Patent ID: 6570654
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: A61C,G01J,G01N,G02B,G16H

Abstract:
A method of quantifying the optical properties of an object or material using a protective implement, comprising the steps of:applying the protective implement to a tip of a measurement implement, wherein the tip of the measurement implement having the protective implement is directable to come into contact or near contact with the object or material; directing the tip of the measurement implement having the protective implement towards a calibration standard, wherein at least one calibration measurement is made of the calibration standard, wherein, as part of the calibration measurement, light from at least one light source is provided to the calibration standard via the protective implement and light returned from the calibration standard is provided to a color measuring system via the protective implement; directing the tip of the measurement implement having the protective implement towards the object or material, wherein at least one optical measurement is made of the object or material, wherein, as part of the optical measurement, light from the at least one light source is provided to the object or material via the protective implement and light returned from the object or material is provided to the color measuring system via the protective implement; generating optical measurement output data indicative of the optical properties of the object or material, wherein the optical measurement output data is based on data from the calibration measurement and data from the optical measurement.