Apparatus, method, and system for imaging, sensing, measuring, and recording spectra

Abstract

The devices, systems, and methods include a system for analyzing a target area. The system may include an opaque member having one or more slits configured to intersect with the target area, one or more lenses configured to receive light from the target area, and an image sensor configured to receive light from the target area that has passed through the one or more slits and the one or more lenses. A controller can communicate with the image sensor to process and / or monitor the sensed light. The system may include an optical system including the opaque member and one or more lenses. The optical system may have a first lens set and a second lens set. The target area may include a substrate supporting one or more reactants. The system may be a Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging fluid analysis system.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to sensing and analytical tools, etc. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices and systems for imaging, sensing, measuring, and recording light from a target area, and methods of making and using such devices and systems. [Background technology]

[0002] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 431,507, filed December 9, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 431,510, filed December 9, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 431,519, filed December 9, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 431,525, filed December 9, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 431,528, filed December 9, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 431,533, filed December 9, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] A wide variety of devices have been developed for collecting, storing, sensing, and analyzing light from a target area. These devices can be fabricated by any one of a variety of different methods and can be made available for use according to any one of a variety of methods. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0181022 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 6,368,558 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 6,495,102 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 7,261,857 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 8,852,504 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 9,880,137 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 10,539,508 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Li, Zheng, et_al, “Ultrasensitive_Monitoring_of_Museum_Airborne_Pollutants_Using_a_Silver_Nanoparticle_Sensor_Array”, ACS_sensors_5.9(2020):2783-2791 [Non-patent document 2] Li, Zheng, and Kenneth S. Suslick, “Chemically_Induced_Sintering_of_Nanoparticles”, Angewandte_Chemie_131.40(2019):14331-14334 [Non-patent document 3] LaGasse, Maria_K., et_al., “Colorimetric_sensor_array:Development_and_application_to_art_conservation”, Journal_of_the_American_Institute_for_Conservation_57.3(2018): 127-140 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Known medical devices and methods each have certain advantages and disadvantages. This disclosure provides alternatives for the design, materials, manufacturing methods, and uses of sensing and analytical devices. It is noted that while collection, storage, sensing, and analysis approaches and systems are known, there exists a need for improvements to those approaches and systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An exemplary system comprising a substrate, one or more reactants on the substrate, an opaque member having a first slit and / or a second slit, and an image sensor configured to receive light reflected, scattered, or re-emitted from the one or more reactants and passing through the first slit and the second slit.

[0008] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the system may further comprise a cylinder lens and an imaging lens disposed between the substrate and the opaque member. Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the system may further include a spherical lens, or an aspherical lens, and a cylindrical lens disposed between the opaque member and the image sensor.

[0009] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the system may further include a third slit before the first and second slits, the third slit spaced from the opaque member carrying the first and second slides and extending through the opaque member toward the substrate.

[0010] In another example, a system for analyzing a target region (target area, region of interest, target site) may include an opaque member having one or more slits configured to be transverse to the target region, one or more lenses configured to receive light from the target region, and an image sensor configured to receive light from the target region that has passed through the one or more slits and one or more lenses.

[0011] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the one or more slits can comprise a first slit and a second slit parallel to and spaced apart from the first slit.

[0012] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the one or more lenses can include a focusing lens and an imaging lens configured to receive light from the target area before the light passes through the one or more slits.

[0013] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the one or more lenses may comprise a focusing lens and an imaging lens configured to receive light from the target area after the light passes through the one or more slits and before the light reaches the image sensor.

[0014] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the one or more lenses may comprise a first lens set comprising one or more lenses configured to receive light from the target area before the light passes through the one or more slits, and a second lens set comprising one or more lenses configured to receive light from the target area after the light passes through the one or more slits and before the light reaches the image sensor.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the system may further include an interferometer configured to receive light from the target area after the light has passed through one or more slits and before the light reaches the image sensor.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the interferometer can include one or more beam splitters / combiners, a first mirrored surface, and a second mirrored surface.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the first mirrored surface may be non-perpendicular to the second mirrored surface. Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the interferometer may include a prism having a first total internal reflecting surface and a second total internal reflecting surface.

[0018] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the interferometer can include a first polarizer, a second polarizer, and a beam splitter positioned between the first polarizer and the second polarizer.

[0019] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the target area comprises a reactant array (array of reactants). The light received by the one or more lenses and the image sensor is light from the reactant array. The system further comprises a substrate supporting the reactant array and a controller in communication with the image sensor. The controller may be configured to identify a component of the fluid in contact with the reactant array based on the light from the reactant array received by the image sensor.

[0020] In another example, an optical system for use in a fluid analysis system can include a first lens set, a second lens set, and an opaque member having one or more slits therein and disposed between the first and second lens sets. The first lens set can be configured to form an image of a reactant array on the opaque member. The second lens set can be configured to form an interferogram on a surface from light passing through the one or more slits.

[0021] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the one or more slits can be comprised of a first slit and a second slit parallel to and spaced apart from the first slit.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the first lens set may be configured with one or both of a focusing lens and an imaging lens configured to receive light from the reactant array and form an image of the reactant array on the opaque member.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the second lens set includes one or both of a collecting lens and an imaging lens configured to form an interferogram on the surface.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the system may further include an interferometer configured to receive light from the reactant array after the light has passed through the one or more slits.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the system may further include a housing configured to house the first lens set, the second lens set, and the opaque member.

[0026] In another example, a hyperspectral imaging fluid analysis system may include a substrate, one or more reactants supported on the substrate, an opaque member having one or more slits, an image sensor configured to receive light from the one or more reactants that passes through the one or more slits, and a controller in communication with the image sensor.

[0027] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the controller may be configured to identify components of a fluid in contact with one or more reactants based on light from the one or more reactants received by the image sensor.

[0028] Alternatively or additionally to any of the embodiments in this section, the one or more slits may include a first slit and a second slit. The above summary of some embodiments is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every embodiment of the present disclosure, and the figures and detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.

[0029] The present disclosure may be more fully understood from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing system. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary optical system. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary sensing system. [Figure 5B] FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary sensing system. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary optical system. [Figure 7A] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary optical system. [Figure 7B] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary optical system. [Figure 7C] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary optical system. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary optical system. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary optical system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 10A] 1 is a schematic side view of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 10B] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 16] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary sensing system utilizing an interferometer. [Figure 17] Schematic of an exemplary technique for analyzing a target region. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] While the present disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific aspects thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that it is not the intention to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0032] For the following defined terms, these definitions shall be applied, unless a different definition is given in the claims or elsewhere in this specification. The term "fluid" encompasses both "liquids" and "gases."

[0033] As used herein, all numerical values, whether explicitly stated or not, are intended to be modified by the term "about." The term "about" generally refers to a range of numerical values ​​that one of ordinary skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited value (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances, the term "about" includes numerical values ​​that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

[0034] The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes "1", "1.5", "2", "2.75", "3", "3.80", "4", and "5").

[0035] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "or" is generally used in its sense including "and / or" unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

[0036] It should be noted that references herein to "a configuration," "some configurations," "other configurations," etc., indicate that the described configurations may include one or more particular features, structures, and / or characteristics. However, such descriptions do not necessarily imply that all embodiments include the particular feature, structure, and / or characteristic. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, and / or characteristic is described in connection with one configuration, it should be understood that such feature, structure, and / or characteristic is also enabled for use in connection with other configurations, whether or not explicitly described, unless expressly stated to the contrary.

[0037] The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like structures in different drawings are numbered the same. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict illustrative embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it should be noted that in any given figure, some features may not be shown or may be shown in schematic form for clarity and / or simplicity. Additional details regarding some components and / or method steps may be illustrated in more detail in other figures. The apparatus and / or methods disclosed herein may provide many desirable features and advantages, as described in more detail below.

[0038] Fluids having concentrations of volatile compounds (e.g., volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) and / or gases, which may or may not be harmful, can be sensed, analyzed, and / or monitored. Sensing, analyzing, and / or monitoring of fluids containing analytes (e.g., non-volatile and / or volatile compounds, gases, liquids, and / or other fluids) can be enabled using absorption measurements of reactants exposed to such fluids for any purpose, including, but not limited to, diagnostic hazard warning, manufacturing process or quality control, record keeping, archival purposes, product development, product-consumer matching, etc.

[0039] In some cases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and / or gases are present in ambient fluids (e.g., ambient air, etc.) and may be sensed, analyzed, and / or monitored using reactants for real-time alerts, to treat subjects, or to collect and / or store data for health records, regulatory compliance records, etc. Additionally, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and / or gases exhaled, emitted, excreted, given off, released, and / or secreted from a subject (e.g., a human, a non-human animal, food, produce, meat, pathogens, bacteria (e.g., good and / or bad bacteria), plants, a wound, an ulcer, a surgical site, a subject's skin, a subject's mouth, a subject's nasal passages, a subject's sinuses, a subject's rectal region, a subject's vaginal region, a subject's genital region, a subject's ear canal, a subject's pores, etc.) can be sensed, analyzed, and / or monitored to enable assessment of harmful, hazardous, or illegal substances, a subject's pulmonary condition, a blood disorder condition, an infectious disease condition, a condition related to a disease or biological condition, a condition related to general health, a condition related to the flavor of food, a condition related to perfumes or odors, and / or other suitable conditions in or at a subject or at a subject.

[0040] The systems discussed herein for sensing, analyzing, and / or monitoring a target (e.g., a fluid having an analyte of interest and / or other suitable target) can be configured to accurately detect and record changes in the target area over time. In one example, the systems discussed herein can be configured to sense, analyze, and / or monitor a fluid by accurately detecting and recording the spectral response of one or more colorimetric sensor arrays (CSAs) to exposure to the fluid. The systems can utilize techniques to noninvasively detect analytes of interest from the fluid using the colorimetric sensor arrays CSA (e.g., one or more pathogens causing certain human skin infections, including, but not limited to, skin infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), vaginitis, wound infections, ulcers, etc., and / or other suitable analytes), and can enable early detection and early implementation of protocols to address one or more conditions associated with any sensed analytes of interest. In one example, enhanced classification of one or more analytes using the systems described herein may enable detection and identification (discrimination) of causative pathogens at the very early stages of dangerous skin infections, thereby potentially providing a higher level of protection for the subject and increasing the probability of a favorable outcome.

