Apparatus for reflecting an incident ray of electromagnetic radiation
Assignee12180235 Canada Ltd.
InventorsDavid Allan Prystupa, John Stephen Pacak
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Abstract
A flow through photochemistry apparatus and methods of use are disclosed in the present application. One or more reactant materials are passed through a reaction chamber and are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The reaction chamber has reflective walls arranged to reflect electromagnetic radiation across the volume of the chamber a plurality of times, thereby increasing the probability of the electromagnetic radiation interacting with the reactive materials. The reaction chamber may be used for sterilization and photochemistry applications.
Claims20
A method for reflecting an incident ray of electromagnetic radiation comprising:
- providing a dielectric mirror formed by plurality of layers of dielectric materials arranged in a stack;
- wherein the stack has a first area arranged with selected thicknesses of the layers such that the incident ray of electromagnetic radiation is reflected by the stack if the angle of incidence of the ray falls within a first predetermined range of angles and is transmitted through the stack if the angle of incidence of the ray falls in a different predetermined range of angles;
- and wherein the stack has a second area arranged with selected thicknesses of the layers such that the incident ray of-electromagnetic radiation is reflected by the stack if the angle of incidence of the ray falls within a second predetermined range of angles different from the first predetermined range of angles and is transmitted through the stack if the angle of incidence of the ray falls in a different predetermined range of angles.
A method for applying electromagnetic radiation to reactant materials in a reaction chamber comprising:
- introducing the electromagnetic radiation into the reaction chamber;
- and increasing the probability of interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the reactant materials by using multiple reflections to increase the optical path length of the electromagnetic radiation through the reaction chamber;
- wherein the electromagnetic radiation is UV light at a selected wavelength;
- and wherein at least one reflective surface of the reaction chamber comprises a dielectric mirror;
- wherein an electric field is generated in the reaction chamber and said electric field enhances absorption of the electromagnetic radiation by said reactant materials.
A method for applying electromagnetic radiation to reactant materials in a reaction chamber comprising:
- introducing the electromagnetic radiation into the reaction chamber;
- and increasing the probability of interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the reactant materials by using multiple reflections to increase the optical path length of the electromagnetic radiation through the reaction chamber;
- wherein the reaction chamber includes at least a portion formed by a dielectric mirror defined by layers carried on a substrate;
- wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a selected wavelength selected so that the dielectric mirror reflects the electromagnetic radiation at the selected wavelength at a first value;
- and using a further electromagnetic radiation to obtain information relating to the reactant materials where the further electromagnetic radiation has a further wavelength different from said selected wavelength at which the dielectric mirror reflects the electromagnetic radiation at the further wavelength at a value less than the reflection of the electromagnetic radiation at the selected wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.