Attenuated total internal reflection (ftir) surface topography and composition analysis system, method and apparatus

By utilizing transparent media and electromagnetic wave technology, the FTIR scanning device has solved the problem of analyzing the three-dimensional morphology and composition of object surfaces under contact interfaces, enabling rapid and multi-field applications, including tribology, endoscopic examination, and health monitoring.

CN122162041APending Publication Date: 2026-06-05GS HEALTH MATRIX LLC

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
GS HEALTH MATRIX LLC
Filing Date
2024-08-29
Publication Date
2026-06-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies cannot generate the three-dimensional shape of an object's surface at the contact interface, and the measurement speed is slow.

Method used

A scanning device based on suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR) is used. By utilizing a transparent medium, an electromagnetic wave emitter, and a sensor, scattered light is generated by contacting the sample surface. Combined with scanning with electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths, the surface morphology and material composition can be analyzed.

Benefits of technology

It enables the rapid generation of three-dimensional morphology and material composition of object surfaces at contact interfaces, and is applicable to multiple industries and fields, including tribology, endoscopic examination, skin health monitoring, and plant health evaluation.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatuses, methods and systems comprising a frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) based scanning device. The FTIR based scanning device comprises a transparent medium and one or more electromagnetic wave emitters that can emit scanning light into the transparent medium during a sample scanning procedure. One or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras and / or microscopes are directed towards a detection face of the transparent medium. These detection components receive scattered light from a sample contact face through the detection face. The apparatus utilizes the scattered light to render a sample surface topography or material composition of the sample contact face during the sample scanning procedure. Furthermore, the one or more electromagnetic wave emitters can comprise a plurality of LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters corresponding to different wavelengths for generating a three-dimensional topography image from the scattered light.
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Description

[0001] Cross-referencing related applications

[0002] This application claims U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,605, filed August 30, 2023, entitled "Suppressed Total Internal Reflection (FTIR) Surface Morphology and Composition Analysis System, Method, and Apparatus," U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,616, filed August 30, 2023, entitled "Wearable Electroacoustic Monitoring System, Method, and Apparatus," U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,627, filed August 30, 2023, entitled "System, Method, and Apparatus for Acoustic Enhancement Implants," and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,627, filed August 30, 2023, entitled "System, Method, and Apparatus with Sensors Having Multiple Detection Signal Types." Priority is claimed in U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,633, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,640, filed August 30, 2023, entitled “Multi-device health parameter monitoring system, method, and apparatus”, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,647, filed August 30, 2023, entitled “Health parameter detection system, method, and apparatus based on suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR)”, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 579,663, filed August 30, 2023, entitled “System, method, and apparatus for characterizing neurological and / or musculoskeletal parameters”; the entire contents of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Three-dimensional (3D) topography measurements typically employ lasers or mechanical styluses to measure surfaces and construct 3D maps. However, these techniques cannot generate 3D maps without direct contact with the object's surface. Traditionally, a measurement distance is required between the measuring device and the surface. Currently, there is no known method to create 3D topography at contact interfaces because the surface at these interfaces cannot be observed by the testing device. Furthermore, traditional techniques are very slow.

[0004] It is in light of the above observations and others that various aspects of this disclosure were conceived and developed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The systems, methods, and apparatuses disclosed herein can solve the aforementioned problems. For example, a scanning apparatus based on suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR) may include: a transparent medium having a sample contact surface; one or more electromagnetic wave emitters operable to provide scanning light into the transparent medium during a sample scanning procedure; and / or one or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes. The one or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes may be oriented towards the detection surface of the transparent medium. Furthermore, the one or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes may be operable to receive scattered light passing through the detection surface from the sample contact surface. In addition, the apparatus can utilize the scattered light to represent the surface morphology or material composition of the sample in contact with the sample contact surface during a sample scanning procedure.

