Spatially homogenizing optical modulator
AssigneeWaters Associates, Inc.
InventorWilliam W. Carson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus of the type including a light source directing a light beam through a measurement zone to a detector, wherein movement of the beam in a measurement direction with respect to the detector gives an indication of the measurement made in the zone, the improvement wherein the position of the beam with respect to the measurement zone is modulated through a preselected amplitude in a modulation direction, the amplitude being independent of light beam movements at the light source or in the path of the beam between the source and the modulating means, whereby the measurement can be made substantially independent of the beam movements in the modulating direction.
Claims21
In apparatus of the type including a light source directing a light beam through a measurement zone to a detector, wherein movement of said beam in a measurement direction with respect to said detector gives an indication of the measurement made in said zone, the improvement comprising:
- means for modulating, through a preselected amplitude in a first modulation direction, the position of said beam with respect to said measurement zone, said amplitude being independent of light beam movements at said light source or in the path of said beam between said source and said modulating means,
- whereby said measurement can be made substantially independent of said beam movements in said modulation direction.
In apparatus of the type including a light source directing a light beam through a measurement zone to a detector, wherein movement of said beam in a measurement direction with respect to said detector gives an indication of the measurement made in said zone, the improvement comprising
- means for permitting said light beam to pass unfocused in selected planes from said light source through said measurement zone to said detector, wherein said means includes
- lens means for focusing said light beam generally only in said measurement direction and
- masking means for blocking portions of said light beam so that light from individual points on said source is spread at the detector into lines of light at the detector,
- whereby variation in the intensity of said light source along the unfocused direction does not substantially affect the measurement at said detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.