[0041] Systems for sensing, analyzing, and / or monitoring targets use optical systems to capture photons scattered, reflected, scattered, transmitted, or re-emitted from the target. In some examples, systems configured to sense, analyze, and / or monitor targets containing an analyte of interest in a fluid may use optical systems to capture photons scattered, reflected, scattered, transmitted, or re-emitted from individual reactants (e.g., color areas, color imprints, color bars, color dots, etc., applied to a substrate or film of a colorimetric sensor array CSA), deliver the photons via fiber optic cables or a free-space optical system to a light collector (e.g., a high-resolution spectrometer having a photodetector and / or other suitable light collector), and measure the collected light. Light collection measurements (e.g., reflectance, intensity, pixel value, photon count, etc.) may be calculated by applying appropriate calibration techniques and algebraic signal processing algorithms to the measurements. This technique has been made applicable to wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet through the visible and into the mid-infrared portion of the spectrum.

[0042] A system for sensing, analyzing, and / or monitoring a component of a fluid (e.g., an analyte of interest, etc.) is enabled to repeatedly or continuously capture and process data on the fly as the target is viewed for processing (e.g., the entire reactant array or a portion of the reactant array of a colorimetric sensor array CSA for processing). The captured or acquired data (e.g., spectral data, etc.) is processed to accurately correlate the captured or acquired data with data associated with a known component or condition. During a single analytical test of a target (e.g., a fluid analytical test or other suitable test), the target (e.g., the reactant array or a portion of the reactant array of a colorimetric sensor array CSA or other suitable target) can be viewed for processing one or more times, or continuously over the length of the test. Repeated measurements over time can record changes in the target (e.g., changes in the reflectance spectra of some or all of the reactants in the reactant array of the colorimetric sensor array CSA, or other suitable changes) and can be used to identify the target components and / or conditions (e.g., one or more components of the tested fluid and / or more other suitable components or conditions).

[0043] In some cases, when analyzing and / or monitoring a target, it may be desirable to analyze the target without scanning it. For example, not having to mechanically scan the target may facilitate the creation of compact, low-cost systems that are handheld and / or that can achieve target measurements in a short amount of time.

[0044] A system for sensing, analyzing, and / or monitoring a target may enable Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging to be achieved without requiring mechanical scanning of the target (e.g., without relative movement between the reactant and the sensing or imaging components of the analysis system). An example of a Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging system is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 012999, entitled "FOURIER-TRANSFORM HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING SYSTEM," filed February 18, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0045] Although the use of Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging is enabled in systems for sensing, analyzing, and / or monitoring analytes in fluids as the primary application discussed herein, the discussed designs or concepts may be enabled in other suitable applications, such as line-scan-based crop growth monitoring, line-scan-based analysis of antiques (e.g., paintings), measuring the spectra of arrayed objects (such as, but not limited to, arrayed fluorescence excitation and collection, arrayed two-photon or multi-photon excitation and upconversion light collection applications, arrayed nonlinear optics-related light excitation and collection applications, applications where hyperspectral cameras are utilized, and / or other suitable applications).

[0046] In applications such as sensing, analyzing, and / or monitoring analytes in fluids, as discussed herein, the operating principle for achieving Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging without the need for mechanical scanning can be based on a spatial low-coherence interferometer. In this interferometer, each reactant can be viewed as a diffuse low-coherence light source that is optically split into two sub-light sources that interfere with each other along the direction of the photodetector pixels of the image sensor. Because each photodetector pixel detects optically interfered light signals with different relative optical path length differences, the interference pattern, or interferogram, is the Fourier transform of the spectral content of the reactant array of the colorimetric sensor array CSA. By positioning the different reactants of the reactant array along a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional (2D) photodetector array image sensor, the 2D image sensor can be used to record the Fourier transform of the spectra of all the reactants of the colorimetric sensor array CSA (e.g., an interferogram representing the frequency domain of light waves from the spectra of the reactants of the colorimetric sensor array CSA). As a result, an inverse (e.g., reverse) Fourier transform of the interferogram can convert the interferogram from the spatial frequency domain to the spectral domain and reveal the original spectrum of light from all reactants in the colorimetric sensor array CSA, which can be achieved without mechanically scanning the reactants.

[0047] The analysis system can include an optical design that utilizes, among other components, a combination of one or more lenses and one or more slits. In one example configuration, the optical design utilizes a cylindrical lens combined with an imaging lens (e.g., a spherical or aspherical lens) or a single toric lens (e.g., a lens with different optical powers and focal lengths in two orthogonal directions) to direct light from a target area (e.g., a reactant line, rectangle, dot, etc.) to one or more slits (e.g., two spatially separated slits) in an opaque structure, and then another imaging lens combined with a cylindrical lens or another single toric lens positioned between the opaque structure having one or more slits and the image sensor. In some examples, the illumination and / or light collection components of the analysis system do not need to be adjusted to the reactant array (e.g., colorimetric sensor array CSA) because light from the entire reactant array or a desired portion of the reactant array may be passed simultaneously through a single slit or separated slits, with the space between every two adjacent reactants serving as a "white" calibration space. When two slits are utilized in an opaque structure, the two slits are allowed to be sufficiently close to each other so that the wavefronts of light from the reactants optically interfere (e.g., in a manner similar to how a Young's double-slit setup works) by being sampled by the two slits from the same original light source.

[0048] Young's double-slit experiment involves applying a light beam from a single light source (e.g., a target area) to two parallel, elongated slits spaced apart and extending through an opaque surface or structure (e.g., a member). To improve the spatial coherence of the waves received at the slits, the opaque surface or structure having a single slit may be placed in front of the opaque surface or structure having two slits, so that the single slit acts as a single light source for the light received at the opaque surface or structure having two slits. As long as spatial coherence exists for the light received at the two slits, wavefront splitting of the received light may result in interference between the light passing through the two slits (e.g., overlapping of the wavefronts from the two slits) to form an interferogram on a surface (e.g., the surface of an optical or image sensor) at least a predetermined optical distance from the opaque surface or structure having the two slits. The interferogram may be a Fourier transform of the optical spectrum of the original light source.

[0049] In addition to or as an alternative to using two slits in the opaque structure, a prism can be utilized. When used, the prism can be configured to sample two portions of the original wavefront of the light from the reactant and bend the portions of the original wavefront of the light so that they overlap with each other. Additionally, in some cases, an optical amplitude splitting element, such as a pellicle beam splitter, can be used to split the original light wave from the reactant, and other free-space optical element(s) can be used to combine or overlap the two light waves with each other.

[0050] Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary configuration of an analysis system 10 (e.g., a Fourier transform hyperspectral fluid analysis system and / or other suitable analysis system) for determining components and / or conditions of interest. In some examples, analysis system 10 may include, among other components, an illumination component 12 configured to illuminate a target area (e.g., in the example of a fluid analysis system, the target area may be or include one or more analyte-sensitive materials or reactants of a reactant array) on, supported by, or comprising a surface 14; a light collection component 16 configured to receive or collect light from the target area; and a controller 18 configured to communicate with illumination component 12 and / or light collection component 16. Controller 18 may be configured to analyze or facilitate analysis of data associated with light collected by light collection component 16. In some cases, illumination component 12 may be omitted.

[0051] When included in analysis system 10, illumination component 12 may include one or more light sources, an illumination lens system (e.g., one or more illumination lens subsystems), and / or other suitable components. Illumination component 12 may be configured to provide sufficient photons having a uniform spatial and spectral distribution across a wavelength range of interest to a target area.

[0052] The one or more light sources can be configured to provide light of any suitable wavelength to the target area, such as wavelengths of light ranging from about 350 nm to about 500 nm, from about 300 nm to about 600 nm, from about 400 nm to about 725 nm, from about 425 nm to about 725 nm, from about 700 nm to about 1000 nm, from about 800 nm to about 1000 nm, and / or other suitable ranges. In one example, the one or more light sources are enabled to provide wavelengths of light ranging from about 400 nm to about 725 nm.

[0053] The illumination component 12 may be configured to provide illumination in two or more different discrete ranges of wavelengths of light. For example, one or more light sources may be enabled to provide light in a first wavelength range of light (e.g., about 300 nm to about 600 nm) and a second wavelength range of light (e.g., about 800 nm to about 1000 nm). Providing illumination in two discrete wavelength ranges of light may be achieved by utilizing two or more light sources, by using filters, and / or by one or more other suitable methods. Having the ability to provide light in one or more discrete wavelength ranges may facilitate using the analysis system 10 for different applications that may require the use of different wavelength ranges for optimal performance.

[0054] In some configurations, one or more light sources can be configured to provide at least a uniform spatial and spectral distribution of broadband white light (e.g., continuous broadband white light) to a target area. In one example, a light source providing a uniform spatial and spectral distribution of broadband white light is enabled to provide light wavelengths ranging from about 360 nm to about 900 nm. In another example, a light source providing a uniform spatial and spectral distribution of broadband white light is enabled to provide light wavelengths ranging from about 400 nm to about 725 nm. A light source configured in this manner can have a desired (e.g., high) color rendering index (CRI) with a uniform distribution of photon wavelengths throughout the visible spectrum.

[0055] The one or more light sources may be any suitable type of light source. For example, the light source may be a light-emitting diode (LED), an indium-based blue LED doped with multiple phosphors to combine an LED with an electroluminescent semiconductor junction light source, a blackbody radiation source, a tungsten lamp, a halogen lamp, and / or other suitable types of light sources. In one example, the light source(s) may be a true-color white LED configured to provide light wavelengths in the range of about 400 nm to about 725 nm, although other suitable configurations are contemplated. Utilizing a white LED rather than a blackbody radiation source (e.g., a tungsten lamp, a halogen lamp, etc.) reduces inefficiencies in electron-to-photon conversion and may allow the analysis system 10 to use less power (e.g., have a higher electron-to-photon conversion ratio) than if other types of light sources (e.g., a tungsten lamp, a halogen lamp, etc.) were used.

[0056] The light source can be provided at any suitable angle and in any suitable position relative to the target area and / or light collecting element 16. For example, the light source may be provided at an angle ranging from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees relative to the target area, at an angle ranging from about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees relative to the target area, at an angle ranging from about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to the target area, at an angle ranging from about 40 degrees to about 50 degrees relative to the target area, and / or at one or more other suitable angles. In one example, the light source may be at a 45-degree angle relative to the target area, although other suitable configurations are contemplated. Providing a light source that projects light onto the target area from an acute angle and from a position laterally spaced from the target area (e.g., the illuminated area) on surface 14 may facilitate providing a double overlapping ellipsoid that effectively forms the target area to be analyzed (e.g., forms a target area sized to cover one or more reactants or a portion of one or more reactants) while minimizing the collection of spectrally or specularly reflected light and allowing for the collection of maximum diffuse light.

