US 12,007,323 B2
Compact apparatus for high-speed chemical spectral signature measurement and method of using same
Wei Gao, Charlotte, NC (US); Chang Yong, Naperville, IL (US); Silviu Velicu, Darien, IL (US); and Sivalingam Sivananthan, Naperville, IL (US)
Assigned to EPIR, INC., Bolingbrook, IL (US)
Filed by EPIR, Inc., Bolingbrook, IL (US)
Filed on Nov. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/991,721.
Application 17/991,721 is a continuation of application No. 16/699,552, filed on Nov. 29, 2019, granted, now 11,506,598.
Prior Publication US 2023/0228675 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01J 3/10 (2006.01); G01J 3/12 (2006.01); G01N 21/25 (2006.01); G01N 21/35 (2014.01)
CPC G01N 21/255 (2013.01) [G01J 3/108 (2013.01); G01J 3/1256 (2013.01); G01N 21/35 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multiband IR adjunct (MIRA) sensor to spectroscopically determine the content and the concentration of chemical composition of a targeted object, comprising:
a sensor housing;
a first optical channel carried by the housing;
a first front optics in the first optical channel receiving a photon signal;
a second front optics in the first optical channel receiving the photon signal from the first front optics;
an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), carried by the housing, receiving light beams from the second front optics;
a photo detector (PD) carried by the housing;
a set of back optics in the first optical channel that receives polarized narrow-band light beams from the AOTF and focuses the polarized narrow-band light beams onto the PD, the PD converting the polarized narrow-band light beams into an electrical signal;
a data acquisition unit signal-connected to the PD, the data acquisition unit collecting the electrical signal.