Spectroscopy apparatus and methods
AssigneeRenishaw PLC
InventorThomas Anthony MASON
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Abstract
This invention concerns spectroscopy apparatus comprising a light source arranged to generate a light profile on a sample, a photodetector having at least one photodetector element for detecting characteristic light generated from interaction of the sample with light from the light source, a support for supporting the sample, the support movable relative to the light profile, and a processing unit. The processing unit is arranged to associate a spectral value recorded by the photodetector element at a particular time with a point on the sample predicted to have generated the characteristic light recorded by the photodetector element at the particular time based on. relative motion anticipated to have occurred between the support and the light profile.
Claims17
A spectroscopy apparatus comprising:
- a light source for generating a light profile on a sample;
- a photodetector having at least one photodetector element for detecting characteristic light generated from interaction of the sample with light from the light source;
- a stage for supporting the sample, the stage being movable relative to the light profile;
- a stage controller configured to control relative movement of the stage and the light profile;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- communicate with the stage controller cause the stage controller to move the light profile relative to the sample in a predetermined continuous motion;
- control the photodetector such that the at least one photodetector element records a plurality of spectral values during the predetermined continuous motion, each spectral value being recorded for a corresponding sampling interval;
- read out one of the spectral values from the photodetector synchronously with recording another of the spectral values with the at least one photodetector element;
- and
- associate each spectral value with a corresponding given region on the sample predicted to have generated the characteristic light, the given region being extrapolated from (i) a known position of the stage relative to the light profile at a different time to when the spectral value was recorded by the at least one photodetector element, (ii) the predetermined continuous motion between the sample and the light profile, and (iii) a size of the sampling interval.
The spectroscopy apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to determine velocity of the stage from the positions detected by the sensor and use the determined velocity to determine the time at which each given region on the sample is illuminated by the light profile to generate characteristic light on the at least one photodetector element.
The spectroscopy apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the sampling intervals during which the at least one photodetector element records the spectral value is shorter than a detection time interval between which detected positions of the stage are reported to the processor from the sensor.
A method of carrying out spectroscopy on a sample, the method comprising:
- moving the sample relative to a light profile in a predetermined continuous motion such that the light profile successively illuminates a plurality of given regions on the sample;
- detecting, with a photodetector element of a photodetector, characteristic light generated from the given regions through interaction of the sample with light forming the light profile such that the photodetector element records a plurality of spectral values during the predetermined continuous motion, each spectral value being recorded for a corresponding sampling interval;
- reading out one of the spectral values from the photodetector synchronously with recording another of the spectral values with the photodetector element;
- and
- associating each spectral value with a corresponding given region on the sample predicted to have generated the characteristic light, the given region being extrapolated from (i) a known position of the stage relative to the light profile at a different time to when the spectral value was recorded by the photodetector element, (ii) the predetermined continuous motion between the sample and the light profile, and (iii) a size of the sampling intervals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.