Patent Publication Number: US-2023137017-A1

Title: Optical activity detecting device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 110140706, filed on Nov. 2, 2021, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a detecting device, and in particular to an optical activity detecting device. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Optical activity detecting technology can be utilized to blood glucose test. 
     Conventional optical activity detecting device has a light source, and an optical analyzer, which detects the eye of the testee. The conventional light source and the optical analyzer have complex structure and increased cost, and the conventional optical activity detecting device is thus huge and not easy to move, which cannot realize continuous non-invasive detection. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention are provided to address the aforementioned difficulty. 
     In one embodiment, an optical activity detecting device is provided. The optical activity detecting device is adapted to detect an object. The optical activity detecting device includes a light source, a filter, a first polarizer, a second polarizer, a first compensation film and a first detector. The light source provides a light beam. The light beam travels from the light source, passes through the filter and the first polarizer, and enters the object. At least a portion of the light beam travels from the object, passes through the second polarizer and the first compensation film and is received by the first detector. 
     In one embodiment, the phase difference between the first polarizer and the second polarizer is 90 degrees or 0 degrees. 
     In one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device further comprises a substrate and a first spacer, the light source and the first detector are disposed on the substrate, and the first spacer is disposed between the light source and the first detector. 
     In one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device further comprises a third polarizer, a second compensation film and a second detector. At least a portion of the light beam travels from the object, passes through the third polarizer and the second compensation film, and is received by the second detector. 
     In one embodiment, the phase difference between the first polarizer and the second polarizer is 90 degrees, and the phase difference between the first polarizer and the third polarizer is 0 degrees. 
     In one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device further comprises a substrate and a first spacer, wherein the light source, the first detector and the second detector are disposed on the substrate, and the first spacer is disposed between the light source and the first detector. 
     In one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device further comprises a second spacer, wherein the second spacer is disposed between the first detector and the second detector. 
     In one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device is a wearable device, and the light source, the filter, the first polarizer, the second polarizer, the first compensation film and the first detector are integrated into on single module package. 
     In one embodiment, the light source comprises an edge-emitting semiconductor laser source, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser source, light-emitting diodes of organic or inorganic materials without specific polarization characteristics, a near infrared light source or an infrared light source. 
     In one embodiment, the first detector comprises Si, GaAs or InGaAs. 
     In one embodiment, the first polarizer and the second polarizer comprise organic polymer materials or inorganic crystal materials. 
     In one embodiment, the first compensation film comprises liquid-crystal polymer (LCP). 
     In one embodiment, the filter corresponds to a particular wavelength half-width. 
     In one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device further comprises a first lens unit and a second lens unit, wherein the light beam travels from the light source, passes through the filter, the first polarizer and the first lens, and enters the object, and at least a portion of the light beam travels from the object, passes through the second lens unit, the second polarizer and the first compensation film, and is received by the first detector. 
     In one embodiment, the first lens comprises a concave lens, and the second lens comprises a convex lens. 
     In one embodiment, an optical activity detecting device is provided. The optical activity detecting device includes a light source, a first polarizer, a second polarizer and a first detector. The light source provides a light beam. The light beam travels from the light source, passes through the first polarizer, and enters the object. The phase difference between the first polarizer and the second polarizer is 90 degrees or 0 degrees. At least a portion of the light beam travels from the object, passes through the second polarizer and is received by the first detector. 
     In the embodiment of the invention, the optical activity detecting device can be a wearable device, and is wear on the head of the testee. The light source, the filter, the first polarizer, the second polarizer, the first compensation film and the first detector are integrated into on single module package. The optical activity detecting device of the embodiment of the invention has simpler structure, small size and decreased cost, which can be carried easily, and can realize continuous non-invasive detection. 
     A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    shows an optical activity detecting device of a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG.  2    shows an optical activity detecting device of a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG.  3    shows an optical activity detecting device of a third embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG.  4    shows an optical activity detecting device of a fourth embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
       FIG.  1    shows an optical activity detecting device of a first embodiment of the invention. With reference to  FIG.  1   , the optical activity detecting device D 1  of the first embodiment of the invention is adapted to detect an object (not shown). The optical activity detecting device D 1  includes a light source  1 , a filter  2 , a first polarizer  31 , a second polarizer  32 , a first compensation film  41  and a first detector  51 . The light source  1  provides a light beam L. The light beam L travels from the light source  1 , passes through the filter  2  and the first polarizer  31 , and enters the object (not shown). At least a portion of the light beam L travels from the object (not shown), passes through the second polarizer  32  and the first compensation film  41  and is received by the first detector  51 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , in one embodiment, the phase difference between the first polarizer  31  and the second polarizer  32  is 90 degrees or 0 degrees. However, the disclosure is not meant to restrict the invention. In other embodiment, the phase difference between the first polarizer  31  and the second polarizer  32  can be modified. For example, the phase difference between the first polarizer  31  and the second polarizer  32  can be 45 degrees. 
