The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 22, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 21, 1998
Yoshijiro Ushio, Yokohama, JP;
Toru Nakamura, Kawasaki, JP;
Sumito Shimizu, Yokohama, JP;
Tetsuya Oshino, Kawasaki, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for measuring changes in light absorption of a sample optical component. The sample is held in a sample holder in a sample chamber during irradiation by an intense light, usually pulsatile light. Molecules of a gas are introduced into the sample chamber as the sample is irradiated. The molecules can be of a material suspected to become adhered to or absorbed by the sample in a way that causes an undesired change in light absorption by the sample. Changes in light absorption by the sample are preferably measured photoacoustically. The molecules of the gas can be generated by controlled irradiation of a 'source material' with a light (which can be the same as used to irradiate the sample) sufficient to generate such molecules of gas from the source material, and routing the gaseous molecules to the sample as the sample is irradiated.