[0006] In some cases, the one or more electromagnetic wave emitters include multiple LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters corresponding to multiple different wavelengths. Furthermore, providing scanning light may include illuminating multiple LEDs individually to scan the sample at a series of different frequencies. The transparent medium may comprise a glass slide, and / or one or more electromagnetic wave emitters may be disposed on one or more sides of the glass slide for transmitting scanning light into the interior of the glass slide. Furthermore, the glass slide may be a flat glass slide or a curved glass slide. Additionally, the sample contact surface may include protrusions that can be operated to press the sample into the sample during the sample scanning procedure. The transparent medium may be formed in a handheld device, the sample contact surface defining one end of the device, and / or one or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes may be disposed within the internal region of the handheld device. The device may also include a computing device having at least a display operable to present a three-dimensional topographic image generated by the scattered light. Moreover, the one or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes may comprise one or more of an infrared camera, a visible light camera, or an ultraviolet camera.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method of performing surface morphology or composition analysis includes: contacting at least a portion of a sample with a first surface of a transparent medium of a scanning device; providing scanning light into the transparent medium by activating one or more LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters; receiving scattered light at one or more photosensors of the scanning device, the scattered light being generated by a force applied to the first surface of the transparent medium by the at least portion of the sample, the scattered light passing through a second surface of the transparent medium to reach the one or more photosensors; and / or generating the surface morphology or material composition of the at least portion of the sample based on the scattered light received at the one or more photosensors.

[0008] In some scenarios, the one or more LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters may comprise multiple LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters of different frequencies; and / or generating the surface morphology or material composition may include: converging the scattered light of different frequencies generated by the multiple LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters of different frequencies into the profile measurement of at least a portion of the sample contacting the first surface. The one or more light sensors may include at least one of an infrared camera, a visible light camera, or an ultraviolet camera disposed within a scanning device and facing the transparent medium. Furthermore, providing scanning light into the transparent medium may include activating multiple LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters disposed adjacent to a third surface of the transparent medium. Furthermore, the transparent medium may comprise a glass sheet, and the first surface may be the exposed top surface of the glass sheet. Furthermore, the second surface may be the unexposed bottom surface of the glass sheet opposite the exposed top surface; and / or the third surface may be a side surface of the glass sheet. The force applied by the at least a portion of the sample to the first surface of the transparent medium generates scattered light through suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR).

[0009] In some cases, systems used to generate surface morphology or composition analysis include: a transparent medium having a sample contact surface; multiple LEDs of different frequencies operable to provide scanning light to one side of the transparent medium during a sample scanning procedure; one or more photosensors facing the detection surface of the transparent medium and operable to receive scattered light generated by forces at the sample contact surface; and / or the surface morphology or material composition of a sample in contact with the sample contact surface during a sample scanning procedure, the surface morphology or material composition being generated by the scattered light.

[0010] In some embodiments, the system may include a profile measurement of a portion of a sample in contact with a sample contact surface during a sample scanning procedure. This profile measurement includes the aggregation of scattered light at different frequencies, and the surface morphology is a three-dimensional representation of this profile measurement. Furthermore, the system may be integrated into a handheld scanning device or a vertical platform. The system may also include a material composition; and / or different frequencies may be selectively activated to correspond to target components within the material composition. Additionally, the sample may include a living human body part, a living animal part, or a plant; and / or the surface morphology may include tumor surface morphology, human organ surface morphology, or plant leaf surface morphology. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The above-described invention and the following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For illustrative purposes, the drawings show certain embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. However, it should be understood that the subject matter of this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments and features shown. The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrating implementations of systems and methods consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure, and together with the specification serve to explain the advantages and principles consistent with the disclosed subject matter, wherein: Figure 1A and Figure 1B An exemplary system for generating surface topography or composition analysis is shown using a frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) scanning apparatus.

[0012] Figure 1C An exemplary profile measurement system based on an FTIR scanning apparatus is shown for generating surface morphology or composition analysis.

[0013] Figures 2A-2C An exemplary form of an FTIR-based scanning device for generating surface morphology or composition analysis for different contact mechanics testing scenarios is shown, wherein the device can be used to analyze different deformation modes of soft and hard objects.

[0014] Figures 3A-3C An exemplary FTIR-based scanning apparatus for generating surface morphology or composition analysis of plants is shown.

[0015] Figure 4A and Figure 4B An exemplary FTIR-based scanning device is shown for generating surface morphology or composition analysis for skin health monitoring.

[0016] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An exemplary FTIR-based scanning device is shown for surface morphology or composition analysis for internal medicine applications.

[0017] Figure 6 An exemplary method for generating surface morphology or composition analysis using a suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR) based scanning apparatus is shown, as illustrated in Figure 1- Figure 5B Any of the systems and apparatus shown are implemented. Detailed Implementation

[0018] It should be understood that, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, reference numerals are used repeatedly in different figures where appropriate to indicate corresponding or similar elements. Furthermore, numerous specific details are set forth herein to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, steps, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure relevant important features. Moreover, this description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some portions may be enlarged to better illustrate the details and features of this disclosure.

