Optical Raman system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11287383-B2
Application number	US-201716333192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A Raman system for use in performing Raman spectroscopy on a sample, comprises an optical source, a spectrometer, and an optical system for coupling light from the optical source to a sample and for coupling light from the sample to the spectrometer and a further spectrometer. A Raman system for use in performing Raman spectroscopy on a sample, comprises an optical source, a spectrometer and an optical system for coupling light from the optical source and a further optical source to a sample and for coupling light from the sample to the spectrometer. The optical system may be configured for coupling light from the optical source and the further optical source to the sample and for coupling light from the sample to the spectrometer and the further spectrometer. The Raman system may be portable and/or may be configured to be transported and/or carried and/or may be handheld.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A Raman system for use in performing Raman spectroscopy on a sample, the Raman system comprising:
an optical source for generating light for exciting Raman scattered light in the sample;
a spectrometer for measuring a spectrum of the Raman scattered light;
an optical system for coupling light from the optical source to the sample and for coupling light, including the Raman scattered light, from the sample to the spectrometer and for coupling light, including the Raman scattered light, from the sample to a further spectrometer for measuring the spectrum of the Raman scattered light;
a housing for housing the optical source and the spectrometer but not the further spectrometer, wherein the housing defines an aperture for receiving the sample and/or the housing defines one or more windows for coupling light to and from the sample; and
an output optical port comprised in the housing and configured to allow light from the sample, including the Raman scattered light, to leave the housing and to propagate towards the spectrometer or the further spectrometer,
wherein the optical system comprises one or more optical elements within the housing for optically coupling light from the sample to the output optical port.

2. A Raman system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system is configured to couple light, including the Raman scattered light, from the sample to the spectrometer and to couple light, including the Raman scattered light, to the further spectrometer at different times.

3. A Raman system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system is configured to optically couple the output optical port to the spectrometer and to optically couple the output optical port to the further spectrometer at different times.

4. A Raman system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system comprises an output optical fiber for optically coupling the output optical port to the spectrometer and/or for optically coupling the output optical port to the further spectrometer.

5. A Raman system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system comprises an output optical switch having an optical switch input port, a first optical switch output port, and a second optical switch output port and, wherein the sample is optically coupled to the optical switch input port, the first optical switch output port is optically coupled to the spectrometer and the second optical switch output port is configured to be optically coupled to the further spectrometer.

6. A Raman system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system is configured for coupling light from a further optical source to the sample.

7. A Raman system according to claim 6 , wherein the optical system is configured to couple light from the optical source to the sample and from the further optical source to the sample at different times.

8. A Raman system according to claim 6 , comprising:
an input optical port,
wherein the optical system is configured to optically couple the optical source to the input optical port, the further optical source to the input optical port, and the input optical port to the sample.

9. A Raman system according to claim 8 , wherein the optical system is configured to optically couples the optical source to the input optical port and the further optical source to the input optical port at different times.

10. A Raman system according to claim 8 , wherein the optical system comprises an input optical fiber for optically coupling the optical source to the input optical port and/or for optically coupling the further optical source to the input optical port.

11. A Raman system according to claim 8 , wherein the optical system comprises an input optical switch having a first optical switch input port, a second optical switch input port and an optical switch output port and, wherein the optical source is optically coupled to the first optical switch input port, the second optical switch input port is configured to be optically coupled to the further optical source and the optical switch output port is optically coupled to the sample.

12. A Raman system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system is configured to optically couple the output optical port to the spectrometer at a first time and to optically couple the output optical port to the further spectrometer at a second time without requiring any changes to be made to the one or more optical elements.

13. A Raman system for use in performing Raman spectroscopy on a sample, the Raman system comprising:
an optical source configured to generate light for exciting Raman scattered light in the sample;
a spectrometer configured to measure a spectrum of the Raman scattered light;
an optical system configured for coupling light from the optical source to the sample, for coupling light from a further optical source to the sample, and for coupling light, including the Raman scattered light, from the sample to the spectrometer, the further optical source being configured to generate light for exciting Raman scattered light in the sample;
a housing for housing the optical source and the spectrometer but not the further optical source, wherein the housing defines an aperture for receiving the sample and/or the housing defines one or more windows for coupling light to and from the sample; and
an input optical port comprised in the housing and configured to allow light from the optical source or the further optical source to enter the housing and to propagate towards the sample,
wherein the optical system comprises one or more optical elements within the housing for optically coupling light from the input optical port to the sample.

14. A Raman system according to claim 13 , wherein the optical system is configured to couple light from the optical source to the sample and from the further optical source to the sample at different times.

15. A Raman system according to claim 13 , wherein the optical system is configured to optically couple the optical source to the input optical port and to optically couple the further optical source to the input optical port at different times.

16. A Raman system according to claim 13 , wherein the optical system comprises an input optical fiber for optically coupling the optical source to the input optical port and/or for optically coupling the further optical source to the input optical port.

17. A Raman system according to claim 13 , wherein the optical system comprises an input optical switch having a first optical switch input port, a second optical switch input port and an optical switch output port and, wherein the optical source is optically coupled to the first optical switch input port, the second optical switch input port is configured to be optically coupled to the further optical source and the optical switch output port is optically coupled to the sample.

18. A Raman system according to claim 13 , wherein the optical system is configured for coupling light from the sample to a further spectrometer.

19. A Raman system according to claim 18 , wherein the optical system is configured to couple light, including the Raman scattered light, from the sample to the spectrometer and to couple light, including the Raman scattered light, from the sample to the further spectrometer at different times.

20. A Raman system according to claim 18 , comprising:
an output optical port,
wherein the optical system is configured to optically couple the sample to the output optical port, the output optical port to the spectrometer, and the output opt

Assignees

• Univ Court Univ St Andrews

Inventors

• Dholakia Kishan
• Chen Mingzhou

Classifications

• G01J3/44 Primary

  Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry {; Fluorescence spectrometry} · CPC title

• G01J3/0272

  Handheld · CPC title

• G01J3/0218

  using optical fibers · CPC title

• G01J3/4412

  Scattering spectrometry (particle sizing by light scattering G01N15/0205; optical velocimetry of particles G01P5/20, G01P5/26) · CPC title

• G01N2021/651

  Cuvettes therefore · CPC title