[0057] In some configurations, illumination component 12 may include an illumination lens system configured to illuminate and focus light from a light source onto surface 14 to form a target area on surface 14. In some examples, the target area on surface 14 may cover or include one or more reactants on surface 14, although other suitable target areas are contemplated. The illumination lens system may include any suitable components, including, but not limited to, one or more lenses, one or more optical fibers, and / or one or more other suitable components.

[0058] In an example application of the analysis system 10, the analysis system 10 is enabled for use in fluid analysis testing. When the analysis system 10 is used in a fluid analysis test to analyze a fluid, the target area can include one or more reactants (e.g., analyte-sensitive materials) of a reactant array on, supported by, or at the surface 14, and the one or more reactants can be exposed to the fluid being tested. In some examples, the one or more reactants can be exposed to the fluid in any suitable manner, including, but not limited to, pumping fluid to the one or more reactants during fluid testing using the analysis system 10, exposing the one or more reactants to the fluid before being placed on the analysis system 10, placing the one or more reactants proximate to a region of interest (e.g., a wound, etc.) before being placed on the analysis system 10, and / or exposing the one or more reactants to the fluid in one or more other suitable manners. When one or more reactants are exposed to a fluid for analysis of the fluid and light is collected from the one or more reactants during a fluid analysis test, the controller 18 is enabled to analyze the collected light data to identify one or more components (e.g., analytes) of the fluid to which the one or more reactants were exposed.

[0059] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a diagram of an exemplary configuration of an analytical system 10 configured for use in fluid analytical testing. The exemplary configuration of analytical system 10 depicted in FIG. 2 can include, among other components, a light collecting element 16, a controller 18, an optical system 20, and a detecting component 24 configured to sense an analyte. The detecting component 24 can be adjustable or fixed relative to the light collecting element 16 and / or the optical system 20. Although analytical system 10 is depicted in FIG. 2 without an illumination element 12, an illumination element 12 may be included. Optionally, analytical system 10 can include a housing configured to accommodate one or more of the light collecting element 16, the controller 18, the optical system 20, the detecting component 24, and / or other suitable components of analytical system 10.

[0060] The detection region 24 can include a reactant array 26 having one or more reactants and a substrate 28 supporting the reactant array 26. The reactants in the reactant array 26 can be configured to respond to exposure to a fluid being tested in a fluid analysis test. In some examples, the substrate 28 can be or include the surface 14 depicted in FIG. 1, although other configurations are contemplated.

[0061] The substrate 28 of the detection region 24 can have any suitable configuration for supporting and / or receiving the reactant array 26 for exposure to a fluid (e.g., a fluid of interest) and / or for analysis of the reactant array 26 using the optical system and light collecting components 16 of the analysis system 10. For example, the substrate 28 can be sized to include all or a portion of the reactant array 26. In some examples, multiple substrates 28 can be utilized to include all or a portion of the reactant array 26. Additionally or alternatively, the substrate 28 and the reactant array 26 can be integral, such that the reactant array 26 or its reactants form the substrate 28.

[0062] Substrate 28 can have a surface (e.g., surface 14) that is any suitable shape, including, but not limited to, elongated, rectangular, square, rounded, spherical, circular, cylindrical, disk-shaped, triangular, trapezoidal, prismatic, lenticular, and / or other suitable shapes. Substrate 28 can be or include a surface of a vessel or cartridge, or a component configured to reside within a vessel or cartridge. In certain embodiments, a cross-section of substrate 28 can be symmetrical about a centerline extending perpendicularly through a surface of substrate 28 configured to support one or more reactants of reactant array 26.

[0063] Substrate 28 can comprise and / or be formed from any suitable material. Exemplary suitable materials for use in substrate 28 of detection region 24 include, but are not limited to, polymers, optical polymers, optical glass, plastic, rubber, glass, paper, filter material, filter paper, cloth, metal, aluminum, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, porous membranes, chromatography plates, acrylic (e.g., poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), non-reactant materials, other suitable materials, and / or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the material utilized for substrate 28 can be a solid material, a woven material, a hydrophobic material, a gas-permeable material, a gas-impermeable material, other suitable materials, and / or combinations thereof.

[0064] In one exemplary configuration of substrate 28, substrate 28 may be or may include a portion formed from a porous white plastic film (e.g., a material unreactive with the analyte being tested) that has high diffuse reflectance across the entire visible spectrum, at least a portion of the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, and / or at least a portion of the infrared (IR) spectrum. When substrate 28 is at least partially formed from a white plastic film that has high diffuse reflectance across at least the entire visible spectrum, light collecting component 16 of analysis system 10 can be configured to collect a 100% white spectrum from substrate 28. This spectrum can be used for fluid analysis purposes (e.g., to normalize results from reactants).

[0065] In another example configuration of substrate 28, substrate 28 may be or may include portions formed from a woven polypropylene material. This may result in a gas-permeable, hydrophobic substrate 28. In an exemplary configuration, the woven substrate may have an average pore size on the order of about 0.2 microns and a diameter of about 25 millimeters (mm), although other pore sizes are contemplated. Additionally or alternatively, the exemplary configuration of substrate 28 may be formed from one or more other suitable hydrophobic, gas-permeable materials.

[0066] In another exemplary configuration of substrate 28, substrate 28 may be formed from a transparent material (e.g., acrylic (e.g., poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), etc.) and may be or include portions configured to pass light from one surface of the transparent material through a second surface of the material. In some examples, substrate 28 may be entirely transparent or may include one or more transparent portions configured to illuminate reactants in reactant array 26 through substrate 28 and / or collect light from reactants in reactant array 26 through substrate 28. In some cases, one or more transparent portions of substrate 28 may extend between at least a first surface and a second surface of substrate 28. The first and second surfaces may be parallel or non-parallel to one another, and the reactants are located on the first surface.

[0067] To enhance the detection rate of fluid components by the reactants of reactant array 26, substrate 28 to which reactant array 26 is applied and / or the reactants of reactant array 26 may be textured (e.g., with grooves or surface topography, a woven pattern, etc.) to increase the effective surface area of ​​the reactants (e.g., analyte-sensitive material for detecting the analyte). Additionally or alternatively, the reactants of reactant array 26 may be formed from a textured material, and substrate 28 may or may not be omitted. Such texturing may be applied to substrate 28 and / or the reactants of reactant array 26 using any suitable technique, including, but not limited to, via etching, thermoforming, pressing, molding, machining, weaving, three-dimensional printing, vapor deposition, and / or other suitable techniques.

[0068] The reactants of reactant array 26 may be formed from any suitable material. In some cases, the reactant material may be an optically responsive chemical material (e.g., a chemically responsive material) that changes color in response to the detection of one or more analytes (e.g., non-volatile and / or volatile compounds, gases, liquids, and / or other fluids) in a fluid to which the reactants are exposed. Exemplary suitable materials for the reactants include, but are not limited to, dyes from the following classes: Lewis acid / base dyes (e.g., metal-containing dyes), Bronsted acid or base dyes (e.g., pH indicators), dyes having a large permanent dipole (e.g., solvatochromic dyes), redox-reactive dyes (e.g., metal nanoparticle precursors), and / or other suitable classes of dyes. One exemplary material for the reactants may be a silver nanoparticle material. Other suitable materials for the reactants are contemplated, including reactant materials that are not printed dyes.

[0069] In some examples, the reactant material can comprise a reversible or semi-reversible analyte-sensitive material, which can be utilized in a reactant configured to repeatedly monitor, such as continuously or periodically sense, a target location to detect an analyte from the target location. Although other configurations of the reactant array 26 are contemplated, examples of reactant arrays 26 comprising reversible or semi-reversible analyte-sensitive materials are described in U.S. Patent No. 6,277,949, filed March 21, 2000, entitled "Colorimetric Artificial Nose Having an Array of Dyes and Method for Artificial Olfaction," and U.S. Patent No. 6,277,949, filed November 11, 2000, entitled "Colorimetric Artificial Nose Having an Array of Dyes and Method for Artificial Olfaction." and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002 / 0122999, filed October 24, 2002, entitled "Colorimetric Artificial Nose Having an Array of Dyes and Method for Artificial Olfaction," and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0122999, filed October 11, 2007, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Detecting and Identifying Microorganisms," all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes.

[0070] In some examples, the reactant materials can comprise irreversible analyte-sensitive materials, which, although not required, can be utilized in single-use monitors for each analyte material of the fluid or in reactants configured for single-use monitors when reactant array 26 is configured to monitor for multiple different analytes. Although other configurations of reactant array 26 are contemplated, exemplary reactant arrays 26 comprising irreversible analyte sensing materials are discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0129999, entitled "Colorimetric Sensor Arrays Based on Nanoporous Pigments," filed on September 2, 2009; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0129999, entitled "Portable Device for Colorimetric or Fluorometric Analysis and Method of Conducting Colorimetric or Fluorometric Analysis," filed on June 9, 2015; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 01299999, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0071] The reactants of reactant array 26 may be applied to substrate 28 in any suitable manner. In one example, the reactants may be applied to substrate 28 by printing the reactants (e.g., reactant materials) onto substrate 28. Printing may utilize any suitable printing technique, including, but not limited to, pin transfer, inkjet, silkscreen, and / or other suitable application techniques.

[0072] The reactants can be applied to the substrate 28 randomly and / or in one or more patterns. Exemplary configurations of reactants in the reactant array 26 applied to the substrate 28 include, but are not limited to, a grid pattern of rows and columns, concentric rings, color matching of the color of the printed dye material with the color of the substrate material prior to interaction with an analyte, a pattern in which the analyte-sensitive material assumes a distinguishable shape upon reaction to a particular analyte, other suitable configurations, and / or combinations thereof.

[0073] The top surface and / or other suitable surfaces of substrate 28 may be coated with a porous material to increase the surface area when reactants are applied to substrate 28. In one example, the top surface (e.g., surface 14) of substrate 28 may be coated with a thin layer of a porous material, such as a sol-gel and / or other suitable material.

[0074] The optical system 20 of the analysis system 10 can be disposed, in whole or at least in part, between the detector 24 and / or one or more other suitable target areas and the light collecting element 16. The optical system 20 can include one or more lenses (e.g., a collection lens configuration) configured in the analysis system 10 to receive light from the target area and focus the light onto a light or image sensor of the light collecting element 16. The optical system 20 can further include one or more opaque elements having one or more slits therein and / or an interferometer 22. In some examples, the one or more lenses of the optical system 20 and the interferometer 22 (e.g., the interferometer may or may not include an opaque element having one or more slits) can be configured to form an interferometer on the light or image sensor of the light collecting element 16 that is a Fourier transform of the spectrum of the light received from the target area, such that an inverse Fourier transform of the interferometer can reveal the spectrum of the light received from the target area.

