Methods, sampling device and apparatus for terahertz imaging and spectroscopy of coated beads, particles and/or microparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9606054-B2
Application number	US-201314042431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2013
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A holder and apparatus for terahertz imaging and/or spectroscopy of beads, particles or microparticles, and methods for terahertz imaging and/or spectroscopy of beads, particles or microparticles and making the holder are disclosed. The holder includes a tray having a substantially planar upper surface, and one or more offsets above or below the substantially planar upper surface. Each offset is configured to hold one of the beads, particles or microparticles, and has a height or depth configured to minimize or eliminate interference between reflections of the terahertz radiation from the tray and reflections of the terahertz radiation from the bead, particle or microparticle in or on the offset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for beads, particles or microparticles, comprising:
a) a tray having a substantially planar upper surface; and
b) one or more offsets above or below the substantially planar upper surface, each offset being configured to hold one of the beads, particles or microparticles and having a height or depth configured to minimize or eliminate interference between reflections of terahertz radiation from the tray and reflections of terahertz radiation from the bead, particle or microparticle in or on the offset, and wherein the one or more offsets comprise a plurality of depressions and/or wells below the substantially planar upper surface of the tray.

2. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of depressions and/or wells are configured to hold beads, particles or microparticles having an average diameter or size greater than a depth of the plurality of depressions and/or wells.

3. The holder of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of depressions and/or wells have a width of from 1.5 to 5 times the depth of the plurality of depressions and/or wells.

4. The holder of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of depressions and/or wells has a first portion at the substantially planar upper surface of the tray and a second portion below the first portion, the second portion having an outer periphery entirely within an outer periphery of the first portion, the first portion having an uppermost surface at a first angle or arc with respect to the substantially planar upper surface of the tray, and the second portion having an uppermost surface at a second angle or arc with respect to the uppermost surface of the first portion, the second angle or arc being equal to or greater than the first angle or arc.

5. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the one or more offsets comprise a plurality of projections or posts above the substantially planar upper surface of the tray.

6. The holder of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of projections or posts are configured to hold beads, particles or microparticles having an average diameter or size greater than a width of the plurality of projections or posts.

7. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the tray comprises one or more dielectric materials forming the substantially planar upper surface.

8. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the one or more offsets comprise an array of offsets having n rows and m columns, n and m each independently being an integer of at least 2.

9. The holder of claim 8 , wherein n and m are each independently an integer of at least 4, and at least one offset is reserved for reference beads, particles or microparticles.

10. The holder of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive on an uppermost surface of each of the one or more offsets.

11. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the height or depth of each of the one or more offsets from the substantially planar upper surface is from 0.1 to 3 mm.

12. A terahertz spectroscopy or imaging apparatus, comprising:
a) holder of claim 1 ;
b) a terahertz radiation source, configured to irradiate beads, particles or microparticles in the holder with pulsed terahertz radiation; and
c) a terahertz radiation detector, configured to receive the pulsed terahertz radiation reflected from the beads, particles or microparticles in the holder.

13. The terahertz spectroscopy or imaging apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a time-of-flight terahertz spectroscopy and/or imaging system.

14. A method of analyzing or imaging beads, particles or microparticles, comprising:
a) loading one or more beads, particles or microparticles onto a bead holder, the bead holder comprising a tray having a substantially planar upper surface and one or more offsets above or below the substantially planar upper surface, each offset being configured to hold one of the beads, particles or microparticles and having a height or depth configured to minimize or eliminate interference between reflections of terahertz radiation from the tray and reflections of the terahertz radiation from bead, particle or microparticle in or on the offset, and wherein the one or more offsets comprise a plurality of depressions and/or wells below the substantially planar upper surface of the tray;
b) loading the bead holder into a terahertz spectroscopy and/or imaging system;
c) irradiating the one or more beads, particles or microparticles in the bead holder with pulses of terahertz radiation; and
d) evaluating and/or analyzing data and/or information from reflections of the pulses of terahertz radiation from the one or more beads, particles or microparticles in the bead holder.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the beads, particles or microparticles comprise coated beads, particles or microparticles.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the bead holder further comprises (i) an adhesive on an uppermost surface of each offset and (ii) a cover or sealing device on or over the adhesive.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising removing the cover or sealing device prior to loading the one or more beads, particles or microparticles onto the bead holder.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein each offset is configured to hold one bead, particle or microparticle, the depth of each offset is less than an average diameter or size of the one or more beads, particles or microparticles when the offset is below the substantially planar upper surface of the tray, and each offset has a width less than an average diameter or size of the one or more beads, particles or microparticles when the offset is above the substantially planar upper surface of the tray.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising loading the loaded bead holder into or onto a cassette, and loading the cassette into the imaging system.

20. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more offsets comprise an array of offsets having n rows and m columns, n and m each independently being an integer of at least 2, and the method further comprises loading one or more reference beads or particles in the bead holder, and collecting reflection information from the one or more reference beads and the one or more beads, particles or microparticles in the bead holder.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the terahertz spectroscopy and/or imaging system is a time-of-flight terahertz spectroscopy and/or imaging system.

22. A method of making a holder for analyzing or imaging beads, particles or microparticles, comprising:
a) forming a tray having a substantially planar upper surface; and
b) forming one or more offsets above or below the substantially planar upper surface, each offset being configured to hold one of the beads, particles or microparticles and having a height above or a depth below the substantially planar upper surface configured to minimize or eliminate interference between reflections of the terahertz radiation from the tray and reflections of terahertz radiation from the bead, particle or microparticle in or on the offset, and wherein the one or more offsets comprise a plurality of depressions and/or wells below the substantially planar upper surface of the tray.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the tray and the one or more offsets are formed by a single injection-molding operation or by three-dimensional printing.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the tray and the one or more offsets are formed by a first single injection-molding operation, and the method further comprises performing a second single injection-molding opera

Assignees

• Advantest Corp

Inventors

• King Edward E
• Heaps David A
• Self Gregory Scott
• Mckay Richard R
• Sullivan Mark J

Classifications

• G01N21/3586 Primary

  by Terahertz time domain spectroscopy [THz-TDS] · CPC title