Phytoluminometer
AssigneePhotonucleonics NDT, Inc.
InventorMahesh M. Koppikar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hand-held, battery operated, single photon sensitivity phytoluminometer is claimed for rapid, simple nondestructive, noninvasive evaluation of photosynthetic topography in green leaves. All the steps for generating phytoluminescence are performed within a single, light tight enclosure. The sensitivity of the instrument is such that stress induced changes in photosynthesis can be detected seconds after occurrence. Thus phytoluminography is made an easily applied technique for practical use by all those concerned with plant life.
Claims52
A portable phytoluminometer, for producing a visible image of a two-dimensional distribution of active photosynthetic sites in a green leaf by using the photoluminescence of such sites as the illumination reproduced in the image, comprising means for supporting said leaf in generally flat disposition, means for having the leaf in direct contact with an optical input surface, means for detecting said photoluminescence at each of said sites in said distribution, and means for producing a visible image which is directly and accurately representative of said distribution of sites by using said detected photoluminescence, said means together comprising at least one apparatus of sufficiently small size and low weight to be readily transportable and operated by a single individual and including a lightweight self-contained power supply carried therewith, said means further comprising at least one electron-amplifying image-intensifier powered by said supply.
A method of imaging luminescent samples, comprising the steps:
- positioning a selected luminescent sample in direct contact with the optical input surface of a light transmissive member and directly optically coupling said input surface to at least a first stage of image intensification by using a bundle of fused coherent self-focussing optical fibers;
- converting luminescent light energy from said sample into a corresponding electron flow and amplifying said electron flow in at least said first stage of image intensification;
- converting the amplified electron flow into light energy of substantially greater magnitude than that initially obtained from said sample by coupling the output of said image intensification stage to a solid-state conversion device, and displaying the resulting light energy from said conversion as a visible image of at least a portion of said sample on an optically transmissive output member which is directly coupled optically to said conversion device by mutual physical contact therebetween.
A small, lightweight, manually-transportable, real-time imaging device of high sensitivity, comprising in combination:
- solid-state optical input means having a light-transmissible surface adapted for direct optical coupling with an examination subject;
- at least one stage of electron-multiplication image intensification;
- means for establishing direct optical coupling between said input means and said at least one stage of image intensification;
- and solid-state output means directly optically coupled to the last of said at least one stage of image intensification, for visually displaying a real-time image of said examination subject;
- at least one of said two stages of image intensification including a photocathode and means for maintaining said photocathode at an electrical potential close to that of ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.