Apparatus and method for real time IR spectroscopy

An apparatus for determining IR spectral information of a sample in a sample volume, comprising:

• an IR light source;
• a sampling accessory for positioning the sample volume in an optical path;
• an optically dispersive element in the optical path,
• wherein at least a portion of an emission from the IR light source is passed through the sample along the optical path, said at least a portion of an emission interacting with the optically dispersive element to form a dispersed light beam;
• an IR detector having a plurality of detection elements therein arranged at least along a dispersion direction of the dispersed light beam;
• wherein the IR detector detects the dispersed light beam and provides an output which determines the IR spectral information of the sample,
• wherein the apparatus is capable of determining the IR spectral information using no moving parts during operation;
• and
• a plurality of sampling accessories each positioning at least one different sample volume,
• wherein the apparatus simultaneously determines IR spectral information of each of the at least one different sample volumes.

An apparatus for determining IR spectral information of a sample in a sample volume, comprising:

• an IR light source;
• a sampling accessory for positioning the sample volume in an optical path;
• an optically dispersive element in the optical path,
• wherein at least a portion of an emission from the IR light source is passed through the sample along the optical path, said at least a portion of an emission interacting with the optically dispersive element to form a dispersed light beam;
• an IR detector having a plurality of detection elements therein arranged at least along a dispersion direction of the dispersed light beam,
• wherein the IR detector detects the dispersed light beam and provides an output which determines the IR spectral information of the sample,
• wherein the apparatus is capable of determining their spectral information using no moving parts during operation;
• and
• a plurality of optically dispersive elements for forming a plurality of dispersed light beams each corresponding to a different sample.

A real-time, non-interferometric apparatus using IR absorption phenomena and no moving parts during operation to perform chemical analysis in one or more sample volumes, the apparatus comprising:

• a broadband light source;
• at least one sampling accessory for positioning the one or more sample volumes so that at least a portion of light emitted from the broadband light source passes through each of the one or more sample volumes;
• adjustable means for optically dispersing the at least a portion of light passed through each of the one or more sample volumes to obtain one or more corresponding dispersed sample beams;
• a two-dimensional IR detector array having a plurality of detector elements arranged in rows and columns,
• stationary, non-rotating optical coupling means for coupling the one or more corresponding dispersed sample beams onto the two-dimensional IR detector array;
• and
• processor means for controlling the two-dimensional IR detector array and providing non-interferometric chemical analysis of said one or more samples based at least upon an IR absorption spectrum in one or more particular wavelength regions,
• wherein each of the one or more corresponding dispersed sample beams are simultaneously projected on multiple rows in a different area of the two-dimensional IR detector array, and corresponding column detector elements in each of the multiple rows are added together within each different area of the two-dimensional IR detector array to determine an intensity of an IR spectral component at a particular wavelength in real time, and
• wherein a signal-to-noise ratio of a signal representing the intensity of the IR spectral component at the particular wavelength is increased by adding the corresponding column detector elements in each of the multiple rows.

A method of determining an IR spectrum of at least one sample in a sample volume using a non-interferometric apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing an IR source;
• positioning the at least one sample volume in an optical path;
• passing at least a portion of an emission of the IR source through the at least one sample volume and into the optical path;
• optically dispersing the at least a portion of an emission of the IR source to form a dispersed IR light beam;
• simultaneously detecting each spectral component of the dispersed IR light beam using a plurality of detectors arranged two-dimensionally in rows and columns;
• non-interferometrically determining the IR spectrum of the at least one sample by evaluating an output from each detector in at least two rows of detectors,
• wherein each column of detectors represents a wavelength contained within the dispersed IR light beam;
• and
• maintaining fixed relative positions of all components of the non-interferometric apparatus at least during the step of simultaneously detecting each spectral component of the dispersed IR light beam.

A method of determining an IR spectrum of at least one sample in a sample volume using a non-interferometric apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing an IR source;
• positioning the at least one sample volume in an optical path;
• passing at least a portion of an emission of the IR source through the at least one sample volume and into the optical path;
• optically dispersing the at leant a portion of an emission of the IR source to form a dispersed IR light beam;
• detecting the dispersed IR light beam using a plurality of detection arranged two-dimensionally in rows and columns:
• non-interferometrically determining the IR spectrum of the at least one sample by evaluating an output from each detector in at least two rows of detectors,
• wherein each column of detectors represents a wavelength contained within the dispersed IR light beam;
• and
• simultaneously analyzing multiple samples in at least two sample volumes.

