US 5,473,427 AGranted

Spectrophotometer

AssigneeUnicam Limited

InventorsRoger J. Riley, Murray A. Creeke, Charles V. Perkins, Daran A. Sadler

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Abstract

A spectrophotometer using a charge coupled device array as an image receiver characterised in that an image of its entrance slit is tilted with respect to columns of pixels in the charge coupled device array and in which the height of the image of the entrance slit on the charge coupled device array is arranged to extend over two or more rows of pixels so that the image of the entrance slit is skewed over pixels in two adjacent columns. Means are provided to analyse the output of the pixels to provide information on the intensity distribution of each spectral line with respect to wavelength having a resolution greater than that of the pitch of the pixels in each row of the charge coupled device array. Preferably, the pixels of the charge coupled device array are arranged in perpendicular columns and rows and the image of the entrance slit is tilted with respect to columns of the charge coupled device array so that the rows of pixels on the charge coupled device array are generally aligned with the dispersion direction of the or each spectral order.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a spectrophotometer having an entrance slit, means providing spectral dispersion and a charge coupled device array as an image receiver, said charge coupled device array having a plurality of pixels arranged at a predetermined pitch in columns and rows with each of said pixels having an output, and wherein the height of an image of said entrance slit on said charged coupled device array, is arranged to extend over two or more rows of said pixels of said charge coupled device array, said spectrophotometer also having means to analyze said outputs of said pixels of said charge coupled device array to provide information on spectral lines, the improvement wherein said image of said entrance slit is tilted with respect to said columns of said pixels in said charge coupled device array whereby said image of said entrance slit is skewed over pixels in two adjacent columns and wherein said means to analyze said outputs of said pixels provides information on the intensity distribution of each said spectral line with respect to wavelength having a resolution greater than that of said pitch of said pixels in each said row of said charge coupled device array.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.