US 5,737,076 AGranted

Method and apparatus for determining substances and/or the properties thereof

OwnerUlrich Walter Glaus, Martin Labhart +1inventors

InventorsUlrich Walter Glaus, Martin Labhart, Heinz Wagner

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Abstract

The invention relates to a procedure for determining an identification of a sample of material, or its properties. Electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source (1) is reflected or transmitted through the sample. The radiation from the sample is collected and analyzed over several channels (7, 7', 7"), which modulate the radiation with a spectral transmission function which is unique for each channel. The modulated radiation is transmitted to one or several detectors (9, 9', 9") which produce output signals which are further electronically processed. The spectral range of each of the individual channels is common to all of the channels. Within the common range the channels are provided with different spectral transmission functions (7, 7',7") which are optimally chosen for a given application.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method for monitoring the presence of a predetermined substance and/or a predetermined property in a sample comprising:

generating radiation in a predetermined spectral band from said sample;
monitoring a spectral distribution of said generated radiation with at least one measuring channel including a transmitting filter having a predetermined spectral transmission characteristic throughout said predetermined spectral band;
multiplying with said transmitting filter a signal dependent on said spectral distribution of said generated radiation and a numerical spectral function specific to said predetermined substance and/or property of said sample to generate a signal dependent on said spectral distribution multiplied by said numerical spectral function;
optoelectrically converting said radiation transmitted by the transmitting filter to generate an electric output signal representing energy transmitted by the transmitting filter of said at least one measuring channel;
and wherein
said electric output signal is dependent on said spectral distribution multiplied by said numerical spectral function, is integrated over said predetermined spectral band and is directly related to said predetermined substance and/or property of said sample.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/473,743Filed 7 Jun 1995 · continuation
Priority: CH 3704/921 Dec 1992
Granted: 7 Apr 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G01J 3/36
Measuring the intensity of spectral lines directly on the spectrum itself: investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
G01J 3/28
Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours: investigating the spectrum
G01J 3/457
Investigating the spectrum: correlation spectrometry, e.g. of the intensity
G01N 21/31
Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands:…