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US 9,791,313 B2Granted
Spectrometer
AssigneeMKS Technology
InventorsMark Watson, Shane Buller, Keith Carron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spectrometer is provided. In one implementation, for example, a spectrometer comprises an excitation source, a focusing lens, a movable mirror, and an actuator assembly. The focusing lens is adapted to focus an incident beam from the excitation source. The actuator assembly is adapted to control the movable mirror to move a focused incident beam across a surface of the sample.
Claims25
A spectrometer comprising:
- an excitation source for providing an excitation signal;
- a detector for detecting a spectroscopy signal;
- and
- an optical system for directing an incident beam of the excitation signal toward a sample, receiving the spectroscopy signal from the sample, and providing the spectroscopy signal to the detector, wherein the optical system comprises:
- a focusing lens for focusing the incident beam from the excitation source;
- a rotating mirror assembly including an angled mirror face surface, the rotating mirror assembly disposed between the excitation source and the focusing lens;
- and
- an actuator assembly adapted to control the rotating mirror assembly to move a focused incident beam across a surface of the sample, wherein the actuator assembly comprises a rotary motor coupled to the rotating mirror assembly via a drive shaft of the rotary motors and adapted to rotate the angled mirror face about an axis of the drive shaft of the rotary motor to redirect an incident beam of the excitation signal through the focusing lens to a sample and receive a spectroscopy signal through the focusing lens and direct it towards the detector for detection of at least one spectrum of the spectroscopy signal.
5 more elements
A method of moving a focused incident beam of a spectrometer across a surface of a spectroscopic sample, the method comprising:
- generating an incident beam of an excitation signal;
- directing the incident beam towards the sample via an optical system of the spectrometer, the optical system comprising a moveable mirror reflecting the incident beam to a lens;
- focusing the incident beam via the lens on a sample of the spectrometer;
- moving the incident beam across a surface of the sample by rotating a rotating mirror assembly coupled to a drive shaft of a rotary motor by rotating the drive shaft about an axis of the drive shaft of the motor;
- receiving a spectroscopic signal from the sample via the focusing lens;
- directing the spectroscopic signal received via the lens to a detector using the moveable mirror;
- and
- detecting the spectroscopic signal.
5 more elements
A spectrometer comprising:
- an excitation source for providing an excitation signal;
- a detector for detecting a spectroscopy signal;
- an optical system for directing an incident beam of the excitation signal toward a sample, receiving the spectroscopy signal from the sample, and providing the spectroscopy signal to the detector, wherein the optical system comprises:
- a focusing lens for focusing the incident beam from the excitation source;
- a moveable mirror, the moveable mirror disposed between the excitation source and the focusing lens;
- and
- an actuator assembly for controlling the moveable mirror to move a focused incident beam across a surface of the sample, wherein the actuator assembly is adapted to rotate the moveable mirror via a drive shaft of a rotary motor to rotate a face of the moveable mirror about an axis of the rotary motor to redirect an incident beam of the excitation signal through the focusing lens to a sample and receive a spectroscopy signal through the focusing lens and direct it towards the detector for detection of at least one spectrum of the spectroscopy signal;
- and
- a magnetic positioning system comprising a magnet and a second element adapted to magnetically couple to the magnet, the magnetic positioning system configured to position the moveable mirror in a predetermined position by magnetically coupling at least one magnet to a second element, wherein one of the magnet and the second element is physically coupled to the actuator assembly and the other one of the magnet and the second element is fixed to the spectrometer adjacent to the actuator assembly.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.