Optical analysis system for dynamic real-time detection and measurement
A method of real-time processing and monitoring comprises the steps of blending a material of interest (e.g., an active pharmaceutical material), with a secondary material, (e.g., an excipient), illuminating the blended materials with light, reflecting light carrying information about the blended materials through at least one multivariate optical element ( 148 ) and detecting said light with a first detector ( 152 ), detecting a deflected portion of the information carrying light with a second detector ( 156 ), and determining in real-time at least one selected property of the blended materials based on the detector outputs.
1. A method of real-time processing and monitoring, comprising:
blending a material of interest with a secondary material;
separating a source light into an illumination light and a calibration light;
illuminating the blended materials with the illumination light;
dividing light carrying information about the blended materials 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 characteristics;
after dividing the light with the beam splitter, 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, in real time, at least one selected property of at least one of the blended materials based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.
2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein real time is faster than 1/1000 of a second.
3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein real time is faster than 1/100 of a second.
4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein real time is faster than 1/10 of a second.
5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein real time is faster than 1 second.
6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein real time is faster than 5 seconds.
7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein real time is faster than 30 seconds.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the blending material of interest includes a gasoline and the at least one selected property is an octane rating.
9. A method of real-time pharmaceutical processing and monitoring, comprising:
blending a pharmaceutical powder by mixing an active agent with an excipient;
separating a source light into a spectral-specific light and a calibration light;
illuminating the pharmaceutical powder with the spectral-specific light through an optic window, the optic window configured to focus the spectral-specific light into the pharmaceutical powder;
dividing light carrying information about the pharmaceutical powder 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;
after dividing the light with the beam splitter, 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, in real time, at least one selected property of the pharmaceutical powder based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.
10. The method as in claim 9 , wherein the selected property of the pharmaceutical powder is an active property of the active agent.
11. The method as in claim 9 , wherein the selected property of the pharmaceutical powder is a particulate size of the active agent.
12. The method as in claim 9 , wherein the selected property of the pharmaceutical powder is a secondary property of the excipient.
13. The method as in claim 9 , further comprising assessing an homogeneity asymptote of the pharmaceutical powder.
14. The method as in claim 9 , wherein real time is faster than 1/1000 of a second.
15. The method as in claim 9 , wherein real time is faster than 1/100 of a second.
16. The method as in claim 9 , wherein real time is faster than 1/10 of a second.
17. The method as in claim 9 , wherein real time is faster than 1 second.
18. The method as in claim 9 , wherein real time is faster than 5 seconds.
19. The method as in claim 9 , wherein real time is faster than 30 seconds.
20. A method of real-time pharmaceutical processing and monitoring, comprising:
separating a source light into a spectral-specific light and a calibration light;
illuminating a fluid in a container with the spectral-specific light through an optic window disposed proximate an aperture in a conduit in communication with the container;
dividing light carrying information about the fluid 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;
after dividing the light with the beam splitter, 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, in real time, at least one selected property of the fluid as the fluid flows past the optic window, based on a first detector output and a second detector output.
21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the fluid is opaque in appearance.
22. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the fluid is a liquid chemical and the window is configured to focus the spectral-specific light into the liquid chemical.
23. The method as in claim 22 , wherein the liquid chemical is a blend of at least one active pharmaceutical agent and at least one excipient.
24. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the fluid is a gas.
25. The method as in claim 24 , wherein the gas is opaque in appearance.
26. The method as in claim 20 , wherein real time is between about 1/1000 of a second to about 30 seconds.
27. A method of real-time processing and monitoring, comprising:
mixing a material of interest with a secondary material;
separating a source light into an illumination light and a calibration light;
illuminating the materials with the illumination light;
dividing light carrying information about the materials 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;
after dividing the light with a beam splitter, 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 deflected portion; and
determining, in real time, at least one selected property of at least one of the materials, based upon a first detector output and a second detector output.
28. The method as in claim 27 , wherein the selected property is determined based upon a compositional change.
29. The method as in claim 28 , wherein the compositional change includes a chemical reaction.
30. The method as in claim 28 , wherein the compositional change includes a crystallization process.