A method of determining an IR spectrum of at least one sample in a sample volume using a non-interferometric apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing an IR source;
• positioning the at least one sample volume in an optical path;
• passing at least a portion of an emission of the IR source through the at least one sample volume and into the optical path;
• optically dispersing the at least a portion of an emission of the IR source to form a dispersed IR light beam;
• detecting the dispersed IR light beam using a plurality of detectors arranged two-dimensionally in rows and columns;
• non-interferometrically determining the IR spectrum of the at least one sample by evaluating an output from each detector in at least two rows of detectors,
• wherein each column of detectors represents a wavelength contained within the dispersed IR light beam;
• and
• simultaneously presenting a plurality of spectral images to the plurality of detector outputs,
• wherein each of the plurality of spectral images is projected onto a different area of the plurality of detector outputs.

A method of determining an IR spectrum of at least one sample in at least one sample volume using IR absorption in a non-interferometric apparatus, the apparatus including a broadband IR source;

• at least one sample accessory for positioning the at least one sample volume;
• an optically dispersive element;
• and a two-dimensional IR detector having a plurality of detection elements arranged in columns and rows, the method comprising:
• projecting at least a portion of an emission of the broadband IR source into the at least one sample volume;
• coupling a light beam transmitted through the at least one sample volume to the optically dispersive element;
• forming a dispersed IR light beam;
• simultaneously detecting each spectral component of the dispersed IR light beam using the two-dimensional IR detector while maintaining all components of the apparatus in relatively fixed positions with respect to each other;
• and
• non-interferometrically determining the IR spectrum of the at least one sample by simultaneously evaluating an output from each detector in a plurality of rows of detectors,
• wherein each column of detectors represents a wavelength contained within the dispersed IR light beam.

A method of determining an IR spectrum of at least one sample in at least one sample volume using IR absorption in a non-interferometric apparatus, the apparatus including a broadband IR source;

• at least one sample accessory for positioning the at least one sample volume;
• an optically dispersive element;
• and a two-dimensional IR detector having a plurality of detection elements arranged in columns and rows, the method comprising:
• projecting at least a portion of an emission of the broadband IR source into the at least one sample volume;
• coupling a light beam transmitted through the at least one sample volume to the optically dispersive element;
• forming a dispersed IR light beam;
• simultaneously detecting each spectral component of the dispersed IR light beam using the two-dimensional IR detector;
• and
• non-interferometrically determining the IR spectrum of the at least one sample by simultaneously evaluating an output from each detector in a plurality of rows of detectors,
• wherein each column of detectors represents a wavelength contained within the dispersed IR light beam;
• determining, from the IR spectrum, at least one physical attribute of the at least one sample;
• and
• based on said at least one physical attribute, controlling at least one of a stretching, a crystallizing, and an aligning process.

An apparatus for collecting, processing, and displaying real-time IR spectral information of a material illuminated by an IR light source, comprising:

• an optically dispersive element;
• an IR focal plane array;
• and
• light coupling means for coupling an IR signal resulting from an IR absorption interaction within the illuminated material to the IR focal plane array;
• processing means for processing an output of the IR focal plane array and simultaneously determining each spectral component of the IR spectral information;
• and
• display means for displaying the IR spectral information.

An apparatus for collecting, processing, and displaying IR spectral information of a material illuminated by an IR light source, comprising:

• an optically dispersive element;
• an IR focal plane array;
• and
• light coupling means for coupling an IR signal resulting from an IR absorption interaction within the illuminated material to the IR focal plane array;
• processing means for processing an output of the IR focal plane array and determining the IR spectral information;
• and
• display means for displaying the IR spectral information,
• wherein said light coupling means includes a polarizing element.

An apparatus for determining IR spectral information of a sample in a sample volume, comprising:

• an IR light source;
• a sampling accessory for positioning the sample volume in an optical path;
• an optically dispersive element in the optical path,
• wherein at least a portion of an emission from the IR light source is passed through the sample along the optical path, said at least a portion of an emission interacting with the optically dispersive element to form a dispersed light beam;
• and
• an IR detector having a plurality of detection elements therein arranged at least along a dispersion direction of the dispersed light beam;
• and
• processor means for receiving a real-time output from the IR detector and processing the real-time output entirely within a frequency or wavelength domain,
• wherein the processor means simultaneously determines each spectral component of the IR spectral information of the sample,
• wherein the apparatus is capable of determining the IR spectral information using no moving parts during operation.