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US 2026/0029344 A1Published application
Autofluorescence enhanced photothermal infrared spectroscopy
AssigneePhotothermal Spectroscopy Corp.
InventorCraig Prater
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems described herein detect autofluorescence of a sample. These methods and systems obviate the need for addition of fluorophores to samples to create IR absorption
Claims27
A method for performing infrared imaging of a sample, the method comprising:
- illuminating a first region of the sample with an infrared source that generates a modulated infrared beam;
- illuminating the sample with a beam of excitation radiation to excite autofluorescent emission in a second region at least partially overlapping the first region;
- detecting at least a portion of the autofluorescent emission from the second region by at least one array-based detector as detected autofluorescent emission;
- producing a first frame autofluorescent dataset of the second region using the detected autofluorescent emission of the sample with a first value of infrared beam energy;
- producing a second frame autofluorescent dataset of the second region using the detected autofluorescent emission at a second value of infrared beam energy;
- and
- constructing an output indicative of infrared absorption of the sample using the first frame autofluorescent dataset and the second frame autofluorescent dataset.
4 more elements
An apparatus for performing infrared imaging of a sample, the apparatus comprising:
- an excitation radiation source configured to illuminate a region of the sample with a beam of excitation radiation to excite autofluorescent emission in the sample;
- a modulated infrared source configured to illuminate the region of the sample with a modulated infrared beam to create an infrared illuminated region of the sample;
- at least one array-based detector configured to capture at least a portion of the autofluorescent emission from the infrared illuminated region of the sample and produce a first frame autofluorescent image of the region of the sample with a first value of infrared beam energy and produce a second frame autofluorescent image of the infrared illuminated region of the sample at a second value of infrared beam energy;
- and
- a processor configured to construct a signal indicative of infrared absorption of the region of the sample using the first and second frame autofluorescent images.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.