IP Library Granted Patent US 12,379,310
Granted Patent B2
US 12,379,310 · App. 18/096,250 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Optically super-resolved infrared impulse spectroscopy (OSIRIS)—a technique for high contrast chemical imaging of chemical composition

Inventors: Tyler Huffman (Alexandria, VA); Robert Furstenberg (Burke, VA); Chris Kendziora (Burke, VA); R. Andrew McGill (Lorton, VA)
Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
G01N21/3563G01N2201/0636
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,379,310
App. No.
18/096,250
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a method for spectroscopic imaging by illuminating a sample with a short infrared pulse, directing one or more probe beams to the sample, and measuring light that is reflected, transmitted, or re-emitted inelastically, where a spectrum is collocated by varying the wavelength of the infrared pulse and an image is collected by moving the sample and probe beam relative to each other as the steps are repeated multiple times to create a multidimensional spectroscopic image of the sample. Also disclosed are the related methods for analyzing the data and the related system for spectroscopic imaging.

Claims (33)

1. A method for spectroscopic imaging, comprising:

(a) illuminating a sample with a short infrared pulse shorter than or equal to the cooling time constant of resolution scale inclusions within the sample to induce a temperature change independent of inclusion size or surface area, wherein the sample has a chemical makeup;

(b) directing one or more probe beams to the sample such that it is incident within the area heated by the infrared pulse, and wherein the one or more probe beams has a shorter wavelength than the infrared pulse; and

(c) measuring light that is reflected, transmitted, re-emitted inelastically, or any combination thereof for the one or more probe beam;

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) multiple times with varying wavelengths of the infrared pulse and while moving the sample and the one or more probe beams relative to each other to create a multidimensional infrared spectroscopic image of the sample that characterizes the chemical makeup of the sample; and

(e) analyzing the multidimensional infrared spectroscopic image using spectral de-mixing to extract locations and spectra of distinct analytes within the sample.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a Bayesian approach is employed to quantify the uncertainty of the data analysis.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectral de-mixing comprises non-negative matrix factorization (NMF).

4. A method for spectroscopic imaging, comprising:

(a) illuminating a sample with a short infrared pulse shorter than or equal to the cooling time constant of resolution scale inclusions within the sample to induce a temperature change independent of inclusion size or surface area, wherein the sample has a chemical makeup;

(b) directing one or more probe beams to the sample such that it is incident within the area heated by the infrared pulse, and wherein the one or more probe beams has a shorter wavelength than the infrared pulse; and

(c) measuring light that is reflected, transmitted, re-emitted inelastically, or any combination thereof for the one or more probe beam;

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) multiple times with varying wavelengths of the infrared pulse and while moving the sample and the one or more probe beams relative to each other to create a multidimensional infrared spectroscopic image of the sample that characterizes the chemical makeup of the sample; and

(e) analyzing the multidimensional infrared spectroscopic image in the time domain to infer information about sample where the one or more probe beams are incident and the surrounding area either to reduce the uncertainty of the collected image or upsample an undersampled image.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a Bayesian approach is used to quantify the uncertainty.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the time domain analysis comprises photothermal GPS (deconvolution) or its inverse operation of convolution on some model of the sample.

7. A method for spectroscopic imaging, comprising:

(a) illuminating a sample with a short infrared pulse shorter than or equal to the cooling time constant of resolution scale inclusions within the sample to induce a temperature change independent of inclusion size or surface area, wherein the sample has a chemical makeup;

(b) directing one or more probe beams to the sample such that it is incident within the area heated by the infrared pulse, and wherein the one or more probe beams has a shorter wavelength than the infrared pulse; and

(c) measuring light that is reflected, transmitted, re-emitted inelastically, or any combination thereof for the one or more probe beam;

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) multiple times with varying wavelengths of the infrared pulse and while moving the sample and the one or more probe beams relative to each other to create a multidimensional infrared spectroscopic image of the sample that characterizes the chemical makeup of the sample; and

(e) combining a time domain analysis with spectral de-mixing to extract concentration maps.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the time domain analysis comprises photothermal GPS (deconvolution) or its inverse operation of convolution on some model of the sample.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) is used for spectral de-mixing.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein a Bayesian approach is used to quantify the uncertainty.

11. A system comprising:

a pulsed infrared light source;

an optical system for generating one or more probe beams;

means for directing the infrared light source and one or more probe beams to a sample;

a device for moving the one or more probe beams and the sample relative to each other;

one or more light detectors and filtering optics for the one or more probe beams;

digitization electronics for the one or more probe beams, wherein the digitization electronics have temporal resolution greater than or equal to the cooling time constant of resolution scale objects; and

a computer with control software to collect, process, analyze and display relevant information.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2023
From: HUFFMAN, TYLER; FURSTENBERG, ROBERT; KENZIORA, CHRIS; MCGILL, R ANDREW
To: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Reel/Frame 062361/0086 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63298724 · Jan 12, 2022
Related Publication 20230221247A1 · Jul 13, 2023
References Cited (3)
US 20050105099A1 · Shpantzer · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20180180642A1 · Shetty · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190317012A1 · Furstenberg · 2019 [cited by examiner]