[0019] The wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered restrictive. For example, the use of the singular form "a" is not intended to limit the number of items. Furthermore, related terms used in the specification (including, but not limited to, "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "upper," "lower," "downward," "upward," and "side") are used for clarity when specifically referring to the accompanying drawings and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure or the appended claims. Moreover, it should be understood that any feature of this disclosure may be used alone or in combination with other features. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages disclosed in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptions, or will become apparent to them. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included in this specification, fall within the scope of this disclosure, and are protected by the appended claims.

[0020] Furthermore, since the technology disclosed herein is applicable to a variety of different embodiments, this disclosure is intended to be regarded as an example of the principles of the technology disclosed herein, and not as a limitation to the specific embodiments shown and described. Any feature of the technology disclosed herein may be used alone or in combination with any other feature. References to the terms "embodiment," "example," etc., in the specification mean that one or more features mentioned are included in at least one aspect of the specification. When multiple embodiments, multiple examples, etc., are mentioned in the specification, they do not necessarily refer to the same example and are not mutually exclusive, unless expressly stated and / or unless readily apparent from the specification to those skilled in the art. For example, features, structures, processes, steps, actions, etc., described in one embodiment may also be included, but not necessarily included in other embodiments. Therefore, the technology disclosed herein may include various combinations and / or combinations of the embodiments and examples described herein. Additionally, as stated herein, not all aspects of this disclosure are essential for its implementation. Similarly, other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the technology disclosed will be apparent, or will become apparent, to those skilled in the art upon review of the drawings and specification. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included in this specification, fall within the scope of this disclosure, and are covered by the claims.

[0021] Any degree terms used in this specification and the appended claims, such as, but not limited to, “substantially,” should be understood to cover a precise construction, or a similar but not precise construction. For example, “substantially flat surface” means a surface having a precisely flat surface or a similar but not precisely flat surface. Similarly, the terms “about” or “approximately” used in this specification and the appended claims should be understood to include the stated value or a value three times greater or one-third of the stated value. For example, about 3 millimeters includes all values ​​from 1 millimeter to 9 millimeters, and about 50 degrees includes all values ​​from 16.6 degrees to 150 degrees.

[0022] The term "coupling" is defined as a connection, which can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through intermediate components, and is not necessarily limited to a physical connection. The connection can be a permanent or releasable connection between objects. The terms "including," "containing," and "having" are used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms "including," "containing," and "having" mean including, but not limited to, the described content. The term "real-time" means substantially instantaneous.

[0023] Finally, the terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein should be interpreted inclusively, or mean any one or any combination thereof. Therefore, “A, B, or C” or “A, B, and / or C” means any of the following: “A”, “B”, or “C”; “A and B”; “A and C”; “B and C”; “A, B, and C”. Exceptions to this definition exist only when the combination of elements, functions, steps, or actions is inherently mutually exclusive to some extent.

[0024] The system, method, and apparatus described herein employ the principle of suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR) to perform three-dimensional scanning of the surface morphology at the contact interface between the scanning device and the surface morphology. The scanning device disclosed herein can determine the material / chemical composition of the contacting object while generating a virtual representation of the surface morphology. During operation, the scanning device can trap electromagnetic waves (such as ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light) within a transparent medium, which can be achieved by configuring multiple different LEDs for each different wavelength of light. Under these conditions, an electromagnetic field can be formed at the boundary of the transparent object, trapping photons within the transparent medium. If any object approaches the surface at a distance less than the wavelength of the trapped electromagnetic wave, photons begin to scatter from the object and pass through the transparent medium. A camera located on the other side of the transparent medium can detect these scattered photons.

[0025] Therefore, in some cases, the scanning device can capture electromagnetic waves when a glass slide comes into contact with the object being measured. A camera located on the other side of the glass, opposite the object, can then record the scattered photons. LEDs of different wavelengths can be turned on one by one (e.g., sequentially), for example from shorter wavelengths to longer wavelengths, and / or in combinations of multiple frequencies (e.g., all simultaneously). The camera can record scattered photons at different LED illumination stages to record slices of the contact area at different wavelengths corresponding to different distances from the glass surface. Since different distances from the glass surface correspond to different LED wavelengths, by integrating these multi-wavelength images, a three-dimensional surface topography based on the distances corresponding to the contact area can be generated.

