Multiple wavelength light source and signal collection device and methods for using the same

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first optical fiber providing optical communication between one surface of the apparatus and a target; the first optical fiber having one end located at said one surface of the apparatus;

a number of semiconductor light sources, each semiconductor light source from the number of semiconductor light sources disposed on a surface surrounding the first optical fiber and located away from said one end; and

an optical system optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation from said each semiconductor light source and image the electromagnetic radiation received from said each semiconductor light source onto a core area of said one end;

the optical system comprising:

a first lens disposed between said number of semiconductor light sources and said one surface; and

a second lens disposed between said first lens and said one surface; said second lens being optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation from said first lens and image the electromagnetic radiation received from said first lens onto a core area of said one end.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least some semiconductor light sources from the number of semiconductor light sources emit electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength different from a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted by other semiconductor light sources from the number of semiconductor light sources.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second optical fiber providing optical communication between another surface of the apparatus and an analysis component; the second optical fiber having a second optical fiber end located at said another surface of the apparatus; said another surface being disposed away from and facing said one surface; the optical system also being optically disposed to image electromagnetic radiation emanating from said one end of the first optical fiber onto a core area of second optical fiber end.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein

said second lens is optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation emanating from said one end of the first optical fiber and said first lens is optically disposed to image electromagnetic radiation received from said second lens onto a core area of second optical fiber end.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical system comprises:

a number of lenses; each one lens from the number of lenses disposed away and receiving electromagnetic radiation from one semiconductor light source from the number of semiconductor light sources; said one lens and said one semiconductor light source constituting a lens/semiconductor light source combination and being one of a number of lens/semiconductor light source combinations; each lens/semiconductor light source combination being located in a lens tube, constituting one of a number of lens tube subsystems.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each lens tube subsystem is located at an angle with respect to an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber; each lens tube optical axis intersecting the core area of the first optical fiber.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each lens tube subsystem is located substantially parallel to an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber; said each lens tube subsystem being located at a radial distance away from the optical axis defined by the line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber, the radial distance being larger than a radius of the first optical fiber; said each lens tube subsystem being disposed a distance away from said one surface; and

wherein the optical system is optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation from said each lens tube subsystem and image the electromagnetic radiation received from each lens tube subsystem onto a core area of said one end.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a second optical fiber providing optical communication between another surface of the apparatus and an analysis component; the second optical fiber having a second optical fiber end located at said another surface of the apparatus; said another surface being disposed away from and facing said one surface;

the optical system being also optically disposed to image electromagnetic radiation emanating from one end of the first optical fiber onto a core area of the second optical fiber end.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein

said first lens comprises a number of openings; each opening from said number of openings being optically disposed to receive the electromagnetic radiation from one lens tube subsystem;

said each opening being disposed radially away from an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber; and

said second lens being optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation received from said each opening from said number of openings and image the electromagnetic radiation received from said each opening from said number of openings onto a core area of said one end.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a second optical fiber providing optical communication between another surface of the apparatus and an analysis component; the second optical fiber having a second optical fiber end located at said another surface of the apparatus; said another surface being disposed away from and facing said one surface;

the optical system being also optically disposed to image electromagnetic radiation emanating from said one end of the first optical fiber onto a core area of the second optical fiber end.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each lens from the number of lenses is a collimating lens.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a second optical fiber providing optical communication between another surface of the apparatus and analysis component; the second optical fiber having a second optical fiber end located at said another surface of the apparatus; said another surface being disposed away from and facing said one surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each semiconductor light source subsystem is located substantially parallel to an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to a core area of the first optical fiber; said each semiconductor light source subsystem being located at a radial distance away from the optical axis defined by the line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber, the radical distance being larger than a radius of the first optical fiber; and

at least one semiconductor light source is located substantially radially opposite to another semiconductor light source; said another semiconductor light source being operated as a detector; said another semiconductor light source detecting an output of said at least one semiconductor light source.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one neutral density filter optically disposed to reduce optical noise.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a first optical fiber providing optical communication between one surface of the apparatus and a target; the first optical fiber having one end located at said one surface of the apparatus;

a number of semiconductor light sources, each semiconductor light source from the number of semiconductor light sources disposed on a surface surrounding the first optical fiber and located away from said one end;

an optical system optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation from said each semiconductor light source and image the electromagnetic radiation received from said each semiconductor light source onto a core area of said one end; and

