Sensor device for detecting target particles by frustrated total internal reflection
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorJohannes Joseph Hubertina Barbara Schleipen
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Abstract
The invention relates to an optical sensor device (100) for detecting target particles (1) at a contact surface (12) of a carrier (11), said sensor device comprising a light source (21, 22) for emitting an input light beam (L1) into the carrier (11) such that it is totally internally reflected and partially scattered by target particles (1) at the contact surface (12) into an output light beam (L2). The sensor device further comprises an optical system (30) for directing said output light beam (L2) onto a light detector (50), wherein a filter (32) in the optical system (30) suppresses the components (L2d) of totally internally reflected light. The detector therefore primarily measures the fraction of scattered light (L2s).
Claims10
An optical sensor device (100) for the detection of target particles (1) at the contact surface (12) of a carrier (11), comprising:
- a) a light source (21, 22) for emitting an input light beam (L1) into the carrier (11) such that it is totally internally reflected at the contact surface (12) and partially scattered by target particles (1) at the contact surface (12) into an output light beam (L2);
- b) an optical system (30) for directing the output light beam (L2) onto a light detector (50), comprising a filter (32) for suppressing components (L2d) of totally internally reflected light.
A method for the detection of target particles (1) at the contact surface (12) of a carrier (11), comprising:
- a) the emission of an input light beam (L1) into the carrier (11) such that it is totally internally reflected at the contact surface (12) and partially scattered by target particles (1) at the contact surface (12) into an output light beam (L2);
- b) suppressing components (L2d) of totally internally reflected light in the output light beam (L2);
- c) detecting the amount of light in the residual output light beam (L2s).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.