[0026] Furthermore, this disclosure can also provide material composition information for contact materials. FTIR spectroscopy for determining the material can be performed simultaneously with the generation of a three-dimensional surface morphology. One or more cameras (e.g., alternative spectrometers) can detect electromagnetic waves emitted individually at wavelengths required only for material composition analysis. For example, if the scanning device is used to detect the oxygen level of the material, an LED emitting specific wavelengths of electromagnetic waves (e.g., between 1400–1600 nm) can be used specifically for oxygen detection. In some examples, the use of cameras and multiple different wavelengths for chemical composition analysis represents an improvement over other FTIR spectroscopy methods that may only use a spectrometer.

[0027] This technology offers numerous benefits and advantages. The scanning device can serve as a measurement instrument in the field of tribology, enhancing the understanding of interfaces between objects. This is particularly useful for rough surface contact and friction between objects, and can be applied in various industries such as automotive, marine, and energy. Furthermore, this technology can be used in endoscopic examinations to observe the surface morphology of tumors or organs, facilitating easier diagnosis, progression assessment, evaluation, and treatment. Other beneficial effects of this scanning device can be achieved by examining leaf surface morphology using handheld or portable devices. This can help optimize pesticides, evaluate leaf wettability, and monitor plant health. Additionally, the systems, methods, and devices disclosed herein can be used for skin health monitoring and / or detection of malignant skin lesions. Integrating this technology into existing measurement instruments (such as Bruker mechanical testing systems or nanoindentation devices) can also yield beneficial results. Moreover, some examples of the scanning device described herein can be used in the agricultural and medical fields.

[0028] Other advantages of the systems, methods, and apparatus discussed herein will become apparent in the detailed description below.

[0029] Figures 1A-1CAn exemplary system 100 for generating surface morphology or material composition is shown, comprising an FTIR-based scanning device 102. This FTIR-based scanning device 102 utilizes the FTIR principle to trap electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths within a transparent medium (such as a glass portion 104). In this state, if any object (e.g., sample 105) is less than the wavelength of the trapped light from the glass medium, photons begin to scatter from the contact area. Therefore, a camera 106, a light sensor, and / or a microscope 107 located beneath the glass medium can record these photons. In some cases, one or more LEDs (e.g., multiple LEDs 108) can generate electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths, ranging from ultraviolet to visible and infrared light. The multiple LEDs 108 can include LEDs with a wide wavelength range, such as those between 10 nanometers and 4000 nanometers. The multiple LEDs can also be arranged in a strip or array within the FTIR-based scanning device 102. Furthermore, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can include one or more interchangeable LED assemblies corresponding to specific application scenarios, specific components of the material composition, etc. The FTIR-based scanning device 102 can capture and record the perturbations of these waves one by one to create an image of the scattered photons. Conductive portions (such as transparent conductive ink) may also be formed on the contact surfaces of the glass portion 104. Furthermore, other portions of the glass portion 104 may be covered with a shield 110 or an opaque material to trap photons within the glass portion 104.

[0030] The FTIR-based scanning device 102 can be used to generate different slice images of an object close to a glass medium. Therefore, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can serve as a nanoscale 3D scanner, constructing the three-dimensional contour of the contact area surface. Furthermore, by analyzing the received wave amplitude at each of these wavelengths, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can simultaneously determine the material composition of the contact object. Thus, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can enhance users' fundamental understanding of friction, directly impacting the automotive, energy, marine, electronics, and medical industries.

[0031] Figure 1B A schematic diagram illustrating different wavelengths used for measuring surface morphology is provided. As previously described, multiple LEDs 108 can be used for multiple different wavelengths 112 applied to generate three-dimensional surface morphology and / or material composition. Each of the multiple different wavelengths 112 can define a measurement distance from the contact surface 114 of the glass portion 104, where an object entering within this measurement distance will cause photons of the corresponding specific wavelength to be scattered. Figure 1C An exemplary profile measurement 116 depicts a rough surface contact. Figure 1C This demonstrates how to use FTIR to measure the roughness of a contact area. This can be used to develop handheld and portable profilometers for various fields and industries.

[0032] Figures 2A-2C An exemplary contact profile of the FTIR-based scanning device 102 is depicted. In some cases, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can be used as part of a contact mechanics measurement device, such as an indenter for understanding different surface contacts. For example, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can be used for interface optimization, such as interface optimization of ball bearings in wind turbines. Furthermore, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can also be used for material property measurement, better understanding of contact mechanics principles, and optimization of electrical contacts (e.g., smartphone chargers or high-speed USB cables). Figure 2A-2C A variety of different types of contact mechanics tests that can benefit from this technology are described.

