US 12,461,353 B2
Raman spectroscopy apparatus and method
Andrew Colm Dennis, Greenisland (GB); and Richard Simms, Belfast (GB)
Assigned to Andor Technology Limited, Belfast (GB)
Filed by Andor Technology Limited, Belfast (GB)
Filed on Jul. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/350,947.
Claims priority of application No. 2210391 (GB), filed on Jul. 14, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0019675 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G01J 3/44 (2006.01); G01J 3/02 (2006.01); G01N 21/65 (2006.01); G02B 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 21/0032 (2013.01) [G01J 3/0248 (2013.01); G01J 3/44 (2013.01); G01N 21/65 (2013.01); G02B 21/0044 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A Raman spectroscopy apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a spectrograph;
an imaging optical system configured to transmit light from an object along an optical path to the spectrograph;
an irradiation optical system comprising a light source and being configured to illuminate said object by directing light from said light source to the object along at least part of said optical path;
a scanning device comprising a rotatable scanning disk in which a plurality of apertures are formed, the scanning device intersecting said optical path and being rotatable with respect to the optical path,
wherein said irradiation optical system is configured to direct said light onto said rotatable scanning disk to simultaneously illuminate said object at a plurality of illumination points corresponding to said plurality of apertures,
and wherein said imaging optical system is configured to transmit Raman scattered light emitted from said object at said illumination points to an intermediate image plane, said scanning device being located at said intermediate image plane and said imaging optical system being configured to transmit Raman scattered light emitted from each of said illumination points through a respective one of said apertures formed in said rotatable scanning disk,
and wherein said imaging optical system is configured to transmit an array of beams from said intermediate image plane to said spectrograph, each beam comprising Raman scattered light from a respective one of said illumination points and transmitted through said respective one of said apertures,
and wherein said spectrograph comprises an entrance aperture and is configured to receive said array of beams at said entrance aperture.