Diagnostic system with broadband light source
A diagnostic system is provided with a plurality of semiconductor light emitters, each configured to generate an optical beam, and a beam combiner to generate a multiplexed optical beam. An optical fiber or waveguide communicates at least a portion of the multiplexed optical beam to form an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed. A filter, coupled to at least one of a lens and a mirror to receive at least a portion of the output beam, forms an output light. A beam splitter splits the light into a sample arm and a reference arm and directs at least a portion of the sample arm light to a sample. A detection system is configured to receive from the sample at least a portion of reflected sample light, to generate a sample detector output, and to use a lock-in technique with the pulsed output beam.
1. A diagnostic system, comprising:
a light source comprising:
an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, configured to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns, and
one or more optical amplifiers configured to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width;
a nonlinear element configured to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;
at least one of a lens and a mirror configured to receive at least a portion of the output beam;
a filter coupled to the lens or the mirror and configured to form an output light;
a beam splitter configured to:
receive at least part of the output light,
split the received output light into a sample arm and a reference arm, and
direct at least a portion of the sample arm light to a sample;
a detection system comprising one or more detectors and configured to:
receive from the sample at least a portion of reflected sample light,
generate a sample detector output, and
use a lock-in technique with the pulsed output beam; and
wherein the diagnostic system is adapted to perform bio-medical diagnostics using infrared spectroscopy.
2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the lock-in technique comprises a phase locked technique.
3. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the output beam is further coupled to a grating spectrometer or a tunable filter.
4. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical amplifiers comprises a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier.
5. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , further comprising a second beam splitter configured to recombine the reference arm light and the sample arm light.
6. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the reference arm is configured to calibrate the diagnostic system.
7. A diagnostic system comprising:
a plurality of semiconductor light emitters, each of the light emitters configured to generate an optical beam;
a beam combiner configured to receive at least a portion of the optical beams from the plurality of semiconductor light emitters and to generate a multiplexed optical beam;
an optical fiber or waveguide configured to receive at least a portion of the multiplexed optical beam and to communicate the at least a portion of the multiplexed optical beam to form an output beam having at least one wavelength, wherein the output beam is pulsed;
a filter, coupled to at least one of a lens and a mirror configured to receive at least a portion of the output beam, and configured to form an output light;
a beam splitter configured to receive at least part of the output light, to split the received output light into a sample arm and a reference arm, and to direct at least a portion of the sample arm light to a sample;
a detection system comprising one or more detectors, and configured to receive from the sample at least a portion of reflected sample light, to generate a sample detector output, and to use a lock-in technique with the pulsed output beam; and
wherein the diagnostic system is adapted to perform diagnostics using spectroscopy.
8. The diagnostic system of claim 7 , wherein the sample arm light or the reference arm light is directed through a fiber-based configuration.
9. The diagnostic system of claim 7 , wherein the output beam is further coupled to a grating spectrometer or a tunable filter.
10. The diagnostic system of claim 7 , wherein the diagnostic system is further adapted to perform bio-medical diagnostics using infrared spectroscopy.
11. The diagnostic system of claim 7 , further comprising a second beam splitter configured to recombine the reference arm light and the sample arm light.
12. The diagnostic system of claim 11 , wherein the diagnostic system is configured as an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system.
13. The diagnostic system of claim 7 , wherein the reference arm is configured to calibrate the diagnostic system.
14. The diagnostic system of claim 7 , wherein the detection system is further configured to:
measure several wavelengths of absorption or reflection either substantially simultaneously or in a time sequential fashion; and
identify a chemical composition based on an examination a spectral pattern of absorption or reflection thereby performing spectral fingerprinting.
15. A diagnostic system, comprising:
a light source comprising:
an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, configured to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns; and
one or more optical amplifiers configured to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width;
a nonlinear element configured to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;
a filter, coupled to at least one of a lens and a mirror configured to receive at least a portion of the output beam, and configured to form an output light;
a beam splitter configured to receive at least part of the output light, to split the light into a sample arm and a reference arm, and to direct at least a portion of the sample arm light to a sample;
a detection system comprising one or more detectors, and configured to receive from the sample at least a portion of reflected sample light, to generate a sample detector output, and to measure when the light source is pulsed on; and
wherein the diagnostic system is adapted to perform diagnostics using spectroscopy.
16. The diagnostic system of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical amplifiers comprises a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier.
17. The diagnostic system of claim 16 , wherein an average output power of the output beam is 20 mW or more, and wherein an average intensity of the at least a portion of the output beam is less than approximately 50 MW/cm2.
18. The diagnostic system of claim 17 , wherein the input light source comprises two or more semiconductor diodes, and wherein the light source includes a beam combiner configured to combine at least a portion of the light from the two or more semiconductor diodes and to generate a multiplexed input beam coupled to the one or more optical amplifiers.
19. The diagnostic system of claim 18 , wherein the output beam comprises a pulse width greater than 100 psec.
20. The diagnostic system of claim 19 , wherein the detection system further comprises lock-in or phase locked techniques synchronous with the pulsed output beam, and wherein the diagnostic system is further adapted to perform bio-medical diagnostics using infrared spectroscopy.