[0033] Figure 2A An example of an FTIR-based scanning device 102 with a flat contact surface 114 is depicted, wherein the sample 105 may be a conical, cylindrical, spherical, or flat punch pressed against the contact surface 114 of a glass portion 104 (e.g., a clear sapphire glass sheet). Furthermore, the FTIR-based scanning device may include a force sensor 202 and / or a fixture and displacement sensor 204, which may also be in contact with the sample 105 (e.g., located on the side of the sample 105 opposite to the contact surface 114). Additionally, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 may include a temperature controller 206 (e.g., a heat sink, heating / cooling surface, and / or thermal insulation assembly) for controlling the surface temperature of the contact surface 114.

[0034] Figure 2B An example of an FTIR-based scanning device 102 with a contact surface 114 provided with a raised contact seat 118 is depicted. The sample 105 may be flexible and / or flat. Figure 2B As shown, the contact surface of the FTIR-based scanning device 102 may have a stepped or raised portion, which is formed into a stamping head for pressing the sample 105 into the scanning process.

[0035] Figure 2C An example of an FTIR-based scanning device 102 is depicted, having a non-planar (e.g., curved, spherical, inclined, etc.) contact surface 120 such that when the contact surface 114 contacts / presses into a sample, it can act as a circular or other shaped indenter 122. In other words, the glass itself can serve both as an indentation tip piercing the object and as a hard, flat surface contacting the object. In contact mechanics, these two scenarios are referred to as indentation contact and flattening contact, respectively.

[0036] Figures 3A-3C An example of an FTIR-based scanning device 102 is depicted, which monitors the health of plant 124 by measuring the surface morphology 302 of plant leaves 304. Figure 3A As shown, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can be a handheld device 126, designed to be pressed onto the leaves 304 of the plant 124 to measure the surface 306 of the plant 124. The FTIR-based scanning device 102 may include two contact surfaces connected on one side of the FTIR-based scanning device 102 and forming a receiving gap on the other side of the FTIR-based scanning device 102. Figure 3B A cross-sectional view 308 depicts blade 304. Blade 304 is positioned between a first contact surface and a second contact surface of the FTIR-based scanning device 102. The two contact surfaces may be flat or curved, and one or both contact surfaces may include a glass portion 104 for performing FTIR measurements. Furthermore, Figure 3C An exemplary three-dimensional profile 128 (e.g., leaf surface 306) that can be generated by an FTIR-based scanning device 102 is depicted. The surface morphology of the plant 124 can be used for pesticide optimization, leaf wettability measurement, disease diagnosis, etc.

[0037] Figure 4A and 4B An example of an FTIR-based scanning device 102 for skin health monitoring 132 is depicted. For example, such as... Figure 4A As shown, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 may have a curved (or flat) contact surface that can be pressed into the skin 402 of the target area 404 of the patient 406. Figure 4B The image shows a sensor head 408 of an FTIR-based scanning device 102 pressed against skin 402. The sensor head 408 may include a contact surface mounted on a handle 410, for example, located at a widened portion 412 of the handle 410. The widened portion 412 may include an outer wall 414 surrounding an internal sensing cavity 416.

[0038] Figure 5A and 5B An example of an FTIR-based scanning device 102 integrated into an endoscope probe 134 is depicted. For example, as... Figure 5A As shown, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can form the end portion 502 of an endoscope probe 134 to assist in the diagnosis of conditions of the colon 136, such as the characteristics of a tumor 504. The FTIR-based scanning device 102 can also form an arthroscope for measuring the health status of, for example, joints, bones, cartilage, muscles, etc. Furthermore, the FTIR-based scanning device 102 can be applied to tissue measurements during laparoscopic surgery. The FTIR-based scanning device 102 can be used to characterize tissues in healthy or diseased states, and / or, for example, to detect and evaluate the response to treatment by performing multiple measurements and comparing them over a period of time.

[0039] Figure 6An exemplary method 600 for performing surface morphology or composition analysis using an FTIR-based scanning device 102 is shown.

[0040] In some examples, in step 602, method 600 brings at least a portion of the sample into contact with a first surface of a glass portion of the scanning device. In step 604, method 600 provides scanning light into the glass portion by activating one or more LEDs. In step 606, method 600 receives, at one or more photosensors of the scanning device, scattered light generated by the force exerted by the at least a portion of the sample on the first surface of the glass portion, which exits from a second surface of the glass portion and reaches the one or more photosensors. In step 608, the method generates a surface morphology or material composition of at least a portion of the sample based on the scattered light received at the one or more photosensors.

