Accessories for handheld spectrometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939318-B2
Application number	US-201715493006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2017
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A protective sheath having a closed end and an open end is sized to receive a hand held spectrometer. The spectrometer can be placed in the sheath to calibrate the spectrometer and to measure samples. In a calibration orientation, an optical head of the spectrometer can be oriented toward the closed end of the sheath where a calibration material is located. In a measurement orientation, the optical head of the spectrometer can be oriented toward the open end of the sheath in order to measure a sample. To change the orientation, the spectrometer can be removed from the sheath container and placed in the sheath container with the calibration orientation or the measurement orientation. Accessory container covers can be provided and placed on the open end of the sheath with samples placed therein in order to provide improved measurements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spectrometer apparatus, the spectrometer apparatus comprising:
a light source;
a sensor array; and
a cover to couple the light source to the sensor array, wherein the cover comprises a sheath cover sized to receive a housing containing a spectrometer comprising the light source and the sensor array, and wherein the sheath cover comprises an open end, and a closed end and a calibration material is located within the sheath cover closer to the closed end than the open end.

2. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a non-optically transmissive material having a channel formed therein to receive light energy from the light source and transmit reflected light to the sensor and wherein the cover inhibits interference from ambient light.

3. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an insert comprising a first reflective material, the insert being sized and shaped to fit within a recess formed in the cover, and wherein the cover comprises a second reflective material on an inner side wall of the channel to reflect light energy from the light source toward the first reflective material and from the first reflective material toward the sensor array.

4. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first reflective material or the second reflective material comprises a diffuse reflective material.

5. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second reflective material comprises a specular reflective material.

6. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sheath cover and the housing are sized and shaped to receive the spectrometer in the sheath cover in (1) a calibration orientation with an optics head of the spectrometer oriented toward the calibration material and the closed end or (2) a measurement orientation with the optics head of the spectrometer oriented toward the open end of the sheath.

7. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising an accessory cover sized and shaped for placement on the open end of the sheath cover so as to cover the open end of the sheath cover, the accessory cover comprising a sample container sized and shaped to hold a sample within the sample container.

8. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising an accessory cover sized and shaped for placement on the spectrometer so as to cover the optics head, the accessory cover comprising a sample container sized and shaped to hold a sample within the sample container.

9. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spectrometer apparatus further comprises:
a support to engage the cover and place the reflective material at a predetermined distance from the light source and the sensor array.

10. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cover comprises an engagement structure to engage the support and the support is shaped to receive the engagement structure in order to place the calibration material at a predetermined distance from the light source and the sensor array and at a predetermined orientation with respect to the light source and the sensor array.

11. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the spectrometer apparatus comprises a measurement portion and a handle portion to direct the measurement portion toward a sample, the measurement portion comprising the support, and wherein the handle portion comprises a support sized and shaped to fit within the cover.

12. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the support comprises a housing to enclose the light source and the sensor array.

13. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cover comprises a reflective material, and wherein the spectrometer apparatus further comprises:
a window to receive light from a sample, and wherein the support and cover are configured to place the reflective material at a predetermined distance from the window with a gap extending between the reflective material and the window.

14. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a reflective material comprising an amount of variable reflectivity of no more than about 10% over a range of about 250 nm.

15. A spectrometer apparatus, the spectrometer apparatus comprising:
a light source;
a sensor array;
a cover to couple to the light source to the sensor array; and
a processor coupled to the sensor array, the processor comprising a tangible medium embodying instructions to measure a calibration signal with the cover optically coupled to the sensor array, wherein the processor comprises instructions to adjust one or more calibration parameters in response to the calibration signal.

16. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more calibration parameters corresponds to an amplitude of a measurement signal comprising one or more of a gain of the sensor array or an amount of light energy from the light source.

17. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the cover comprises a substantially constant reflective material and the processor comprises one or more substantially constant calibration parameters corresponding to the substantially constant reflective material and wherein the processor comprises instructions to adjust the one or more calibration parameters in response to the calibration signal and the one or more substantially constant calibration parameters.

18. A spectrometer apparatus, the spectrometer apparatus comprising:
a light source;
a sensor array; and
a cover to couple the light source to the sensor array, wherein the cover comprises a calibration container comprising a reference material to calibrate the spectrometer apparatus, the spectrometer apparatus further comprising a sample container to contain a sample, wherein calibration container and the sample container comprise similar internal dimensions in order to position the sample and the reference material at similar distances from the light source and the sensor array.

19. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cover comprises a non-optically transmissive material having a channel formed therein to receive light energy from the light source and transmit reflected light to the sensor and wherein the cover inhibits interference from ambient light.

20. The spectrometer apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cover comprises an insert comprising a first reflective material, the insert being sized and shaped to fit within a recess formed in the cover, and wherein the cover comprises a second reflective material on an inner side wall of the channel to reflect light energy from the light source toward the first reflective material and from the first reflective material toward the sensor array.

Assignees

• Verifood Ltd

Inventors

• Goldring Damian
• Sharon Dror
• Brodetzki Guy
• Rosen Sagee
• Keilaf Omer
• Kinrot Uri
• Nir Ittai
• Waisberg Nitzan
• Rachman Ofer
• Carmi Assaf

Classifications

• G01J3/26

  using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters · CPC title

• G01J3/0297

  Constructional arrangements for removing other types of optical noise or for performing calibration · CPC title

• G01J3/0291 Primary

  Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements · CPC title

• G01J3/0286

  Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by temperature, humidity or pressure, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a spectrometer, e.g. vacuum · CPC title

• G01J3/0272

  Handheld · CPC title