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US 8,553,224 B2Granted
Fiber bundle for high efficiency, spatially resolved coupling
AssigneeBattelle Memorial Institute
InventorsC. Alexander Morrow, Theodore J. Ronningen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical fibers are utilized to provide high efficiency, spatially resolved coupling of light from collection optics to an imaging spectrometer. In particular, a micro lens array may be utilized to couple light from multiple spatial locations into individual optical fibers. At the opposite end of the fiber bundle, the fibers are packed tightly together to send the light into an imaging spectrograph. The light that enters this spectrograph maintains its spatial separation, for instance, along the array dimension and is spectrally dispersed, for instance, along a dimension orthogonal to the array dimension. This spatially separated, wavelength resolved light can then be recorded on a two dimensional detector such as a CCD camera.
Claims18
A fiber optic coupling assembly comprising:
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a collection end and a termination end;
- a primary collection mounting member that holds the collection end of a first portion of the plurality of optical fibers in a collection pattern such that:
- the collection end of each optical fiber is spaced apart from adjacently held optical fibers;
- and
- the collection end of each optical fiber has a known spatially resolved position relative to the collection end of at least one other optical fiber held by the primary collection mounting member;
- at least one micro lens secured to the mounting member so as to couple light to a corresponding collection end of an associated optical fiber;
- a secondary collection mounting member remotely positionable from the primary collection mounting member, wherein the secondary collection mounting member holds the collection end of a second portion of the plurality of optical fibers such that at least one of the plurality of optical fibers is not held by the primary collection mounting member;
- and
- a termination mounting member that holds the termination end of the plurality of optical fibers in a termination pattern arranged to interface to an input of an associated detection system.
6 more elements
A spectrographic data collection system comprising:
- light collection optics that collect light from a sample area;
- a spectrograph having an input and an optical detector;
- a fiber optic coupling assembly that couples light from the light collection optics to the spectrograph, the fiber optic coupling assembly having:
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a collection end and a termination end;
- a primary collection mounting member that holds the collection end of a first portion of the plurality of optical fibers in a collection pattern such that:
- the collection end of each optical fiber has a known spatially resolved position relative to the collection end of at least one other optical fiber held by the primary collection mounting member;
- and
- the collection ends of at least two optical fibers held by the primary collection mounting member are spaced from each other sufficiently to collect light from distinct spatial regions of the sample area in cooperation with the light collecting optics;
- at least one micro lens secured to the mounting member so as to couple light to a corresponding collection end of an associated optical fiber;
- a secondary collection mounting member remotely positionable from the primary collection mounting member, wherein the secondary collection mounting member holds the collection end of a second portion of the plurality of optical fibers such that at least one of the plurality of optical fibers is not held by the primary collection mounting member;
- and
- a termination mounting member that holds the termination end of the plurality of optical fibers in a termination pattern arranged to interface to the input of the spectrograph;
- wherein:
- light that enters the spectrograph from the optical fibers maintains spatial separation along the termination pattern of the optical fibers held by the termination mounting member and light is spectrally dispersed onto the optical detector so as to record spatially separated, wavelength resolved light.
11 more elements
A spectrographic data collection system comprising:
- light collection optics that collect light from a sample area;
- a spectrograph having an input and an optical detector;
- a fiber optic coupling assembly that couples light from the light collection optics to the spectrograph, the fiber optic coupling assembly having:
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a collection end and a termination end;
- a primary collection mounting member that holds the collection end of a first portion of the plurality of optical fibers in a collection pattern such that:
- the collection end of each optical fiber has a known spatially resolved position relative to the collection end of at least one other optical fiber held by the primary collection mounting member;
- and
- the collection ends of at least two optical fibers held by the primary collection mounting member are spaced from each other sufficiently to collect light from distinct spatial regions of the sample area in cooperation with the light collecting optics;
- at least one micro lens secured to the mounting member so as to couple light to a corresponding collection end of an associated optical fiber;
- and
- a termination mounting member that holds the termination end of the plurality of optical fibers in a termination pattern arranged to interface to the input of the spectrograph;
- wherein:
- light that enters the spectrograph from the optical fibers maintains spatial separation along the termination pattern of the optical fibers held by the termination mounting member and light is spectrally dispersed onto the optical detector so as to record spatially separated, wavelength resolved light;
- and
- at least one optical fiber comprises a cladding layer, the cladding layer affecting the packing of the termination end of the optical fibers to produce at least one pixel array of unused pixels between pixel arrays of utilized pixels of the optical detector, wherein each pixel array of utilized pixels records wavelength resolved light from an associated optical fiber.
12 more elements
A spectrographic data collection system comprising:
- light collection optics that collect light from a sample area;
- a spectrograph having an input and an optical detector;
- a fiber optic coupling assembly that couples light from the light collection optics to the spectrograph, the fiber optic coupling assembly having:
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a collection end and a termination end;
- a primary collection mounting member that holds the collection end of a first portion of the plurality of optical fibers in a collection pattern such that:
- the collection end of each optical fiber has a known spatially resolved position relative to the collection end of at least one other optical fiber held by the primary collection mounting member;
- and
- the collection ends of at least two optical fibers held by the primary collection mounting member are spaced from each other sufficiently to collect light from distinct spatial regions of the sample area in cooperation with the light collecting optics;
- at least one micro lens secured to the mounting member so as to couple light to a corresponding collection end of an associated optical fiber;
- and
- a termination mounting member that holds the termination end of the plurality of optical fibers in a termination pattern arranged to interface to the input of the spectrograph;
- wherein:
- light that enters the spectrograph from the optical fibers maintains spatial separation along the termination pattern of the optical fibers held by the termination mounting member and light is spectrally dispersed onto the optical detector so as to record spatially separated, wavelength resolved light;
- and
- each optical fiber comprises a cladding layer, and the termination pattern of the optical fibers forms a pattern arranged such that the cladding layer of each of the optical fibers does not interfere with exposing adjacent pixel arrays of utilized pixels on the optical detector by adjacent optical fibers, where each pixel array of utilized pixels records wavelength resolved light from an associated optical fiber.
12 more elements
A method of optically coupling light in a system comprising:
- utilizing light collection optics that collect light from a sample area;
- utilizing a spectrograph having an input and an optical detector;
- arranging a fiber optic coupling assembly to couple light from the light collection optics to the spectrograph, the fiber optic coupling assembly having:
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a collection end and a termination end;
- a primary collection mounting member that holds the collection end of a first portion of the plurality of optical fibers in a collection pattern such that:
- the collection end of each optical fiber has a known spatially resolved position relative to the collection end of at least one other optical fiber held by the primary collection mounting member;
- and
- the collection ends of at least two optical fibers held by the primary collection mounting member are spaced from each other sufficiently to collect light from distinct spatial regions of the sample area in cooperation with the light collecting optics;
- a secondary collection mounting member remotely positionable from the primary collection mounting member, wherein the secondary collection mounting member holds the collection end of a second portion of the plurality of optical fibers such that at least one of the plurality of optical fibers is not held by the primary collection mounting member;
- a termination mounting member that holds the termination end of the plurality of optical fibers in a termination pattern arranged to interface to the input of the spectrograph;
- and
- aligning a plurality of micro lenses secured to the mounting member such that a micro lens aligns in register with a corresponding collection end of an associated optical fiber;
- wherein:
- light that enters the spectrograph from the optical fibers maintains spatial separation along the termination pattern of the optical fibers held by the termination mounting member and light is spectrally dispersed along an orthogonal dimension onto the optical detector so as to record spatially separated, wavelength resolved light.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.