[0075] One or more lenses of optical system 20 may be configured in the analysis system to be part of one or more lens sets. In some examples, optical system 20 can include a first lens set including one or more lenses and a second lens set including one or more lenses. An opaque member can be disposed between the first lens set including one or more lenses and the second lens set including one or more lenses. In one example using a fluid analysis application, the first lens set including one or more lenses may be configured to form an image of reactant array 26, or a portion thereof, on the opaque member. The second lens set including one or more lenses may be configured to form an interferogram on a surface (e.g., the surface of a light or image sensor of a light collecting component), although other suitable configurations are contemplated.

[0076] Interferometer 22 can include an opaque member 32 (e.g., as depicted in FIGS. 4-16 , etc.). For example, opaque member 32 can be considered to be or be part of interferometer 22 if it includes two or more slits configured to act as separate light sources enabled to create an interference pattern (e.g., an interferogram) enabled to be sensed, measured, and analyzed by light collecting element 16 and / or controller 18. Alternatively or additionally, interferometer 22 can receive light from a target region (e.g., after the light has passed through a slit in the opaque member or light that has not passed through the opaque member) and can have one or more other suitable configurations configured to split the received light into two or more beams such that the two or more beams interact to create an interferogram.

[0077] The light collecting component 16 (e.g., a diffuse reflectance capture optical system, etc.) may be configured to collect and / or measure levels or changes in wavelengths of light collected from the surface 14 (e.g., measuring photons of wavelengths of light from the reactants of the reactant array 26), may include one or more light collectors configured to receive light from the optical system 20, and / or may include one or more other suitable components. The light collecting component 16 may be positioned in any suitable location relative to the detection portion 24. In some examples, the light collecting component 16 may be configured to collect light, if an illumination component 12 is included, from the same side of the detection portion 24 where the illumination component 12 illuminates the detection portion 24, from a different side of the detection portion 24 where the illumination component 12 illuminates the detection portion 24, directly from the reactants of the reactant array 26, indirectly through the transparent substrate (28) of the detection portion 24, and / or from one or more other suitable locations and / or in one or more other suitable manners.

[0078] The light collecting component 16 may include one or more optical fibers (e.g., one or more optical fibers or fiber arrays or waveguide arrays) configured (e.g., adjusted and positioned) to receive light from one or more reactants in the reactant array 26 or to collect (focus) light from one or more reactants in the reactant array 26. The light received by the optical fibers may have traveled through at least a portion or all of the optical system 20. The one or more optical fibers may be or include single-mode and / or multimode optical fibers, as desired. The one or more optical fibers may have a first end configured to receive or collect light from the target region and a second end in optical communication with the light collector.

[0079] The light collecting component 16 may comprise one or more light collectors of any suitable type. Exemplary suitable types of light collectors include light sensors, image sensors, n-dimensional sensory arrays (e.g., where “n” equals 1, 2, etc.), linear two-dimensional photodetector array image sensors, which may include spectrometers, charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, contact image sensors (CIS), color contact image sensors (CCIS), cameras, other suitable light collecting devices (light collectors, condensers), and / or combinations of light collecting devices. In one example, the light collector may comprise a spectrometer configured to measure photons collected (e.g., received by reflection, transmission, and / or other means) from the target area. The use of a spectrometer facilitates sensing wavelengths of light with high resolution in the nanometer range and can provide a continuous data set across a range of wavelengths, allowing for more sensitive analysis of the data to identify components of the fluid to which reactant array 26 is exposed than when other light collectors are used. In another embodiment, the light collector can include a 2D pixel array image sensor configured to record multiple spatial interferograms in the pixel array direction of the interferogram representing the Fourier transform of reactant array 26. This can be compact and cost-effective while providing sufficient sensitivity.

[0080] In some embodiments, the pixel density and image sensor size of the light or image sensor can be selected based on the optical parameters of the lenses and / or other components of analysis system 10 so that the number of pixels is sufficient and dense to capture the full range of an interferogram covering the wavelength range of the entire visible spectrum and a portion of the near-infrared spectrum. The pixel density of the light or image sensor can ensure that the highest spatial frequency is not limited by the Nyquist frequency of the light or image sensor, while the inverse Fourier transform can generate a spectrum of reactant array 26 having a resolution in the desired range (e.g., nanometer range).

[0081] The controller 18 is enabled to be coupled to one or more other electronic components of the analytical system 10. For example, the controller 18, if included, may be communicatively coupled to one or more of the illumination components, the light collecting components 16, the optical system 20, and / or one or more other suitable components of the analytical system 10, and / or a remote component (e.g., a server, a mobile device, etc.) that may or may not be part of the analytical system 10. In some examples, the controller 18 may be configured to receive an instruction (e.g., from a user via a user interface or communicated to the controller 18) to initiate a fluid analytical test and to send conditioned control signals to one or more electronic components of the analytical system 10.

[0082] The controller 18 may be configured to identify or facilitate identifying components of the fluid and / or the condition of the target region in contact with the detection portion 24 (e.g., comprising the surface 14) based on measured (e.g., sensed and / or calculated) light levels (e.g., interferograms) or changes in light sensed or collected from the detection portion 24 using the light collecting components 16. In some examples, the controller 18 may be configured to identify components of the fluid and / or the condition of the target region in contact with the detection portion 24 based on one or more of the timing of the levels of wavelengths of light from the detection portion 24, the absolute change between the levels of wavelengths of light collected from the target region at or before application of the fluid to the detection portion 24 and a predetermined time after initial application of the fluid to the detection portion 24, and the relative level to a predetermined or expected level of light from the target region. The controller 18 may be configured to identify components of the fluid or the condition of the target region in contact with the detection portion 24 based on light from the target region received by the light collecting components 16 in one or more additional or alternative manners.

[0083] The controller 18 and / or other components of the analysis system 10 may include one or more user interfaces, or may be or comprise one or more computing devices coupled to one or more user interfaces. FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing device 38 and user interface 40, which may be housed, in whole or in part, in one or more housings 42 (e.g., housings that may or may not house other components of the analysis system 10). The housing 42 may be an optional component, as represented by the dashed line defining the housing 42 depicted in FIG. 3. While various components are depicted as being included in the computing device 38 and user interface 40, one or more of the depicted components may be omitted and / or one or more additional or alternative components may be utilized.

[0084] Computing device 38 may be any suitable computing device configured to process data of analysis system 10 and to facilitate the operation of analysis system 10. In some examples, computing device 38 may be part of controller 18 and may communicate to other components via a wired or wireless connection, although other suitable configurations are contemplated. If computing device 38, or at least a portion of computing device 38, is a component separate from the structure of controller 18, computing device 38 is enabled to communicate to electronic components of analysis system 10 via one or more wired or wireless connections or networks (e.g., LAN and / or WAN). In some cases, computing device 38 is enabled to communicate to a remote server or other suitable computing device.

[0085] An exemplary computing device 38 may include, among other suitable components, one or more processors 44, memory 46, and / or one or more I / O units 48. Other exemplary suitable components of computing device 38 not specifically depicted in FIG. 3 may include, but are not limited to, communication components, a touchscreen, selectable buttons, and / or other suitable components of a computing device. As described, one or more components of computing device 38 may be separate from and / or incorporated into components of controller 18.

[0086] The processor 44 of the computing device 38 may include a single processor or multiple processors operating individually or together. The processor 44 may be configured to receive and execute instructions, comprising instructions that may be loaded into the memory 46 and / or other suitable memory. Examples of components of the processor 44 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a multi-core processor, a graphical processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an artificial intelligence accelerator, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a discrete circuit, and / or other suitable types of data processing devices.

[0087] The memory 46 of the computing device 38 may include a single memory component or multiple memory components that operate individually or together. Example types of memory 46 may include random access memory (RAM), EEPROM, flash, suitable volatile storage, suitable non-volatile storage, persistent memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), hard drive, flash memory, optical disk memory, and / or other suitable persistent memory), and / or other suitable types of memory. The memory 46 may be or may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory 46 may include instructions stored in a transient and / or non-transitory state on a computer-readable medium that may be executable by the processor 44 to cause the processor 44 to perform one or more of the methods and / or techniques described herein. Additionally, in some cases, the memory 46 and / or other suitable memory may be enabled to store data received from the light-collecting element 16 and / or other components of the analysis system 10 and / or other components communicating with the analysis system 10.

[0088] The I / O unit 48 of the computing device 38 can comprise a single I / O component or multiple I / O components that each operate individually or together. An exemplary I / O unit 48 can be or include any suitable type of communications hardware and / or software, including, but not limited to, communications components or ports configured to communicate with the electronic components of the analysis system 10 and / or other suitable computing devices or systems. Examples of types of I / O units 48 include, but are not limited to, wired communication components (e.g., HDMI® components, Ethernet® components, VGA components, serial communication components, parallel communication components, component video ports, S-Video components, composite audio / video components, DVI components, USB components, optical communication components, and / or other suitable wired communication components), wireless communication components (e.g., radio frequency (RF) components, low energy BLUETOOTH® protocol components, BLUETOOTH® protocol components, near field communication (NFC) protocol components, WI-FI® protocol components, optical communication components, ZIGBEE® protocol components, and / or other suitable wireless communication components), and / or other suitable I / O units (input / output devices) 48.

[0089] The user interface 40 may be configured to communicate with the computing device 38 via one or more wired or wireless connections. The user interface 40 may include one or more displays 50, one or more input devices 52, one or more output devices 54, and / or one or more other suitable features. In some examples, the user interface 40 may be part of or include the computing device 38.

[0090] Display 50 may be any suitable display. Example suitable displays include, but are not limited to, touchscreen displays, non-touchscreen displays, liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, head-mounted displays, virtual reality displays, augmented reality displays, and / or other suitable display types.

[0091] The input device(s) 52 may be and / or include any suitable components and / or functionality for receiving user input via the user interface 40. Exemplary input device(s) 52 may include, but are not limited to, a touchscreen, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a microphone, a selectable button, a selectable knob, an optical input, a camera, a gesture sensor, an eye tracker, a voice recognition control (e.g., a microphone coupled to an appropriate natural language processing component), and / or other suitable input device. In one example, the input device 52 may include a touchscreen that allows for setting set points, initiating fluid or target area analysis tests, adjusting between screens (e.g., test screens, data analysis screens, results screens, etc.), and / or taking one or more other suitable actions.

