Optical analysis system for dynamic, real-time detection and measurement

1. A system for real-time processing and monitoring, comprising:

a light source to provide an illumination light and a calibration light;

an optical element to separate the illumination light and the calibration light;

an optical element to direct the illumination light to a sample;

an optical element to direct the calibration light to a first detector and a second detector;

an optical element to collect light backscattered from the sample;

an optical element to separate light backscattered from the sample into a first scattered light portion and a second scattered light portion;

an optical element to direct the first scattered light portion through at least one multivariate optical element to the first detector; and

an optical element to direct the second scattered light portion to the second detector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical element to direct the calibration light to a first detector and a second detector comprises an optical element to separate the calibration light into a first calibration light portion directed to the first detector and a second calibration light portion directed to the second detector.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first calibration light portion passes through the at least one multivariate optical detector.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical element to direct the calibration light to a first detector and a second detector comprises an adjustable aperture to regulate an amount of calibration light directed to the first detector and the second detector.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical element to direct the illumination light to a sample comprises an adjustable aperture to regulate an amount of illumination light to the sample and a reflective element to separate the illumination light and light backscattered from the sample.

6. The system of claim 1 where the optical element to direct the calibration light to the first and a second detector is a chopper wheel.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical element to direct the calibration light to the first and second detectors is an optical modulator operating at a frequency selected according to a speed of the sample across a sample area in the system.

8. A method for real-time processing and monitoring, comprising:

separating a source light into an illumination light and a calibration light;

illuminating a sample with the illumination light;

dividing light carrying information about the sample with a beam splitter into a first light portion and a second light portion;

directing the first light portion through at least one multivariate optical element to produce a first signal;

detecting the first signal at a first detector;

directing the second light portion in a direction of a second detector, the second detector configured to detect the second light portion;

detecting a portion of the calibration light at the first detector; and

determining at least one selected property of the sample based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the sample is a powder.

10. The method as in claim 9 further comprising mixing a first component and a second component in the powder.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein determining the at least one selected property of the sample comprises measuring the amount of the first component in the powder.

12. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the sample is an opaque fluid.

13. The method as in claim 8 , wherein determining at least one selected property of the sample is completed in less than 1/100 of a second.

14. The method as in claim 8 , wherein determining at least one selected property of the sample is completed in less than 1/10 of a second.

15. The method as in claim 8 , wherein determining at least one selected property of the sample is completed in less than 1 second.

16. The method as in claim 8 , wherein determining at least one selected property of the sample is completed in less than 5 seconds.

17. The method as in claim 8 , wherein determining at least one selected property of the sample is completed in less than 30 seconds.

18. The method as in claim 8 wherein separating a source light into an illumination light and a calibration light comprises modulating the source light at a frequency selected according to a speed of the sample across a sampling area.

19. A method for real-time processing and monitoring, comprising:

positioning a sample proximal to an optic window in an optical sensor;

separating a source light into a spectral-specific light and a calibration light;

illuminating a sample with the spectral-specific light through an optic window, the optic window configured to focus the spectral-specific light into the sample;

dividing light carrying information about the sample with a beam splitter into a first light portion and a second light portion, the first light portion and the second light portion having substantially similar spectral characteristics;

directing the first light portion through at least one multivariate optical element to produce a first signal;

detecting the first signal at a first detector;

detecting a portion of the calibration light at the first detector;

directing the second light portion in a direction of a second detector, the second detector configured to detect the second light portion; and

determining at least one selected property of the sample based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the sample is a powder; and further comprising blending the powder by mixing a first component and a second component.

21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the selected property of the sample is an amount of the first component of the powder.

22. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the selected property of the sample is a particulate size of the first component of the powder.

23. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the selected property of the sample is a secondary property of the second component of the sample.

24. The method as in claim 20 , further comprising assessing an homogeneity asymptote of the powder.

25. The method as in claim 19 wherein the sample comprises a suspension of a solid material in a liquid.

26. The method as in claim 19 wherein positioning a sample proximal to an optic window in an optical sensor comprises placing trays of powder on a conveyance.

27. The method as in claim 19 wherein positioning a sample proximal to an optic window in an optical sensor comprises positioning a plurality of sample portions proximal to a plurality of optical heads, each optical head having a dedicated multivariate optical element; and

directing the first light portion through at least one multivariate optical element comprises directing the first light portion through the dedicated multivariate optical element for each optical head.

28. The method as in claim 19 further wherein:

positioning a sample proximal to an optic window in an optical sensor comprises moving the sample on a conveyor belt at a speed across a sampling area in the optical sensor; and

separating a source light into a spectral-specific light and a calibration light includes modulating the source light at a frequency selected according to the speed of the sample across the sampling area in the optical detector.