[0041] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods described throughout this disclosure is merely an exemplary scheme and can be adapted to remain within the scope of the subject matter of this disclosure. For example, any operation described throughout this disclosure may be omitted, repeated, performed in parallel, performed in a different order, or performed in combination with any other operation shown throughout this disclosure.

[0042] While this disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely exemplary and the scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Numerous variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. More generally, specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in a particular context. In different embodiments, functions may be separated or combined in different ways, and different terms may be used to describe them. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A scanning device based on suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR), comprising: A transparent medium with a sample contact surface; One or more electromagnetic wave transmitters operable to provide scanning light into a transparent medium during a sample scanning procedure; as well as One or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes are oriented toward a detection surface of the transparent medium and operable to receive scattered light passing through the detection surface from the sample contact surface, the scattered light being used to represent the surface morphology or material composition of a sample in contact with the sample contact surface during a sample scanning procedure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more electromagnetic wave transmitters include multiple LEDs or electromagnetic wave transmitters corresponding to multiple different wavelengths.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: in, Providing the scanning light includes illuminating the plurality of LEDs respectively to scan the sample at a series of different frequencies.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The transparent medium includes a glass sheet, and The one or more electromagnetic wave transmitters are disposed on one or more sides of the glass plate and are used to transmit scanning light into the interior of the glass plate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The glass sheet can be a flat glass sheet or a curved glass sheet.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: in, The sample contact surface includes a raised portion that is operable to press the sample in during the sample scanning procedure.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The transparent medium is formed in the handheld device, and the sample contact surface defines one end of the handheld device. The one or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes are housed inside the handheld device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A computing device having at least one display operable to present a three-dimensional topographic image generated by the scattered light.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The one or more electromagnetic wave sensors, cameras, or microscopes include one or more of infrared cameras, visible light cameras, or ultraviolet cameras.

10. A method for performing surface morphology or composition analysis, the method comprising: At least a portion of the sample is brought into contact with the first surface of the transparent medium of the scanning device; Scanning light is provided into the transparent medium by activating one or more LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters; Scattered light is received at one or more photosensors of the scanning device. The scattered light is generated by a force applied to a first surface of the transparent medium by at least a portion of the sample, and the scattered light passes through a second surface of the transparent medium to reach the one or more photosensors. as well as The surface morphology or material composition of at least a portion of the sample is generated based on the scattered light received at the one or more optical sensors.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The one or more LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters include multiple LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters of different frequencies. as well as Generating surface morphology or material composition includes: combining scattered light of different frequencies generated one by one by multiple LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters of different frequencies into a contour measurement of at least a portion of the sample in contact with the first surface.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The one or more optical sensors include at least one of an infrared camera, a visible light camera, or an ultraviolet camera disposed within the scanning device and facing the transparent medium.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Providing scanning light to the transparent medium includes activating a plurality of LEDs or electromagnetic wave emitters disposed adjacent to a third surface of the transparent medium.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The transparent medium includes a glass sheet; The first surface is the exposed top surface of the glass sheet; The second surface is the unexposed bottom surface of the glass sheet, opposite to the exposed top surface; as well as The third surface is the side of the glass sheet.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Scattered light is generated by the force exerted by at least a portion of the sample on the first surface of the transparent medium through suppressed total internal reflection (FTIR).

16. A system for generating surface morphology or composition analysis, the system comprising: A transparent medium with a sample contact surface; Multiple LEDs with different frequencies are operable to provide scanning light into one side of the transparent medium during a sample scanning procedure; One or more optical sensors are oriented toward the detection surface of the transparent medium and are operable to receive scattered light generated by a force at the sample contact surface; as well as In the sample scanning procedure, the surface morphology or material composition of the sample in contact with the sample contact surface is generated by the scattered light.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising: In the sample scanning procedure, a profile measurement is performed on a portion of the sample that is in contact with the sample contact surface. The profile measurement includes the aggregation of scattered light at different frequencies, and the surface morphology is a three-dimensional representation of the profile measurement.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein, The system is integrated into a handheld scanning device or a vertical platform.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein, The system comprises a material composition; and Different frequencies are selectively activated to correspond to the target components of the material composition.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein, The sample includes living human parts, living animal parts, or plants; or The surface morphology includes tumor surface morphology, human organ surface morphology, or plant leaf surface morphology.