Identifying substances stored in containers utilizing a portable Raman probe
AssigneeWasatch Photonics, Inc.
InventorsDavid John Creasey, Elroy Louis Pearson, Jonathan Mark Faircloth, Dieter Bingemann
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a portable Raman probe that uses axicon lenses (“axicons”), grating axicons (“graxicons”), and other optical elements to collect spectra from substances behind non-opaque barriers using off-axis techniques. The portable Raman probe can also include a Raman spectrometer to analyze the collected spectra, and a spectra refinement machine-learning model to generate refined spectra from raw or noisy collected samples.
Claims20
A portable Raman probe comprising:
- a grating axicon surrounding a collection lens that accepts a path of light and directs the path of light out of the portable Raman probe toward a focal point, wherein the grating axicon includes a substantially planar first surface that receives light and a substantially planar second surface opposite the substantially planar first surface that transmits the light out of the portable Raman probe toward the focal point;
- the collection lens that receives excited light that scatters or fluoresces off of a substance beyond a non-opaque container barrier;
- and
- a spectra refinement machine-learning model that generates a refined spectrum from a noisy spectrum associated with the excited light collected by a spectrometer by reducing noise and fluorescence from noisy spectra.
A method for identifying substances stored in non-opaque containers, comprising:
- emitting light via a grating axicon of a portable Raman probe toward a focal point associated with a substance located beyond a non-opaque container barrier, wherein the grating axicon includes a substantially planar first surface that receives the light and a substantially planar second surface opposite the substantially planar first surface that transmits the light out of the portable Raman probe toward the focal point;
- receiving, by a collection lens of the portable Raman probe, excited light that scattered or fluoresced off of the substance beyond the non-opaque container barrier;
- and
- generating a refined spectrum from a noisy spectrum associated with the excited light collected by a spectrometer by utilizing a spectra refinement machine-learning model that is trained to reduce noise and fluorescence from noisy spectra.
A portable Raman spectrometer probe comprising:
- a light source that generates a ring of light;
- a grating axicon surrounding a collection lens that accepts the ring of light and directs the ring of light out of the portable Raman spectrometer probe toward a focal point associated with a substance located beyond a non-opaque container barrier, wherein the grating axicon includes a substantially planar first surface that receives light and a substantially planar second surface opposite the substantially planar first surface that transmits the light out of the portable Raman spectrometer probe toward the focal point;
- the collection lens that receives excited light that scatters or fluoresces off of the substance beyond the non-opaque container barrier;
- a spectra refinement machine-learning model that generates a refined spectrum from a noisy spectrum associated with the excited light collected by a spectrometer by reducing noise and fluorescence from noisy spectra;
- and
- a spectrometer that processes the refined spectrum to generate a spectral analysis of the substance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.