Patent ID: 7027150

Claim:
An Excimer Laser Induced Fragmentation Fluorescence (ELIF) stand-off probe, comprising: a high intensity laser, said laser providing a high intensity light beam; a fused silica or fused glass window through which said light beam passes; a spectrometer having a light receiving aperture; a slit mounted over said light receiving aperture; a light collecting means comprising a mirror mounted on a rotatable stage and at least one focusing lens, said light collecting means disposed adjacent to said light beam, wherein said light collecting means images a predefined region in space along said light beam and gathers light generated by a photo-dissociation reaction between said light beam and any of a population of molecular species occupying said region of space traversed by said light beam, said mirror directing said generated light into said lens, wherein said lens focuses said generated light onto said slit and thence into said spectrometer, wherein said spectrometer disperses said generated light into a light spectrum; and means for detecting for said light spectrum and providing an electronic output signal proportional to said light spectrum over a wavelength range of between about 400 nm to about 1200 nm.