# US 12,085,500 B2 · Reference switch architectures for noncontact sensing of substances

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- Number: US 12,085,500 B2
- Document ID: US12085500B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/111,740
- Filed: 2023-02-20
- Published: 2023-06-29
- Granted: 2024-09-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-01
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Miikka M. Kangas; Mark Alan Arbore; David I. Simon; Michael J. Bishop; James W. Hillendahl; Robert Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12085500B2

## CPC

- G01N 21/276: {with alternation of sample and standard in optical path}
- 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 3/32: Investigating bands of a spectrum in sequence by a single detector
- G01J 3/36: Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
- G01J 3/42: Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry (beam switching arrangements G01J3/08)
- G01J 3/433: Modulation spectrometry; Derivative spectrometry
- G01J 3/447: Polarisation spectrometry
- G01N 21/35: using infrared light (G01N21/39 takes precedence)
- G01N 21/474: {Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres}
- G01N 21/4785: {Standardising light scatter apparatus; Standards therefor}
- G02B 3/0056: {arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085)}
- G02B 21/0004: {specially adapted for specific applications}
- G02B 21/0092: {Polarisation microscopes}
- G02B 21/086: {for transillumination only}
- G02B 21/18: Arrangements with more than one light path, e.g. for comparing two specimens
- G02B 21/361: {Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor (G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups)}
- G02B 26/04: by periodically varying the intensity of light, e.g. using choppers (shutters, diaphragms for cameras G03B9/00; devices for eliminating or reducing the effect of flicker in projection systems G03B21/40)
- G02B 27/0018: {with means for preventing ghost images (anti-reflection coatings G02B1/11)}
- G01N 21/21: Polarisation-affecting properties (G01N21/19 takes precedence)
- G01N 21/49: within a body or fluid
- G01N 2021/4709: {Backscatter}
- G01N 2021/4778: {Correcting variations in front distance}
- G01N 2201/0221: Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
- G01N 2201/12707: Pre-test of apparatus, e.g. dark test, sensor test
- G01N 2201/12723: Self check capacity; automatic, periodic step of checking
- 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

This relates to systems and methods for measuring a concentration and type of substance in a sample at a sampling interface. The systems can include a light source, optics, one or more modulators, a reference, a detector, and a controller. The systems and methods disclosed can be capable of accounting for drift originating from the light source, one or more optics, and the detector by sharing one or more components between different measurement light paths. Additionally, the systems can be capable of differentiating between different types of drift and eliminating erroneous measurements due to stray light with the placement of one or more modulators between the light source and the sample or reference. Furthermore, the systems can be capable of detecting the substance along various locations and depths within the sample by mapping a detector pixel and a microoptics to the location and depth in the sample.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light measurement system for measuring concentration of a substance, the system comprising:
a light source configured to emit light into a sample;
a lens located at an interface of the system and configured to receive a first portion of the light from a first location within the sample and a second portion of the light from a second location within the sample;
a detector comprising a first detector pixel and second detector pixel; and
an optics unit comprising:
a first optics configured to receive the first portion of the light from the lens and direct the first portion of the light to the first detector pixel; and
a second optics configured to receive the second portion of the light from the lens and direct the second portion of the light to the second detector pixel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light measurement system of claim 1, wherein:
the light comprises a first light that is emitted into the sample and a second light that is emitted toward a reference; and
the optics unit comprises a third optics that receives the second light from the reference and directs the second light to the detector.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The light measurement system of claim 2, wherein the third optics directs a first portion of the second light to the first detector pixel and a second portion of the second light to the second detector pixel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The light measurement system of claim 2, wherein the reference comprises a reflector comprising a titanium, cobalt, niobium, tungsten, nickel chrome, titanium tungsten, chrome, aluminum, gold or silver material, or combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light measurement system of claim 1, wherein the lens comprises:
a first output region configured to receive the first portion of the light from the first location within the sample and direct the first portion of the light to the first optics; and
a second output region configured to receive the second portion of the light from the second location within the sample and direct the second portion of the light to the second optics.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The light measurement system of claim 1, wherein the lens comprises a Fresnel lens.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The light measurement system of claim 1, wherein:
the optics unit comprises a microoptics unit having an array of microlenses; and
the first optics is a first microlens of the array of microlenses; and
the second optics is a second microlens of the array of microlenses.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The light measurement system of claim 7, wherein:
the microoptics unit comprises a substrate; and
each microlens in the array of microlenses is attached to the substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The light measurement system of claim 7, wherein microlenses of the array of microlenses are separated by a patterned aperture comprising opaque section between the microlenses.

### Claim 10

A light measurement system, comprising:
a light source configured to emit a first light into a sample and a second light toward a reference;
a lens located at an interface of the system and configured to receive the first light from the sample;
a detector comprising a first detector pixel and second detector pixel; and
an optics unit comprising:
a first optics configured to receive the first light from the lens and direct the first light to the first detector pixel; and
a second optics configured receive the second light from the reference and direct a first portion of the second light to the first detector pixel and a second potion of the second light to the second detector pixel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The light measurement system of claim 10, wherein:
the lens is configured to receive a first portion of the first light from a first location within the sample and a second portion of the first light from a second location within the sample;
the first optics is configured to receive the first portion of the first light and direct the first portion of the first light to the first detector pixel;
the optics unit further comprises a third optics that is configured to receive the second portion of the first light and direct the second portion of the first light to the second detector pixel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The light measurement system of claim 10, wherein the optics unit comprises an array of the microlenses attached to a substrate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the optics unit comprises a light blocker that is configured to block stray light from reaching the detector.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the light blocker comprises a light absorbing material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The light measurement system of claim 10, wherein:
the optics unit comprises a microoptics unit comprising an array of microlenses;
the detector comprises a plurality of detector pixels; and
each microlens is optically coupled to a detector pixel of the plurality of detector pixels to form lens-pixel pair.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The light measurement system of claim 15, wherein each lens-pixel pair is associated with a different location in the sample.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The light measurement system of claim 10, further comprising an aperture positioned between the lens and the optics unit, wherein:
the aperture has a first opening along a first path of the first light; and
the aperture has a second opening along a second path of the second light.

### Claim 18

A system for measuring concentration of a substance in a sample, the system comprising:
a light source configured to emit light into the sample;
a plurality of output regions location at an interface of the system and configured to receive the light from the sample;
a detector comprising a plurality of detector pixels; and
a microoptics unit comprising an array of microlenses; wherein
each output region is optically coupled to a microlens of the microoptics unit;
each output region transmits a portion of the light associated with a different region of the sample to a respective microlens; and
each microlens is optically coupled to a detector pixel of the plurality of detector pixels.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, further comprising a reference, wherein:
the light comprises a first light emitted into the sample and a second light emitted to the reference; and
the microoptics unit is configured to receive the second light from the reference and direct it to the detector.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein:
the microoptics unit comprises a reference optic in the array of microlenses; and
the reference optic is configured to receive the second light and direct the second light to the plurality of detector pixels.