Thanks to the mass production of optical fibres, the development of low-cost detectors and optics, and the emergence of PCs, spectroscopy has expanded beyond the lab and into the field.
Small, inexpensive spectrometers make feasible applications that were previously cost prohibitive.
For example, costly laboratory spectrophotometers often are used to monitor the colour or chemical composition of a finished product. Now, dozens of spectrometer modules can be installed into process lines or transported into the field. This modular approach makes multiple-point sampling and redundant sensing much simpler to integrate into applications, reducing per-sensor costs and resulting in more reliable data.
Optical fibre-based spectrometers bring the spectrometer to the sample, allowing the installation of systems on production lines, in process streams, and in injection-molding machines and other hard-to-reach locations. With suitable connectors and fixtures, fibre assemblies can be used in vacuum chambers for monitoring thin-film deposition, for example, or in marine environments to measure the amount of light absorbed by phytoplankton or fluoresced by corals.
Also, the smaller the spectrometer and optical bench, the simpler they are to integrate into other analytical devices. This has inspired the development spectrometers with the smallest footprint yet about the size of a matchbox. u
ENQUIRY No 12
Ocean Optics Inc is based in Dunedin, FL, USA. www.OceanOptics.com
