Micromechanical transmission measuring cell
AssigneeFraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
InventorsPeter Woias, Bernd Hillerich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A micromechanical transmission measuring cell serves to determine an optical absorption of a sample fluid or as a reactor for carrying out an optically detectable chemical reaction. The micromechanical transmission measuring cell comprises a receptacle (12) used for holding the sample fluid, a light passage opening (30) for introducing the light into the receptacle (12), and a reflector (26) directing the light relative to the receptacle (12) in such a way that most of said light (24) passes through said receptacle (12) without multiple reflections on a wall of said receptacle (12), and that the optical absorption of the sample fluid is detectable on the basis of the light passing through said receptacle without multiple reflections.
Claims15
A micromechanical transmission measuring cell for determining an optical absorption of a sample fluid, comprising:
- a receptacle formed in a substrate and used for holding the sample fluid, said receptacle having an elongate shape with a longitudinal axis;
- a light passage opening for introducing the light into the receptacle;
- and
- a reflector defined by a wall which has been produced by anisotropic etching of the substrate,
- wherein the reflector is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the receptacle in such a way that the light, which impinges on the surface of the substrate at an angle relative to said surface, is reflected along the longitudinal axis to an opposite wall, most of said light passing through said receptacle without multiple reflections on a wall of said receptacle, and that the optical absorption of the sample fluid is detectable on the basis of the light passing through said receptacle without multiple reflections,
- wherein a beam transformation of fed-in light into a bundle of substantially parallel rays is effected by a lens, whereas a further lens reverses this process.
A micromechanical transmission measuring cell for determining an optical absorption of a sample fluid, comprising:
- a receptacle formed in a substrate and used for holding the sample fluid, said receptacle having an elongate shape with a longitudinal axis;
- a light passage opening for introducing the light into the receptacle;
- and
- a reflector defined by a wall which has been produced by anisotropic etching of the substrate,
- wherein the reflector is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the receptacle in such a way that the light, which impinges on the surface of the substrate at an angle relative to said surface, is reflected along the longitudinal axis to an opposite wall, most of said light passing through said receptacle without multiple reflections on a wall of said receptacle, and that the optical absorption of the sample fluid is detectable on the basis of the light passing through said receptacle without multiple reflections,
- a further reflector arranged remote from said reflector in the path of the light through the receptacle and directing the light, which has been directed relative to said receptacle, out of said receptacle;
- a further light passage opening through which the light that has been directed by means of the further reflector emerges from the receptacle;
- and
- wherein the light passage opening and the additional light passage opening are formed by means of a cover consisting of a material which is transparent to the light,
- wherein an in/outcoupler is arranged on the side of the cover located opposite the receptacle, said in/outcoupler comprising an incoupling mirror and an outcoupling mirror which are inclined relative to the light passage openings in such a way that light can be coupled into and out of the transmission measuring cell in the direction in which it propagates in the receptacle for the sample fluid.
A micromechanical transmission measuring cell for determining an optical absorption of a sample fluid, comprising:
- a receptacle formed in a substrate and used for holding the sample fluid, said receptacle having an elongate shape with a longitudinal axis;
- a light passage opening for introducing the light into the receptacle;
- and
- a reflector defined by a wall which has been produced by anisotropic etching of the substrate,
- wherein the reflector is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the receptacle in such a way that the light, which impinges on the surface of the substrate at an angle relative to said surface, is reflected along the longitudinal axis to an opposite wall, most of said light passing through said receptacle without multiple reflections on a wall of said receptacle, and that the optical absorption of the sample fluid is detectable on the basis of the light passing through said receptacle without multiple reflections, and
- wherein the reflector is arranged outside of the receptacle in a light shaft formed in the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.