Patent ID: 9366626
Filing Date: 2016-06-14
CPC Classification: G01J,G01N,G02B

Claim Text:
1. A handheld internal reflection apparatus, comprising: a handheld enclosure; an internally reflective element disposed in the handheld enclosure and also configured to provide a sample contact surface external to the handheld enclosure; an optical assembly contained within the handheld enclosure, the optical assembly further comprising a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the sample contact surface and the detector being configured to detect the source radiation optically interacting with the sample contact surface; a sample contact arm; a motorized force actuator coupled to the sample contact arm; and a processor also configured within the handheld enclosure and electronically coupled to the motorized force actuator, the radiation source, and the radiation detector; wherein the processor directs the motorized force actuator with a controlled contact force as applied to a sample disposed between the sample contact arm and the sample contact surface, wherein after the controlled contact force is met, the electronic processor analyzes the sample information received by the radiation detector, and the controlled contact force is configured by the processor as an automatically controlled force based on a feedback spectroscopic signature received by the detector.