US 12,111,258 B2
Instruments and methods for characterizing the appearance of samples
Michael T. Scardina, Woodbridge, VA (US); Tod L. Kerr, Reston, VA (US); Matthew T. Falanga, Washington, DC (US); and Miguel A. Marcos, Falls Church, VA (US)
Assigned to HUNTER ASSOCIATES LABORATORY, INC., Reston, VA (US)
Filed by Hunter Associates Laboratory, Inc., Reston, VA (US)
Filed on Apr. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/302,459.
Application 18/302,459 is a continuation of application No. 17/203,113, filed on Mar. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,656,178.
Application 17/203,113 is a continuation of application No. 16/378,620, filed on Apr. 9, 2019, granted, now 11,002,676, issued on May 11, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/654,831, filed on Apr. 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0251193 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 21/57 (2006.01); G01N 21/33 (2006.01); G01N 21/55 (2014.01); G01N 21/47 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/57 (2013.01) [G01N 21/33 (2013.01); G01N 21/55 (2013.01); G01N 2021/4757 (2013.01); G01N 2021/555 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An instrument, comprising:
an LED array activatable to provide a plurality of different wavelengths of electromagnetic energy for illuminating a sample;
a controller having discrete control over individual LEDs of the LED array; and
a spectrometer configured to receive electromagnetic energy from the sample after illumination,
wherein the controller is configured to repeat, for multiple cycles, steps of
activating the LED array to emit an output, and
collecting spectrometer data from the spectrometer,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust activation parameters between cycles so the output of the LED array varies among the multiple cycles,
wherein the controller is configured to return one or more measurands based on the spectrometer data collected from the multiple cycles,
wherein the one or more measurands comprise fluorescence.