[0092] The output device(s) 54 may be and / or include any suitable components and / or functionality for providing information and / or data to a user and / or other computing components. Exemplary output device(s) 54 include, but are not limited to, a display, a speaker, a vibration system, a haptic feedback system, an optical output, and / or other suitable output device.

[0093] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of optical system 20. As described, optical system 20 can include one or more lens sets 30 and one or more opaque members 32 including or defining one or more slits 34. In one exemplary configuration, optical system 20 can include a first lens set 30a, a second lens set 30b, and an opaque member 32 having one or more slits 34 and disposed between first lens set 30a and second lens set 30b. First lens set 30a can be configured to provide light from a target area (e.g., to provide an image or light beam or ray from the target area, such as an image of a reactant array) to opaque member 32 (e.g., to provide an intermediate image plane at one or more slits 34 in opaque member 32). Second lens set 30b can be configured to form or otherwise focus an interferogram from the light passing through the one or more slits onto a surface (e.g., onto a final image plane of light collecting element 16 and / or other suitable surface). Although not required, the housing (e.g., housing 42 and / or other suitable housing) may be configured to house all or at least a portion of one or more lens sets 30 (e.g., first lens set 30a and second lens set 30b) and one or more opaque members 32.

[0094] The lenses of the one or more lens sets 30 may comprise any suitable type of lens configured (e.g., adjusted and / or positioned) to receive, collect, and / or focus light from a target region (e.g., light from one or more reactants of the reactant array 26) and direct the light to a “surface” (e.g., a surface of one or more opaque members, a surface of a waveguide of the light collecting element 16, a surface of a light or image sensor of the light collecting element 16, and / or other suitable surface). Exemplary suitable types of lenses of the one or more lens sets 30 may include, but are not limited to, an imaging lens, a collecting lens, a spherical lens, an aspheric lens, a cylindrical lens, a toric lens, an adjustable lens, an adjustable liquid lens, and / or one or more other suitable types of lenses. An exemplary collecting lens may be a cylindrical lens configured to collect light from the reactant array and / or direct light to a waveguide and / or a light or image sensor of the light collecting element 16. Exemplary imaging lenses may be spherical and / or aspherical lenses configured to optically collimate and project light or an image onto one or more slits 34 in the opaque member 32, and / or to collect light passing through one or more slits 34 in the opaque member 32 and collimate and project the collected light onto a focusing lens.

[0095] The one or more lens sets can include any suitable configuration of lenses, such as a lens set 30 having a single lens, a lens set 30 having two or more lenses that may be similar or different from one another, a lens set having one or more fixed-position lenses, a lens set having one or more adjustable-position lenses, a lens set having one or more adjustable focal positions, and / or other suitable lenses. Examples of configurations of the one or more lenses in the lens set 30 include, but are not limited to, a single lens such as a focusing lens (e.g., a cylindrical lens and / or other suitable focusing lens) or an imaging lens (e.g., a spherical lens and / or other suitable imaging lens), a combination of a focusing lens and an imaging lens, a toric lens designed or configured to perform the functions of a focusing lens and an imaging lens, an adjustable liquid lens, and / or other suitable configurations of the one or more lenses in the lens set 30. The configurations of the one or more lenses in the one or more lens sets 30 are described in further detail herein.

[0096] The one or more opaque members 32 may have any suitable configuration, except for the one or more slits, configured to prevent light from the target area from passing between a first side (e.g., the side facing toward the target area) of the opaque member(s) 32 and a second side (e.g., the side facing toward the light collecting element 16) of the opaque member(s) 32. In examples where the one or more slits 34 include a single slit 34 configured to receive light from the target area, the one or more slits 34 are enabled to form a single light source from the target area for the interferometer 22 positioned between the one or more opaque members 32 having the single slit 34 and the light collecting element 16. In embodiments where one or more slits 34 in the opaque member 32 include two or more slits 34 configured to create or form the interferometer 22 with the opaque member 32, the two or more slits 34 are similar to the wavelength of the light received from the target area or several or several tens of times the wavelength, and the combined width of all of the slits 34 and the spacing between them is smaller than the width of the light (e.g., a light beam or light ray).

[0097] The one or more slits 34, individually or in combination, may have or be formed with any suitable diameter or width and height that is smaller than the diameter or width and height of the light beam from the target area (e.g., provided via lens set 30). In some examples, the slits 34 and / or the space between two slits 34 may have the same or different diameters or heights and widths, depending on the optical parameters of the optical system 20 and the number and / or density of pixels of the light or image sensor of the light collecting element 16.

[0098] The one or more slits 34 can have any suitable configuration. In some examples, the slits 34 can be elongated, circular, and / or one or more other suitable shapes or configurations. In some examples, the slits 34 can be openings in the opaque member 32, defined by an optical fiber array or a waveguide array extending through the opaque member 32, and / or defined by other suitable objects or materials through which light passes and extending through the opaque member 32.

[0099] When two or more slits 34 are utilized, the two or more slits 34 may be parallel and spaced apart from one another and / or oriented in one or more other suitable manners such that light beams or rays passing through the two or more slits 34 are permitted to interfere with one another to form an interferogram on the surface. In some examples, the configuration of the slits 34 may be similar to that of the slits utilized in Young's double slit experiment to generate two wavefronts from a single light source, which interfere with one another to form an interferogram on the surface.

[0100] One or more slits 34 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the region of interest in the target region. For example, if the target region comprises elongated reactants, the longitudinal direction of each slit 34 may be perpendicular to the elongated reactants. Alternatively or additionally, if the target region comprises a linear array of reactants, the longitudinal direction of each slit 34 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each reactant and parallel to the linear direction of the linear array of reactants.

[0101] As discussed, one or more opaque members 32 may be utilized in the optical system 20. When two or more opaque members 32 are utilized in the optical system 20, the two or more opaque members 32 may be at the same axial location between the target area and the light collecting element 16 and / or the two or more opaque members 32 may be axially spaced apart from one another between the target area and the light collecting element 16. In one exemplary configuration using two opaque members 32, a first opaque member 32 may be located at a first axial location and may include a single slit 34, and a second opaque member 32 may be located at a second axial location spaced apart from the first opaque member 32 toward the light collecting element 16 and may include two slits 34. Here, the slit 34 of the first opaque member 32 and the light passing therethrough may act as a single light source for the two slits 34 of the second opaque member 32. The use of an opaque member 32 having one slit 34 before an opaque member 32 having two slits 34 may help improve the spatial coherence of the light received by the opaque member 32 having two slits 34 compared to when the opaque member 32 having one slit 34 is not utilized. Other suitable configurations of the one or more opaque members 32 are contemplated, as discussed herein or otherwise.

[0102] 4, optical system 20 can include one or more mirrors. With respect to the overall configuration of optical system 20, designs of optical system 20 that utilize mirrors can result in a more compact analysis system 10 than would be possible if mirrors were not included, as the mirrors can facilitate folding the optical path so that the same optical airspace can be used for multiple passes of the light beam.

[0103] 5A and 5B schematically illustrate side and top views (e.g., views along orthogonal planes), respectively, of an exemplary configuration of an analysis system 10 that may enable Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging without requiring mechanical scanning of the target area. As depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the target area may include a detection portion 24 having reactants 56 of a reactant array 26 supported by a substrate 28. Although the analysis system 10 depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B does not depict an illumination element, the analysis system 10 may utilize one or more illumination elements as desired.

[0104] 5A and 5B, a light beam or ray 55 is allowed to travel from a reactant 56 of reactant array 26 to a light collector (e.g., light or image sensor 36) of light collecting component 16. Different lines (e.g., different solid and dashed lines) in FIG. 5A schematically represent light beams or rays 55 from different portions of reactant 56. Different lines in FIG. 5B schematically represent light beams or rays 55 from different reactants 56 of reactant array 26.

[0105] 5A and 5B may include a first lens set 30a, a second lens set 30b, and an opaque element 32 disposed between the first lens set 30a and the second lens set 30b. The first lens set 30a may have any suitable configuration for providing light from the target area to the opaque element 32. The second lens set 30b may have any suitable configuration for providing light from the opaque element 32 to the light collecting element 16.

[0106] First lens set 30a can be configured to focus or image an intermediate image of reactant array 26, or a portion thereof, onto opaque member 32 using a single lens (e.g., a single imaging lens 74) or multiple lenses. In the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B , first lens set 30a can include focusing lens 72 and imaging lens 74. Focusing lens 72 can be positioned between reactant array 26 and imaging lens 74. Imaging lens 74 can be positioned between focusing lens 72 and opaque member 32.

[0107] As depicted in FIG. 5B , the combination of the focusing lens 72 and imaging lens 74 of the first lens set 30a is enabled to focus the light beams or rays 55 from the reactant array 26 onto the opaque member 32 (e.g., an intermediate surface in the opaque member 32) or form an image of the reactant array 26 on the opaque member 32. As can be seen from the side view of FIG. 5A , the light beams or rays 55 from the reactant array 26 may not be perfectly focused, such that all light (e.g., source points) along the length of each reactant 56 in the reactant array 26 has a light beam or ray 55 that passes through the two slits 34. Similarly, light from outside the length of each reactant 56 does not pass through the two slits 34.

[0108] Additionally, in one exemplary configuration of optical system 20, a second opaque member having a single slit 34 may be utilized between opaque member 32 and reactant array 26. If included, second opaque member 32 having a single slit 34 may be positioned in front of first opaque member 32 and to the right of first lens set 30a, and light passing through the single slit 34 may act as light from a single light source. Such a configuration of second opaque member 32 helps ensure spatial coherence of light from reactant array 26 and allows for a reduction in the size of analysis system 10 by selecting a portion of light from reactant array 26 (e.g., a portion of light from reactant array 26 passing through the single slit 34) for analysis by interferometer 22 and light collection component 16.

[0109] The focusing lenses 72 of the first lens set 30a may be any suitable focusing lenses. For example, the focusing lenses 72 between the reactant array 26 and the opaque member 32 may be one or more of a negative cylinder lens, one or more positive cylinder lenses, one or more prisms, one or more mirrors, and / or other suitable focusing lenses 72 configured to bend light rays differently in two directions (e.g., two orthogonal directions and / or other suitable directions) to facilitate passage of light from all or a portion of the reactant array 26 to the slits 34 in the opaque member 32. In one example, the focusing lenses 72 of the first lens set 30a may be negative focusing lenses, although other suitable configurations are contemplated.

