracted light and to selectively reflect two or more of the wavelengths into an output beam; and
an optical output subsystem optically coupled to the digital micro-mirror device to receive the output beam from the digital micro-mirror device and provide a single image that simultaneously includes the two or more wavelengths in the output beam.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 further comprising a flow cell disposed along an optical path between the light delivery system and the wavelength selection module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 further comprising a flow cell disposed to receive the output beam of the wavelength selection module.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 wherein the optical output subsystem comprises at least one focusing element and a spectrally dispersive optical element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 further comprising a focusing element that optically couples the light delivery system to the wavelength selection module.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 wherein the linear dispersion of the wavelengths is an angular dispersion of the wavelengths in the diffracted light provided by the first spectrally dispersive optical element.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 wherein the first spectrally dispersive optical element comprises a focusing element and a grating.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 wherein the first spectrally dispersive optical element is a concave grating.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1, wherein the output beam of the wavelength selection module includes one or more wavelengths selected to match one or more spectral absorption features of an analyte of interest.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1, wherein the wavelength selection module further comprises an optical attenuator.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1, wherein the digital micro-mirror device is configurable as a variable slit having a dynamically defined width and a height.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1, wherein the digital micro-mirror device is a first digital micro-mirror device and wherein the wavelength selection module further comprises a second digital micro-mirror device disposed between the light delivery system and the spectrally dispersive optical element, the second digital micro-mirror device having a plurality of micro-mirrors configurable to define a variable entrance slit having a width and a height determined by an orientation of a plurality of the micro-mirrors.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1, wherein the digital micro-mirror device is a first digital micro-mirror device and wherein the wavelength selection module further comprises a second digital micro-mirror device positioned to receive the output beam from the first digital micro-mirror device, the second digital micro-mirror device having a plurality of micro-mirrors configurable to define a variable exit slit having a width and a height determined by an orientation of a plurality of the micro-mirrors.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wavelengths includes a plurality of ultraviolet wavelengths.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 further comprising a light detector disposed at a location of the single image.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The detector of claim 15 wherein the second spectrally dispersive optical element is a grating.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The detector of claim 1 wherein the optical output subsystem comprises:
a first lens to receive the output beam and to provide, for each of the two or more wavelengths in the output beam, a collimated beam;
a second spectrally dispersive optical element in optical communication with the first lens to receive the two or more collimated beams and generate a diffracted beam wherein each of the collimated beams is parallel to each of the other collimated beams; and
a second lens in optical communication with the second spectrally dispersive optical element to focus each of the collimated beams at a common focus.