Patent ID: 8054454
Filing Date: 2011-11-08
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: (a) surveying an area to identify a region of interest comprising an unknown material wherein said identification of said region of interest is based on at least one of size, shape and color of said region of interest; (b) illuminating the region of interest with a plurality of photons to thereby produce photons reflected from different locations on or within the unknown sample in said region of interest; (c) collecting said reflected photons using short wave infrared spectroscopy to produce at least one of the following: a plurality of spatially resolved short wave infrared spectra and a plurality of wavelength resolved short wave infrared images; (d) analyzing at least one of said a plurality of spatially resolved short wave infrared spectra and a plurality wavelength resolved short wave infrared images to thereby determine a target area: (e) illuminating said target area with a plurality of photons to thereby produce Raman scattered photons and plasma emitted photons from the target area; (f) collecting, via a fiber array spectral translator device, Raman scattered photons and plasma emitted photons produced by the target area, wherein said device comprises a two dimensional array of optical fibers drawn into a one dimensional fiber stack so as to effectively convert a two-dimensional field of view into a curvilinear field of view; (g) analyzing the Raman scattered photons, produced by the target area, using Raman spectroscopy to produce a plurality of spatially resolved Raman spectra; (h) analyzing the plasma emitted photons, produced by the target area, using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy to produce a plurality of spatially resolved atomic spectra; and (i) applying a fusion algorithm to at least two of the following to identify one or more chemical compounds in the target area: the plurality of spatially resolved infrared spectra, the plurality of spatially resolved Raman spectra and the plurality of spatially resolved atomic spectra, wherein steps (a)-(i) are performed at a standoff distance from said unknown material.