[0110] The imaging lenses 74 of the first lens set 30a may be any suitable imaging lenses. For example, the imaging lenses 74 between the reactant array 26 and the opaque member 32 may be achromatic lenses, spherical lenses, aspheric lenses, and / or other suitable types of imaging lenses configured to form images of the reactants 56 on or at the opaque member 32 (e.g., at an intermediate image plane). In some embodiments, the focal planes of the imaging lenses 74 of the first lens set 30a are located at the opaque member 32 (e.g., at the two slits 34 in the opaque member 32), enabling the imaging lenses 74 to optically relay light from the reactant array 26 to propagate through the two slits 34 in the opaque member 32. In some embodiments, it is desirable that the image quality produced by the imaging lenses 74 to the left of the opaque member 32 be sufficiently high so that each reactant 56 in the reactant array 26 can be separately distinguished from its neighboring reactants 56. When light beams or rays emerge from the two slits 34 in the opaque member 32, the emerging light beams or rays have wavefronts that optically interfere with each other to form an interferogram at the light or image sensor 36.

[0111] The functions of the focusing lens 72 and imaging lens 74 of the first lens set 30a may be replaced by two focusing lenses 72 (e.g., two cylindrical lenses) in some cases with different focusing powers along two perpendicular meridian planes (e.g., two cylindrical lenses) so that, for example, relatively sharply focused images of the reactants 56 along the length of the reactant array 26 can be formed at the opaque member 32. As depicted in FIG. 5B, along the other meridian direction, the light beam or ray 55 along the length of each reactant is allowed to travel to and pass through two slits 34 in the opaque member 32 (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 5A). A similar function may be achieved by a single lens (e.g., a toric lens and / or other suitable type of lens) having different orthogonal cylindrical focusing powers.

[0112] The second lens set 30b may be configured to focus or form an interferogram from the light beam passing through the two slits 34 in the opaque member 32 onto a final image plane at a surface (e.g., the surface of the light or image sensor 36 of the light collecting element 16 or a surface in communication with the light or image sensor 36 of the light collecting element 16) using a single lens (e.g., a single imaging lens 74) or multiple lenses. In the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B , the second lens set 30b may include a focusing lens 72 and an imaging lens 74 (both of which may be different from those of the first lens set 30a, although the same numerals are used). The imaging lens 74 may be positioned between the opaque element 32 and the focusing lens 72. The focusing lens 72 may be positioned between the imaging lens 74 and the light collecting element 16. In some embodiments, the second lens set 30b is configured to reduce the physical distance between the surface receiving the interferogram and the opaque element 32 having the dual slits 34. Meanwhile, a sufficient optical distance for light to travel between the opaque member 32 and the surface is maintained to ensure that the interferogram at the surface is an accurate Fourier transform of the light spectrum from the reactant array 26.

[0113] The imaging lens 74 of the second lens set 30b may be any suitable imaging lens 74. In one example, the imaging lens 74 between the opaque member 32 and the light or image sensor 36 may be an achromatic lens, a spherical lens, an aspheric lens, and / or another suitable type of imaging lens 74. The front focal plane of the imaging lens 74 of the second lens set 30b may be at the opaque member 32 (e.g., the two slits 34 in the opaque member 32), and the imaging lens 74 may collimate the light from the two slits 34 and transmit it to the condenser lens 72.

[0114] The focusing lens 72 of the second lens set 30b may be any suitable focusing lens. For example, the focusing lens 72 between the opaque member 32 and the light or image sensor 36 may be one or more negative cylinder lenses, one or more positive cylinder lenses, one or more prisms, one or more mirrors, and / or other suitable focusing lenses 72 configured to bend light rays differently in two directions (e.g., two orthogonal directions and / or other suitable directions) to facilitate optically forming an interferogram (e.g., an image of the reactant array or a portion thereof) on the surface of the light or image sensor 36 (on the final image plane). In one example, the focusing lens 72 may be a positive cylinder lens, although other suitable configurations are contemplated. In some configurations, the focusing lens 72 may have focusing power in only a single plane (e.g., the plane depicted in FIG. 5B ), although other configurations are contemplated.

[0115] In some configurations, the imaging lens 74 and / or the collecting lens 72 of the second lens set 30b have a front focal plane of an effective lens having a focusing power in this plane (e.g., at least from the perspective depicted in FIG. 5A ) positioned at the slit 34 of the opaque member 32 so that a resulting image (e.g., an interferogram) from the reactant array 26 can be formed on the surface of the light or image sensor 36 (e.g., the final image plane). Similar to the lenses of the first lens set 30a, the collecting lens 72 on the right side of the opaque member 32 can be either a positive or negative cylindrical lens. The imaging lens 74 may be replaced by two cylindrical lenses, so long as their focusing powers along the two orthogonal meridian planes are different (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 5B ), so that a relatively sharply focused image of the reactant array 26 along the linear array direction of the reactant array 26 can be formed at the surface of the light or image sensor 36 in the first meridian direction. Along the second meridian direction, the light beams or rays 55 along the length of each reactant 56 may be collimated to enable the formation of a spatial interferogram along that direction (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 5A). A similar function may be achieved by a single lens having different orthogonal cylindrical focusing powers (e.g., a toric lens and / or other suitable type of lens).

[0116] As discussed herein, the light or image sensor 36 of the light collecting element 16 may be any suitable type of sensor. In some examples, the light or image sensor 36 may be a 2D pixel array image sensor (e.g., a 2D pixel array monochrome silicon-based image sensor, etc.) or other suitable light or image sensor having a surface (e.g., a sensing or detection surface) disposed at a final image plane (e.g., of the second lens set 30b) of the optical system 20. In such examples, an interferogram is recorded in a first direction on the sensing plane (e.g., in the plane of FIG. 5A ), while light from different reactants 56 of the reactant array 26 may be optically separated from one another as optically magnified or non-magnified images of the different reactants in a second, orthogonal direction on the sensing plane (e.g., in the plane of FIG. 5B ).

[0117] In some configurations, the first lens set 30a between the target area and the opaque member 32 may be adjustable to provide accommodation for targets of different distances from the opaque member 32 and / or different sizes. Analysis system 10 utilizing the zoom functionality can be configured to facilitate accurate sensing of changes in reactant array 26 and / or facilitate use of analysis system 10 in other applications, including, but not limited to, line scanning agricultural crop growth, line scanning to diagnose forest health / disease conditions, line scanning forests for fire monitoring, analyzing antiques, monitoring the quality of industrial production lines, and / or facilitating use of analysis system 10 in one or more other suitable applications.

[0118] 6-8 illustrate exemplary lens configurations that may be adjustable and may be enabled with, include, and / or replace collecting lens 72 and / or imaging lens 74 of first lens set 30a. The adjustable lenses and / or zoom functions discussed herein may be adjusted in response to control signals from controller 18 and / or manually. Additionally, adjustments to the zoom system may be performed automatically by analysis system 10 based on open-loop or closed-loop control configurations to obtain the best possible data.

[0119] FIG. 6 illustrates a portion of the analysis system 10 including an exemplary configuration of a first lens set 30a having an adjustable lens of a zoom system 75. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the first lens set 30a can include a condenser lens 72 between the opaque member 32 and the target area 58 (e.g., the reactant array 26 and / or other suitable target area) and an imaging lens 74 between the condenser lens 72 and the opaque member 32. The first lens set 30a can further include a focus-adjustable macro lens 76 of the zoom system 75 disposed between the condenser lens 72 and the target area 58. The focus-adjustable macro lens 76 of the zoom system 75 is relatively large and / or close to the condenser lens 72, the imaging lens 74, and / or the opaque member 32 and configured to optically relay light from all or a portion of the target area 58. In such cases, the adjustable-focus macro lens 76 may be configured to be adjusted to capture light from a large area relative to the diameter of the collecting lens 72 and / or the imaging lens 74. Utilizing the adjustable-focus macro lens 76 may facilitate shortening the distance between the opaque member 32 and the target area 58 so that the analysis system 10 may be in a compact form (e.g., a handheld form). In some cases, the zoom system 75 having the adjustable-focus macro lens 76 may be implemented in the first lens set 30a by adding an extension to a configuration including the collecting lens 72 and the imaging lens 74 or a lens configuration having equivalent functionality.

[0120] 7A-7C depict schematic diagrams of an analysis system 10 including a first lens set 30a having an exemplary configuration of a zoom system 75 having an adjustable focus (e.g., afocal) zoom configuration. As depicted in FIGS. 7A-7C, a zoom system 75 having an afocal zoom configuration may be utilized in conjunction with a fixed focal length lens, such as an imaging lens 74. The first lens set 30a between the target area 58 and the opaque member 32 has an afocal zoom configuration of the zoom system 75 between the imaging lens 74 and the target area 58. The first lens set 30a may be configured to optically relay light from a target in the target area 58 to the opaque member 32 (e.g., an intermediate imaging plane of the imaging lens 74). The target in the target area 58 may be at different distances from the first lens set 30a or the opaque member 32 and / or may have different dimensions from each other.

[0121] Depending on the configuration of the targets in target area 58, a focusing lens 72 may be added to first lens set 30a depicted in Figures 7A-7C between afocal zoom system (75) and imaging lens 74. In some embodiments, if the targets in target area 58 are a linear array of point-like extended targets, focusing lens 72 is not required. In some embodiments, if the targets in target area 58 are a linear array of rod-shaped, elliptical, or oval targets, focusing lens 72 may be utilized as needed.

[0122] The zoom system 75 having an afocal zoom configuration can include any suitable lens configuration. In some examples, the lenses of the afocal zoom configuration can include a first lens 80a configured to reduce the size of the image or light beam or rays 55 received from the target area, a second lens 80b configured to increase the size of the image or light beam or rays 55 received from the first lens 80a, and a third lens 80c configured to fix the size of the image or light beam or rays 55 received from the second lens 80b to a size that the image or light beam or rays 55 will be when the image or light beam or rays 55 contacts the third lens 80c. The first lens 80a and the second lens 80b can be axially adjustable relative to each other and the third lens 80c. The third lens 80c can be in an axially fixed position relative to the first lens 80a and the second lens 80b, as depicted in FIGS. 7A-7C.

[0123] As depicted in FIG. 7A , first lens 80a and second lens 80b may be positioned adjacent to one another, and the proximity of first lens 80a to second lens 80b and the spacing of second lens 80b from third lens 80c may result in magnification of the image or light beam or ray 55 received from target area 58 at first lens 80a. As depicted in FIG. 7B , first lens 80a may be adjusted toward target area 58 relative to the position of first lens 80a in FIG. 7A . Second lens 80b may be adjusted toward third lens 80c relative to the position of second lens 80b in FIG. 7A . As a result, the size of image or light beam or ray 55 at imaging lens 74 is approximately equal to the original image or light beam or ray 55 from target area 58. As depicted in Figure 7C, first lens 80a may be adjusted to be farther away from target area 58 relative to the position of first lens 80a in Figure 7B and closer to the position of first lens 80a in Figure 7A. Second lens 80b may be adjusted to be closer to and adjacent to third lens 80c relative to the position of second lens 80b in Figure 7B. As a result, the size of the image or light beam or ray 55 at imaging lens 74 is smaller than the original image or light beam or ray 55 from target area 58.