a second optical fiber providing optical communication between another surface of the apparatus and an analysis component; the second optical fiber having a second optical fiber end located at said another surface of the apparatus; said another surface being disposed away from and facing said one surface;

the optical system also being optically disposed to image electromagnetic radiation emanating from said one end of the first optical fiber onto a core area of second optical fiber end;

wherein the optical system comprises:

a first lens disposed between said numbers of semiconductor light sources and said one surface; and

a second lens disposed between said first lens and said one surface; said second lens being optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation from said first lens and image the electromagnetic radiation received from said first lens onto a core area of said one end; said second lens is optically disposed to receive electromagnetically radiation emanating from said one end of the first optical fiber and said first lens is optically disposed to image electromagnetically radiation received from said second lens onto a core area of second optical fiber end;

wherein at least some semiconductor light sources from the number of semiconductor light sources emit electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength different from a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted by other semiconductor light sources from the number of semiconductor light sources.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the optical system comprises:

a number of lenses; each one lens from the number of lenses disposed away and receiving electromagnetic radiation from one semiconductor light source from the number of semiconductor light sources; said one lens and said one semiconductor light source constituting a lens/semiconductor light source combination and being one of a number of lens/semiconductor light source combinations; each lens/semiconductor light source combination being located in a lens tube, constituting one of a number of lens tube subsystems.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein each lens tube subsystem is located at an angle respect to an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber; each lens tube optical axis intersecting the core area of the first optical fiber.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein each lens tube subsystem is located substantially parallel to an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber; said each lens tube subsystem being located at a radial distance away from the optical axis defined by the line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber, the radial distance being larger than a radius of the first optical fiber; said each lens tube subsystem being disposed a distance away from said one surface; and

wherein the optical system optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation from said each lens tube subsystem and image the electromagnetic radiation received from each lens tube subsystem onto a core area of said one end.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said first lens comprises a number of openings; each opening from said number of openings being optically disposed to receive the electromagnetic radiation from one lens tube subsystem; said each opening being disposed radially away from said optical axis; said second lens being optically disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation from said each opening from said number of openings and image the electromagnetic radiation received from said each opening from said number of openings onto a core area of said one end.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein each lens from the number of lenses is a collimating lens.

21. A method for collecting electromagnetic radiation from a target in order to analyze the collected electromagnetic radiation, the method comprising:

coupling first electromagnetic radiation emitted by a number of semiconductor light sources onto a first optical fiber; wherein at least some semiconductor light sources from the number of semiconductor light sources emit electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength different from a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted by other semiconductor light sources from the number of semiconductor light sources;

providing through the first optical fiber, at least a portion of the first electromagnetic radiation emitted by the number of semiconductor light sources to a target;

receiving, through the first optical fiber, second electromagnetic radiation, resulting from providing the at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the number of semiconductor light sources to the target;

coupling at least a portion of the second electromagnetic radiation onto a second optical fiber; and

providing, through the second optical fiber, the at least a portion of the second electromagnetic radiation to an analysis component.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein coupling said first electromagnetic radiation emitted by the number of semiconductor light sources comprises:

(a) placing one semiconductor light source in a lens tube;

(b) placing a lens in the lens tube; the lens being disposed away and receiving electromagnetic radiation from the one semiconductor light source;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) for each semiconductor light source in the number of semiconductor light sources; thereby forming a number of lens tube subsystems.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein coupling said first electromagnetic radiation emitted by the number of semiconductor light sources further comprises locating each lens tube subsystem at an angle with respect to an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to a core area of the first optical fiber; each lens tube optical axis intersecting the core area of the first optical fiber.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein coupling said first electromagnetic radiation emitted by the number of semiconductor light sources further comprises:

locating each lens tube subsystem substantially parallel to an optical axis defined by a line perpendicular to a core area of the first optical fiber; said each lens tube subsystem being located at a radial distance away from the optical axis defined by the line perpendicular to the core area of the first optical fiber, the radial distance being larger than a radius of the first optical fiber;

receiving electromagnetic radiation from each lens tube subsystem at an optical subsystem; and

imaging, using the optical subsystem, the electromagnetic radiation received from each lens tube subsystem onto a core area of an end of the first optical fiber; wherein the optical subsystem also couples at least a portion of the second electromagnetic radiation onto the first optical fiber.