Renishaw Plc

Heriot-watt University

Brian John Edward Smith

Robert R Thomson

Robert Bennett

Andrew Mark Woolfrey

Calum Ross

Richard William Bormett

Jacob Filik

Thomas James Thurston

Ian Paul Hayward

A method of smoothing spectral data recorded by a spectrometer including successively fitting a plurality of spline curves to the spectral data, each spline curve having a different number of knots. A knot position of each knot, other than end point knots, in each spline curve is determined based upon a measure of fit of points of a previously fitted one of the spline curves having fewer knots to the spectral data. The method further includes selecting one of the spline curves as a smoothed data curve of the spectral data based upon a model selection criterion.

Spectroscopic apparatus and methods

An optical device includes a unitary substrate of optically transparent material. The unitary substrate has formed therein at least one collection lens and channel, the channel for receiving an optical fibre and arranged to align the optical fibre inserted therein such that the collection lens couples light collected by the collection lens into the optical fibre.

Direct laser writing and chemical etching and optical devices

A method of estimating background radiation in spectral data. The method may comprise, iteratively, fitting an analytical curve, such as a spline curve, to reference data, determining an allowable deviation of the reference data from the analytical curve and clipping data points of the reference data or the spectral data that are more than the allowable deviation above the analytical curve to provide the reference data for the next iteration until termination criterion is met. The reference data is initially based upon the spectral data. The method may comprise generating estimates of background radiation of the spectral data, each estimate based upon fitting a different order polynomial to the spectral data, and selecting an order of polynomial to use for estimating background radiation and/or one of the estimates of the background radiation. The method may further comprise estimating the noise in the spectral data from the reference data.

A Raman spectroscopy system has a filter arrangement comprising two filters (A) in series, to reject light of the illuminating wavenumber from the scattered light of interest. The filters are tilted and have different characteristics for light of first and second different polarisation states. To counter this, the filters are arranged so that their respective effects on the respective polarisation states at least partially cancel each other out. This may for example be done by arranging their tilt axes () orthogonally to each other.

Spectroscopy system

A sample is illuminated by laser light and the resulting Raman spectrum is dispersed at a high spectral resolution along one or more rows or columns of detector elements of a CCD. The resulting charge is shifted in a direction Y' and binned in an output register of the CCD. The dispersed spectrum is moved along the rows or columns in a direction X&#x2032;, synchronously with the shifting of charge in the output register. Thus, data from a given wavenumber in the spectrum continues to accumulate in the output register during the movement. This enables data from a wide spectrum to be collected at high resolution, without the need to subsequently stitch blocks of data together in a computer, even where the CCD is arranged such that row-by-row transfer of charge towards the output register is orthogonal to the direction of dispersion.

An optical slit comprises two bladeswhich define a slit between them, each blade being independently movable. This enables both the slit position and the slit width to be adjusted. The slit may be aligned with the center of a light beam by aiming the light beam at a detector, traversing at least one edge of the slit across the beam path, measuring the intensity of transmitted light at the detector for each position of the slit, and feeding back a signal which adjusts the slit position for maximum light throughput. The width on the optical slit may be selected by placing the slit in the path of the light beam and measuring the light transmitted at the detector, calculating the percentage of light transmitted for that slit width and feeding back a signal which adjusts slit width to obtain the desired amount of light throughput.

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Dursley, United Kingdom

Brian John Edward Smith