[0124] Similar functionality to that achieved by use of zoom system 75 having an afocal zoom configuration described with respect to Figures 7A-7C may be achieved using adjustable-focus lens elements, such as adjustable liquid lenses and / or other suitable adjustable-focus lens configurations. Figure 8 shows an exemplary configuration of zoom system 75 having an adjustable (e.g., electrically adjustable) liquid lens zoom configuration.

[0125] As depicted in FIG. 8 , a zoom system 75 having an adjustable liquid lens configuration may include a first lens 84a proximate to a target area 58 and at a fixed axial position relative to the target area 58. The first lens 84a may have a fixed configuration and may be configured to magnify an image or light beam or ray 55 from the target area 58. A second lens 84b of the adjustable liquid lens zoom configuration may be at a fixed axial position between the first lens 84a and the opaque member 32. Here, the second lens 84b may be a liquid adjustable lens configured to adjust how the lens bends the image or light beam or ray 55 received by the second lens 84b in response to a control signal. A third lens 84c of the adjustable liquid lens zoom configuration may be at a fixed axial position between the second lens 84b and the opaque member 32. The third lens 84c may have a fixed configuration or may be configured to reduce the size of the image or light beam or ray 55 from the target area relative to the size of the image or light beam or ray 55 already received by the third lens 84c. The fourth lens 84d of the adjustable liquid lens zoom configuration may be at a fixed axial position between the third lens 84c and the opaque member 32. The fourth lens 84d may be a liquid adjustable lens that may be configured to adjust how the lens bends the image or light beam or ray 55 already received by the fourth lens 84d in response to a control signal. The image or light beam or ray 55 from the fourth lens 84d may be provided to the opaque member 32 or an interferogram may be created by the light collecting element 16 (not shown in FIG. 8 ) for processing as discussed herein.

[0126] 9 shows a schematic diagram of an example configuration of optical system 20, which may include one or more interferometers 22. As discussed, optical system 20 may include one or more lens sets 30 and one or more opaque members 32 having or defining one or more slits 34. In one example configuration, optical system 20 may include a first lens set 30a, a second lens set 30b, an opaque member 32 having one or more slits 34 and disposed between first lens set 30a and second lens set 30b, and interferometer 22 disposed wholly or at least partially on the same side of opaque member 32 on which second lens set 30b is disposed. First lens set 30a may be configured to provide light from a target area. For example, second lens set 30b may be configured to form or otherwise focus an interference image from light passing through interferometer 22 onto a surface (e.g., a surface of light collecting element 16 and / or other suitable surface) while providing opaque member 32 (e.g., one or more slits 34 in opaque member 32). Although not required, a housing (e.g., housing 42 and / or other suitable housing) may be configured to house all or at least a portion of one or more lens sets 30 (e.g., first lens set 30a and second lens set 30b), one or more opaque members 32, and interferometer 22.

[0127] The lenses of the one or more lens sets 30 can comprise any suitable type of lens configured (e.g., adjusted and / or arranged) to receive, collect, and / or focus light from a target region (e.g., one or more reactants of reactant array 26) and direct the light to a surface (e.g., a surface of one or more opaque members, a surface of a waveguide of light collecting element 16, a surface of a light or image sensor of light collecting element 16, and / or other suitable surface), as discussed herein. The one or more lens sets can comprise any suitable configuration of lenses, and can include a lens set 30 having a single lens, a lens set 30 having two or more lenses that may be similar or different from one another, a lens set having one or more fixed position lenses, a lens set having one or more adjustable position lenses, a lens set having one or more adjustable focal positions, and / or other suitable lens configurations, as discussed herein and elsewhere.

[0128] As discussed, the one or more opaque members 32 can have any suitable configuration, other than the one or more slits, configured to prevent light from the target area from passing between a first side (e.g., the side facing toward the target area) of the opaque member(s) 32 and a second side (e.g., the side facing toward the light collecting element 16) of the opaque member(s) 32. In some examples, the opaque member 32 of the one or more opaque members 32 can include a single slit 34 configured to receive light from the target area such that the single slit 34 can create a single light source from the target area for the interferometer 22 disposed between the one or more opaque members 32 and the light collecting element 16.

[0129] Interferometer 22 may or may not include an opaque member 32. In some examples, interferometer 22 may be configured to receive light from a target area and split the received light into two or more beams, with the two or more beams interacting to create an interferogram on a surface (e.g., the surface of light collecting element 16). Exemplary suitable configurations for interferometer 22 include, but are not limited to, a Michelson interferometer configuration, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, a birefringent crystal block interferometer configuration, a Wollaston prism interferometer configuration, a Rochon polarization prism interferometer configuration, a Senarmont prism interferometer configuration, and / or other suitable interferometer configurations.

[0130] 10-16 illustrate exemplary configurations of an interferometer 22 disposed within an analysis system 10. The analysis system 10 is enabled to enable Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging without requiring mechanical scanning of the target area. The analysis system 10 may be configured to analyze a target area having reactants 56 of a reactant array 26 supported by a substrate 28, as discussed herein, although use of an analysis system 10 having other suitable target areas is contemplated. The exemplary configuration of the analysis system 10 depicted in FIGS. 10-16 may include a first lens set 30a between the reactant array 26 and the opaque member 32. The first lens set 30a may include a collecting lens 72 and an imaging lens 74, or other suitable configurations of one or more lenses, as discussed herein or otherwise. In the configurations of the analysis system 10 depicted in FIGS. 10-16, the interferometer 22 may generally be disposed between the opaque member 32 and the light or image sensor 36 of the light collecting element 16. Here, the opaque member 32 having a single slit 34 may act as a single light source for light from the reactant array 26 being analyzed. The width of the single slit 34 may be selected to ensure spatial coherence of light from the reactant array 26 passing therethrough. In one example, the width of the single slit 34 may be less than the wavelength of the light passing therethrough, although other suitable widths (e.g., several wavelengths or tens of wavelengths) are contemplated. The configuration of the interferometer 22 of FIGS. 10-16 may achieve spatial optical interference of light from a target region using an amplitude division approach, similar to that achieved with the interferometer 22 using the opaque member 32 having a dual slit 34.

[0131] 10A and 10B show schematic side and top views (e.g., views along orthogonal planes), respectively, of an exemplary configuration of an analysis system 10 including an exemplary interferometer 22 having a Michelson interferometer configuration that can split a light beam into two portions and recombine the two portions after they have traveled different optical paths to generate an interferogram fringe pattern. The side view of FIG. 10A depicts the analysis system 10 in a folded, compact configuration facilitated by the use of the depicted interferometer 22. The top view of FIG. 10B depicts the analysis system 10 in an expanded configuration, with the interferometer 22 omitted for clarity.

[0132] 10A depicts the exemplary interferometer 22 positioned between an imaging lens 74 (e.g., a collimating spherical lens and / or other suitable imaging lens) and a collecting lens 72 (e.g., a cylindrical lens) of the second lens set 30b. In some examples, the distance between the imaging lens 74 and the collecting lens 72 may be set to facilitate positioning the interferometer 22 between the imaging lens 74 and the collecting lens 72, although this is not required.

[0133] An exemplary interferometer 22 having a Michelson interferometer configuration may include a beam splitter / combiner 60 configured as a cube or cube-like structure (e.g., a 50 / 50 beam splitter / combiner) having two non-perpendicular mirrors 62 (e.g., mirrors and / or other suitable mirrors) that may be configured so that two light beams emerging from the interferometer 22 have a zero or near-zero optical path length difference. When light from the imaging lens 74 passes through the beam splitter / combiner 60, the light may be split into a first light beam 64a directed toward a first mirror 62a and a second light beam 64b directed toward a second mirror 62b of the beam splitter / combiner 60.

[0134] The first light beam 64a reflected from the first mirror 62a may be combined with the second light beam 64b reflected from the second mirror 62b (e.g., the first light beam 64a may be represented in FIG. 10A by a smaller dashed line than the second light beam 64b) to provide a combined light beam 66 to the focusing lens 72 and / or the light or image sensor 36. The combined light beam 66 may form an interferogram having spatial interference fringes on the light or image sensor 36 due to the small crossing angle between the first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b. Furthermore, the combined light beam 66 may be directed to travel perpendicular to the light received at the beam splitter / combiner 60 from the single slit 34 in the opaque member 32, or at one or more other suitable angles. This may help reduce the overall size of the analysis system 10 by reducing the linear distance that light must travel between the target area and the light or image sensor 36 .

[0135] Although the beam splitter / combiner 60 is shown in FIG. 10A as being cube-shaped, other configurations may be used to create a Michelson interferometer. For example, instead of using a beam splitter / combiner 60 having a cube configuration, a beam splitter / combiner 60 having a thin-film or coating configuration with two mirrors 62 may be utilized to achieve an interferometer 22 having a Michelson interferometer configuration. In this case, a compensator plate may be placed in one or both optical paths between the beam splitter / combiner 60 and each mirror 62 to ensure optical path length compensation for the separate light beams traveling different (e.g., unequal) paths. Other suitable configurations of the beam splitter / combiner 60 configured to create an interferometer 22 having a Michelson configuration are contemplated.

[0136] Figure 11 depicts a schematic side view of an exemplary configuration of an analysis system 10 including an exemplary interferometer 22 having a Michelson interferometer configuration that can generate interference fringes by splitting a light beam into two portions and recombining the two portions after they have traveled different optical paths. The side view of Figure 11 depicts the analysis system 10 in a folded, compact configuration facilitated by the use of the depicted interferometer 22. The top view of the exemplary analysis system 10 depicted in Figure 11 may be similar to the top view of the analysis system 10 depicted in Figure 10B.

