Patent ID: 7692775
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: a laser light source configured to illuminate a target area having an unknown sample, to thereby produce luminescence emitted photons, scattered photons and plasma emitted photons from different locations on or within the unknown sample; a first optical system coupled to said laser light source to direct light to the target area having the unknown sample; a video capture device that outputs a dynamic image of the target area; a first two-dimensional array of detection elements; a second optical system that collects said luminescence emitted, said scattered, and said plasma emitted photons, and directs the collected luminescence emitted photons to said first two-dimensional array of detection elements coupled to said second optical system and further directs the collected scattered and plasma emitted photons to a fiber array spectral translator device coupled to said second optical system; wherein said first two-dimensional array detects in a spatially accurate manner said luminescence emitted photons received from said second optical system and generates at least one of the following: and includes 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; a photodiode coupled to said first optical system to generate a gating signal to synchronize an acquisition time of a second two dimensional array of detection elements with a pulse width of laser light emanating from said laser light source; a spectrograph coupled to said one-dimensional fiber stack of said fiber array spectral translator device, wherein an entrance slit of the spectrograph is coupled to said one dimensional fiber stack to perform at least one of the following: disperse said scattered photons output by the fiber array spectral translator device to generate a plurality of spatially resolved Raman spectra, and disperse said plasma emitted photons output by the fiber array spectral translator device to generate a plurality of spatially resolved atomic spectra; and wherein said second two dimensional array of detection elements coupled to said spectrograph detects the plurality of spatially resolved Raman spectra or the plurality of spatially resolved atomic spectra produced by said spectrograph.