Described are various embodiments of a dynamic Raman signal acquisition system, method and apparatus. In one embodiment, a Raman system comprises: an excitation light source operable at a designated irradiation power and for a designated acquisition time for each Raman data acquisition; a Raman probe operatively associated with said excitation light source to irradiate the biological tissue at said designated irradiation power and for said designated acquisition time, and capture an optical Raman response therefrom; a spectrometer operable to spectrally analyze said optical Raman response; and a controller in operative communication with said excitation light source and said spectrometer to automatically adjust at least one signal acquisition parameter.

The invention relates to an ATR spectrometer for analysing the chemical composition of a sample, wherein the ATR spectrometer (1) comprises an ATR crystal (2), at least one infrared light source (5) being arranged on the entry surface (3), a line array (6) of infrared light detectors, at least one single infrared light detector (7), wherein the at least one infrared light source (5) is adapted to emit infrared light that enters the ATR crystal and is guided to the infrared light detectors under total internal reflection and under interaction with the sample being arranged immediately adjacent to the ATR crystal, a wavelength dispersive element (8) being arranged in the path of the infrared light sothat the line array is adapted to measure a spectrum of the infrared light, and a wavelength filter (9) being arranged in the path of the infrared light to the single infrared light detector, wherein at least one of the infrared light detectors is chosen to be a chosen infrared light detector for a signal correction, and the ATR spectrometer is adapted to use the electrical signal of the chosen infrared light detectors to correct the electrical signals of all the other infrared light detectors.

Apparatus and methods for performing optical analyses in a harsh environment are disclosed. Some of the systems and methods of the present disclosure include fluorescence, absorption, and reflectance detection using a drum spectrometer. Other systems and methods of the present disclosure include a measurement channel and a parallel reference channel concurrently filtering optical signals.

A method of optical spectroscopy for analysing a sample using an optical spectrometer is provided. The method comprises obtaining a sample spectrum of the sample using the optical spectrometer and obtaining a blank spectrum using the optical spectrometer. The blank spectrum comprises structured background radiation which is correlated with the sample spectrum. A cross-correlation of the sample spectrum and the blank spectrum is determined. A mapped blank spectrum is generated by mapping the blank spectrum to the sample spectrum based on the cross-correlation, and the mapped blank spectrum is subtracted from the sample spectrum to generate a background corrected sample spectrum.

A spectroscopy system and method in which the optical path following the interferometer includes a Jacquinot stop having an aperture disposed substantially at its focal point. The Jacquinot stop includes a reflective surface substantially non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the path and facing the source of the IR signal containing an interferogram. The aperture passes an inner portion of the incident IR signal, while the reflective surface reflects an outer portion. The reflected outer portion of the incident IR signal, which contains erroneous spectral information due to inherent flaws in the interferometer optics, is thereby effectively removed from the original incident IR signal ultimately used to irradiate the sample, and yet still be made available for use in monitoring background spectra of the sampling optics.

An on-chip spectroscopic sensor includes a tunable diode laser. A laser driver for drives the tunable diode laser. An analyte test cavity receives a chemical sample and exposes the received chemical sample to light from the tunable diode laser. An optical detector detects light emerging from the analyte test cavity as a result of the laser exposure. A spectral analyzer determines a spectrum of the emerging light, matches and removes one or more known optical fringe patterns from the determined spectrum, and determines a composition or concentration of the chemical sample from the optical fringe pattern-removed spectrum.

The invention relates to a characterization device (50) for characterizing a sample (S) comprising: a memory (MEM) storing a measured spectrum (A.sub.s+p) of said sample, performed through a translucent material, and a measured spectrum of the translucent material (A.sub.p), a processing unit (PU) configured to: determine a spectral energy (E.sub.s+p) of the measured spectrum (A.sub.s+p) of the sample through the translucent material (A.sub.s+p), estimate a coefficient ({circumflex over ()}) from said spectral energy (E.sub.s+p) and, determine a corrected spectrum (.sub.s) of the sample from the measured spectrum (A.sub.s+p) of the sample through the translucent material and from a corrected spectrum of the translucent material (.sub.p),
said corrected spectrum of the translucent material (.sub.p) being determined from the measured spectrum of the translucent material (A.sub.p) and from the estimated coefficient ({circumflex over ()}).

A method and an apparatus are presented for monitoring a concentration of a specific halogen in a body of water such as a spa or bathing unit for example. The apparatus comprises a housing in which is positioned an optical absorption analyzer for making first and second measurement of transmission of ultraviolet light from a light source emitting light at a specific wavelength. The second and first measurements are taken respectively before and after the ultraviolet light has travelled through a sample of water and are used to derive a concentration of the specific halogen. The derived concentration may then be communicated to a user using a display device and/or may be used to control operational components of a bathing unit for adjusting the concentration of halogen in the water. In some practical implementations, the apparatus may be embodied as a standalone device, which may be configured to float on the water of the bathing unit or, alternatively, may be configured for being installed in-line in a water circulation path of the bathing input by connecting the housing to circulation piping.

Carbon fiber characterization processes are described that include multi-condition Raman spectroscopy-based examination combined with multivariate data analyses. Methods are a nondestructive material characterization approach that can provide predictions as to carbon fiber bulk physical properties, as well as identification of unknown carbon fiber materials for quality control purposes. The framework of the multivariate analysis methods includes a principal component-based identification protocol including comparison of Raman spectral data from an unknown carbon fiber with a data library of multiple principal component spaces.

Various embodiments disclosed herein describe an infrared (IR) imaging system for detecting a gas. The imaging system can include an optical filter that selectively passes light having a wavelength in a range of 1585 nm to 1595 nm while attenuating light at wavelengths above 1600 nm and below 1580 nm. The system can include an optical detector array sensitive to light having a wavelength of 1590 that is positioned rear of the optical filter.