ABSORBANCE SPECTROSCOPY ANALYZER AND METHOD OF USE

Abstract

Absorbance spectroscopy methods and systems are disclosed including a spectroscopy analyzer, comprising: an optical element device positioned to receive an analysis light that passes through a sample of a fluid specimen from an illumination unit, the analysis light including first light in a first light range and second light in a second light range different than the first light range, the optical element device comprising: a housing assembly that defines an internal space; and a dichroic mirror-reflector within the internal space positioned to receive the analysis light, the dichroic mirror-reflector configured to filter the analysis light such that a first portion of the analysis light in the first light range is reflected off the dichroic mirror-reflector as a spectrometer light, and such that a second portion of the analysis light in the second light range passes through the dichroic mirror-reflector as a detector light.

Description

Claims

1. A spectroscopy analyzer, comprising: an optical element device positioned to receive at least a portion of an analysis light that passes through a sample of a fluid specimen from an illumination unit, the analysis light including first light in a first light range of approximately 450 nm to approximately 680 nm and second light in a second light range different than the first light range, the optical element device comprising: a device housing assembly that defines a device internal space; anda dichroic mirror-reflector within the device internal space of the device housing assembly positioned to receive the analysis light, the dichroic mirror-reflector configured to filter the analysis light such that a first portion of the analysis light in the first light range is reflected off the dichroic mirror-reflector as a spectrometer light, and such that a second portion of the analysis light in the second light range passes through the dichroic mirror-reflector as a detector light.

2. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 1, further comprising: a receiving lens within the device internal space of the device housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the analysis light to the dichroic mirror-reflector.

3. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 1, further comprising: a spectrometer positioned to receive the spectrometer light reflected from the dichroic mirror-reflector; anda detector positioned to receive the detector light through the dichroic mirror-reflector.

4. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 3, further comprising: one or more computer processor configured to execute software code that causes the one or more computer processor to receive and analyze one or more signal from the detector to determine one or more properties of the detector light indicative of one or more properties of the sample.

5. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 4, wherein the one or more properties of the sample includes a presence of water in the sample.

6. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 3, further comprising: one or more computer processors configured to execute software code that causes the one or more computer processor to: receive and analyze one or more signal from the detector to determine one or more first properties of the sample; andreceive and analyze one or more signal from the spectrometer to determine one or more second properties of the sample based at least in part on the determined one or more first properties.

7. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 3, further comprising: an output lens within the device internal space of the device housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the spectrometer light reflected from the dichroic mirror-reflector to the spectrometer.

8. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 1, further comprising: an illumination unit, comprising: a unit housing assembly that defines a unit internal space;a first light source within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, the first light source configured to emit the first light in the first light range; anda second light source within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, the second light source configured to emit the second light in the second light range.

9. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 8, wherein the first light source is positioned on a first axis and the second light source is positioned on a second axis that intersects and is angularly offset with respect to the first axis, the spectroscopy analyzer further comprising: a reflector within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, the reflector including an aperture through which the first axis extends such that the first light passes through the aperture and a reflective surface angled in relation to the first axis and second axis such that the second light reflects off the reflector;a focal lens within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the first light passed through the aperture of the reflector, and to receive and focus the second light reflected from the reflective surface of the reflector; andan exit lens within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the first light and the second light from the focal lens into a specimen light directed onto the sample to produce the analysis light.

10. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 9, further comprising: a sample holder having a microchannel configured to hold the sample of the fluid specimen and positioned such that the specimen light focused from the exit lens illuminates the sample, wherein the specimen light moving through the sample produces the analysis light.

11. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 9, further comprising: a third light source within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, the third light source positioned on the second axis, the third light source configured to emit third light in a third light range different than the first light range, such that the third light reflects off the reflector.

12. A spectroscopy analyzer, comprising: an illumination unit, comprising: a unit housing assembly that defines a unit internal space;a first light source within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, the first light source positioned on a first axis and configured to emit first light in a first light range of approximately 450 nm to approximately 680 nm;a second light source within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, positioned on a second axis that intersects and is angularly offset with respect to the first axis and configured to emit second light in at least a second light range of approximately 1050 nm to approximately 2500 nm;a third light source within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, the third light source positioned on the second axis, the third light source configured to emit third light in a third light range different than the second light range;a reflector within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly, the reflector including an aperture through which the first axis extends such that the first light passes through the aperture and a reflective surface angled in relation to the first axis and second axis such that the second light and the third light reflect off the reflector;a focal lens within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the first light passed through the aperture of the reflector, and to receive and focus the second light and the third light reflected from the reflective surface of the reflector; andan exit lens within the unit internal space of the unit housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the first light, the second light, and the third light from the focal lens into a specimen light;a sample holder having a microchannel configured to hold a sample of a fluid specimen and positioned such that the specimen light focused from the exit lens illuminates the sample, wherein the specimen light moving through the sample produces an analysis light;an optical element device positioned to receive at least a portion of the analysis light that passes through the sample, the optical element device comprising: a device housing assembly that defines a device internal space;a receiving lens within the device internal space of the device housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the analysis light;a dichroic mirror-reflector within the device internal space of the device housing assembly positioned to receive the focused analysis light from the receiving lens, the dichroic mirror-reflector configured to filter the analysis light such that a first portion of the analysis light in the first light range and the third light range is reflected off the dichroic mirror-reflector as a spectrometer light, and such that a second portion of the analysis light in the second light range passes through the dichroic mirror-reflector as a detector light; andan output lens within the device internal space of the device housing assembly positioned to receive and focus the spectrometer light;a spectrometer positioned to receive the focused spectrometer light from the output lens; anda detector positioned to receive the detector light through the dichroic mirror-reflector.

13. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 12, further comprising: one or more amplifier connected to the detector and configured to receive, amplify, and output one or more signal from the detector indicative of the detector light;one or more analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the amplified signal from the amplifier, convert the amplified signal to a digital signal, and output the digital signal; andone or more computer processor configured to execute software code that causes the one or more computer processor to receive and analyze the digital signal from the one or more analog-to-digital converter to determine one or more properties of the detector light indicative of one or more properties of the sample.

14. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 13, wherein the one or more properties of the sample includes a presence of water in the sample.

15. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 12, further comprising: one or more amplifier connected to the spectrometer and configured to receive, amplify, and output one or more signal from the spectrometer indicative of the spectrometer light;one or more analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the amplified signal from the amplifier, convert the amplified signal from the amplifier to a digital signal, and output the digital signal; andone or more computer processor configured to execute software code that causes the one or more computer processor to receive and analyze the digital signal from the one or more analog-to-digital converter to determine one or more properties of the spectrometer light indicative of one or more properties of the sample.

16. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 15, wherein the one or more properties of the sample includes a presence and type of one or more analytes in the sample.

17. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 12, further comprising: one or more computer processors configured to execute software code that causes the one or more computer processor to: receive and analyze one or more signal from the detector to determine one or more first properties of the sample; andreceive and analyze one or more signal from the spectrometer to determine one or more second properties of the sample.

18. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 17, wherein the one or more first properties of the sample include a presence and/or amount of water in the sample and the one or more second properties of the sample include a presence and/or amount of one or more analytes in the sample.

19. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 17, wherein determining the one or more second properties is based at least in part on the determined one or more first properties.

20. The spectroscopy analyzer of claim 12, wherein the specimen light is focused into a generally circular shape having a diameter onto the sample.