     In one embodiment, the phase difference between the first polarizer  31  and the second polarizer  32  is 90 degrees. When there is specific rotation, the light intensity is increased with the specific rotation. 
     In other embodiment, the phase difference between the first polarizer  31  and the second polarizer  32  is 0 degrees. When there is specific rotation, the light intensity is decreased with the specific rotation. 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , in one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device further comprises a substrate  6  and a first spacer  71 . The light source  1  and the first detector  51  are disposed on the substrate  6 . The first spacer  71  is disposed between the light source  1  and the first detector  51 . 
     In one embodiment, the light source  1  comprises an edge-emitting semiconductor laser source, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser source, light-emitting diodes of organic or inorganic materials without specific polarization characteristics, a near infrared light source or an infrared light source. 
     In one embodiment, the first detector  51  includes Si, GaAs or InGaAs. 
     In one embodiment, the first polarizer  31  and the second polarizer  32  include organic polymer materials or inorganic crystal materials. 
     In one embodiment, the first compensation film  41  includes liquid-crystal polymer (LCP). The compensation film compensates the phase deflection or the optical activity of the optical system. 
     In one embodiment, the filter is utilized to purify wavelength (reducing half-width). 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , in one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device D 1  further comprises a first lens unit  81  and a second lens unit  82 . The light beam travels L from the light source  1 , passes through the filter  2 , the first polarizer  31  and the first lens  81 , and enters the object (not shown), and at least a portion of the light beam L travels from the object (not shown), passes through the second lens unit  82 , the second polarizer  32  and the first compensation film  41 , and is received by the first detector  51 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , in one embodiment, the first lens  81  includes a concave lens to homogenize light distribution. The second lens  82  includes a convex lens to collect light. The disclosure is not meant to restrict the invention. 
       FIG.  2    shows an optical activity detecting device of a second embodiment of the invention. With reference to  FIG.  2   , in this embodiment, the light source  1  is disposed on a first substrate  61 , and the first detector  51  is disposed on a second substrate  62 . In the embodiment of the invention, the light source unit (including the light source  1 , the filter  2 , the first polarizer  31  and the first lens  81 ) and the detection unit (including the second lens  82 , the second polarizer  32 , the first compensation film  41  and the detector  51 ) can be integrated in one single device housing (the first embodiment) or disposed in different device housings (the second embodiment). The disclosure is not meant to restrict the invention. 
       FIG.  3    shows an optical activity detecting device of a third embodiment of the invention. With reference to  FIG.  3   , in this embodiment, the optical activity detecting device D 3  further comprises a third lens  83 , a third polarizer  33 , a second compensation film  42  and a second detector  52 . At least a portion of the light beam L travels from the object (not shown), passes through the third lens  83 , the third polarizer  33  and the second compensation film  42 , and is received by the second detector  52 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  3   , in one embodiment, the phase difference between the first polarizer  31  and the second polarizer  32  is 90 degrees, and the phase difference between the first polarizer  31  and the third polarizer  33  is 0 degrees. Therefore, the detected results of the first detector  51  and the second detector  52  can be cross reference. 
     With reference to  FIG.  3   , in one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device further comprises a substrate  6 ′ and a first spacer  71 . The light source  1 , the first detector  51  and the second detector  52  are disposed on the substrate  6 ′. The first spacer  71  is disposed between the light source  1  and the first detector  51 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  3   , in one embodiment, the optical activity detecting device D 3  further comprises a second spacer  72 . The second spacer  72  is disposed between the first detector  51  and the second detector  52 . 
       FIG.  4    shows an optical activity detecting device of a fourth embodiment of the invention. With reference to  FIG.  4   , in this embodiment, the first detector  51 ′ and the second detector  52 ′ of the optical activity detecting device D 4  are integrated into a detector array module  53 . 
     In one embodiment, the object can be an eyeball. The sizes of the light source, the filter, the first polarizer, the second polarizer, the first compensation film and the first detector are much smaller than the size of the object. 
     In the embodiment of the invention, the optical activity detecting device can be a wearable device, and is wear on the head of the testee. The light source, the filter, the first polarizer, the second polarizer, the first compensation film and the first detector are integrated into on single module package. The optical activity detecting device of the embodiment of the invention has simpler structure, small size and decreased cost, which can be carried easily, and can realize continuous non-invasive detection. 
     Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having the same name (but for use of the ordinal term). 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.