[0137] Similar to that depicted in FIG. 10A, FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary interferometer 22 positioned between an imaging lens 74 (e.g., a collimating spherical lens and / or other suitable imaging lens) and a focusing lens 72 (e.g., a cylindrical lens) of the second lens set 30b. The exemplary interferometer 22 having the Michelson interferometer configuration depicted in FIG. 11 may include a beam splitter / combiner 60 (e.g., a 50 / 50 beam splitter / combiner) configured as a cube or cube-like structure. Two mirrors 62 may be located in the cube of the beam splitter / combiner 60 and in the optical path resulting from splitting the light beam or ray (e.g., from the target area) from the slit 34 in the opaque member 32, or may be spaced apart from the cube of the beam splitter / combiner 60. The two mirrors 62 may be non-perpendicular to one another and may be configured so that the two light beams emerging from the interferometer 22 have a zero or near-zero optical path length difference. In such a configuration of the interferometer 22, when light from the imaging lens 74 passes through the beam splitter / combiner 60, the light is split into a first light beam 64a directed toward the first mirror 62a and a second light beam 64b directed toward the second mirror 62b.

[0138] 10A , the first light beam 64a reflected back from the first mirror 62a may be combined with the second light beam 64b reflected back from the second mirror 62b (e.g., the first light beam 64a may be represented in FIG. 11 by a smaller dashed line than the second light beam 64b) to provide a combined light beam 66 to the focusing lens 72 and / or the light or image sensor 36. The combined light beam 66 may form an interferogram having spatial interference fringes on the light or image sensor 36 due to the small intersection angle between the first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b and the interference between them.

[0139] In some configurations, it may be optically beneficial to locate the interferometer 22 between the imaging lens 74 and the condenser lens 72. For example, the beam splitter / combiner 60 may be designed with a limited range of light beam or ray incidence angles that optimally work for an intended beam splitting ratio across a range of wavelengths. Thus, by locating the interferometer 22 in the parallel light beam or ray path between the imaging lens 74 and the condenser lens 72, a narrower light beam or ray incidence angle range can be achieved within the beam splitter / combiner 60. However, locating the interferometer 22 between the imaging lens 74 and the condenser lens 72 is not required, and other suitable configurations are contemplated.

[0140] FIG. 12 depicts a schematic side view of an exemplary configuration of analysis system 10 including an exemplary interferometer 22 having a Michelson interferometer configuration that can generate interference fringes by splitting a light beam into two portions and recombining the two portions after they have traveled different optical paths. Interferometer 22 is disposed between opaque member 32 having a single slit 34 and imaging lens 74 of second lens set 30b, which includes one or more lenses. The side view of FIG. 12 depicts analysis system 10 in a folded, compact configuration facilitated by the use of the depicted interferometer 22. The top view of the exemplary analysis system 10 depicted in FIG. 12 may be the same as or similar to the top view of analysis system 10 depicted in FIG. 10B.

[0141] As depicted in FIG. 12 , an exemplary interferometer 22 having a Michelson interferometer configuration includes a beam splitter / combiner 60 (e.g., a 50 / 50 beam splitter / combiner) configured as a cube or cube-like structure. Two mirrors 62 may be positioned within or spaced apart from the cube of the beam splitter / combiner 60 in the optical path resulting from the splitting of a light beam or ray (e.g., from a target area) from a slit 34 in an opaque member 32. The two mirrors 62 may be non-perpendicular to each other or configured so that the two light beams emerging from the interferometer 22 have a zero or near-zero optical path length difference. In this configuration of the interferometer 22, when light from the slit 34 in the opaque member 32 passes through the beam splitter / combiner 60, the light is split into a first light beam 64a directed toward a first mirror 62a and a second light beam 64b directed toward a second mirror 62b.

[0142] The first mirror 62a may be positioned to reflect the first light beam 64a in a direction toward the beam splitter / combiner 60. When the first light beam 64a strikes the beam splitter / combiner 60 after reflecting off the first mirror 62a, the first light beam 64a may be reflected toward the light or image sensor 36 and exit the interferometer 22 as a light beam propagating straight from the virtual point source toward the light or image sensor. When the first light beam 64a strikes the imaging lens 74, and as long as the virtual point source is in the front focal plane of the imaging lens 74, the first light beam 64a may be allowed to exit the imaging lens 74 as a collimated beam propagating toward the light or image sensor 36.

[0143] The second mirror 62b can be positioned to reflect the second light beam 64b at a small angle toward the beam splitter / combiner 60. When the second light beam 64b strikes the beam splitter / combiner 60 after reflecting from the second mirror 62b, the second light beam 64b is reflected at a slight off-axis angle toward the light or image sensor 36 and exits the interferometer 22 as a light beam at a slightly oblique angle relative to the first light beam 64a, potentially resulting in a virtual point source that is laterally offset from the virtual point source associated with the first light beam 64a. As long as the second light beam 64b strikes the imaging lens 74 and the virtual point source for the second light beam 64b is in the front focal plane of the imaging lens 74, the second light beam 64b propagates from the imaging lens 74, together with the first light beam 64a, as a collimated combined light beam 66 toward the light or image sensor 36 at a slight cross angle to each other.

[0144] When the first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b overlap on the light or image sensor 36, spatial interference fringes of an interferogram may be formed on the light or image sensor 36. Thus, an arrangement in which the interferometer 22 is positioned adjacent to a single slit 34 in the opaque member 32 may function like an interferometer 22 having two slits 34 in the opaque member 32.

[0145] 13 depicts a schematic side view of an exemplary configuration of analysis system 10 including an exemplary interferometer 22 having a Michelson interferometer configuration that can generate interference fringes by splitting a light beam into two portions and recombining the two portions after they have traveled different optical paths. Interferometer 22 is positioned between second lens set 30b and light or image sensor 36. The side view of FIG. 13 depicts analysis system 10 in a folded, compact configuration facilitated by the use of the depicted interferometer 22.

[0146] As depicted in Figure 13, the exemplary interferometer 22 may have the Michelson interferometer configuration depicted in Figure 12. However, because the interferometer 22 is positioned between the focusing lens 72 of the second lens set 30b and the light or image sensor 36, the light beams or rays received by the interferometer 22 may be collimated or focused. The first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b emerging from the interferometer 22 as a combined light beam 66 may have an intersection angle to generate the spatial interference fringes of an interferogram on the light or image sensor 36.

[0147] 14 shows a schematic side view of an exemplary configuration of analysis system 10 including an exemplary interferometer 22 having a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration that can generate interference fringes by splitting a light beam into two portions and recombining the two portions after they have traveled different optical paths. The side view of FIG. 14 depicts analysis system 10 in a folded, compact configuration facilitated by the use of the depicted interferometer 22.

[0148] 10A, FIG. 14 depicts an exemplary interferometer 22 positioned between an imaging lens 74 (e.g., a collimating spherical lens and / or other suitable imaging lens) and a focusing lens 72 (e.g., a cylindrical lens). The interferometer 22, having a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, may include a first beam splitter / combiner 60a (e.g., a first "50 / 50" beam splitter / combiner) and a second beam splitter / combiner 60b (e.g., a second "50 / 50" beam splitter / combiner). A first mirror 62a and a second mirror 62b may be positioned between the first beam splitter / combiner 60a and the second beam splitter / combiner 60b. The first mirror 62a and the second mirror 62b may be non-parallel and positioned relative to one another such that the beams exiting the second beam splitter / combiner 60b have an intersection angle and an optical path length difference of zero or near zero that results in an interferogram fringe on the light or image sensor 36, where the interferogram may represent light from the target area.

[0149] In this configuration of interferometer 22, when light from imaging lens 74 passes through first beam splitter / combiner 60a, the light is split into a first light beam 64a directed toward first mirror 62a and a second light beam 64b directed toward second mirror 62b (e.g., first light beam 64a may be represented in FIG. 14 by a larger dashed line than second light beam 64b). First light beam 64a may be reflected from first mirror 62a to second beam splitter / combiner 60b. Second light beam 64b may be reflected from second mirror 62b to second beam splitter / combiner 60b. The first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b are allowed to exit the second beam splitter / combiner 60b as a combined light beam 66 having an intersection angle such that the first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b form an interferogram spatial interference pattern on the light or image sensor 36.

[0150] 14 is positioned between the imaging lens 74 and the collecting lens 72, other suitable configurations are contemplated. For example, the example interferometer 22 depicted in FIG. 14 may be positioned between the opaque member 32 having the single slit 34 and the imaging lens 74, between the collecting lens 72 and the light or image sensor 36, and / or in one or more other suitable locations.

[0151] 15 depicts a schematic side view of an exemplary configuration of analysis system 10 including an exemplary interferometer 22 formed from a block of prismatic glass or other suitable material that can split a light beam into two portions and generate interference fringes by recombining the two portions after they have traveled different optical paths, in a manner similar to how a Michelson interferometer configuration works. The side view of FIG. 15 depicts analysis system 10 in a folded, compact configuration facilitated by the use of the depicted interferometer 22.

[0152] FIG. 15 shows an exemplary interferometer 22 positioned between an imaging lens 74 and a collecting lens 72. The interferometer 22, constructed from a block of prismatic glass or other suitable material, may include a beam splitter / combiner 60 (e.g., a 50 / 50 beam splitter / combiner), a first totally internally reflective surface 68a, and a second totally internally reflective surface 68b. Utilizing the first totally internally reflective surface 68a and the second totally internally reflective surface 68b rather than mirrors eliminates the need for reflective coatings or metallic surfaces on the interferometer 22. The first totally internally reflective surface 68a and the second totally internally reflective surface 68b may be non-parallel and positioned relative to one another such that the light beams exiting the beam splitter / combiner 60 have an intersection angle that results in a spatial interference pattern of an interferogram on the light or image sensor 36, and have a zero or near-zero optical path length difference. Here, the interferogram may represent light from a target area.

[0153] In such a configuration of interferometer 22, when light from imaging lens 74 passes through beam splitter / combiner 60, the light may be split into a first light beam 64a traveling to first totally internally reflective surface 68a and a second light beam 64b traveling to second totally internally reflective surface 68b (e.g., first light beam 64a may be represented in FIG. 14 by a larger dashed line than second light beam 64b). First light beam 64a may be reflected from first totally internally reflective surface 68a back to beam splitter / combiner 60, and second light beam 64b may be reflected from second totally internally reflective surface 68b back to beam splitter / combiner 60. Here, the first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b are allowed to exit the beam splitter / combiner 60 as a combined light beam 66 having an intersection angle such that the first light beam 64a and the second light beam 64b form an interferogram spatial interference pattern on the light or image sensor 36.

[0154] 15 is positioned between the imaging lens 74 and the collecting lens 72, other suitable configurations are contemplated. For example, the example interferometer 22 depicted in FIG. 15 may be positioned between the opaque member 32 having a single slit 34 and the imaging lens 74, between the collecting lens 72 and the light or image sensor 36, and / or in one or more other suitable locations.

[0155] Further amplitude division can be achieved by polarization splitting and recombination using a prism or a combination of prism structures. FIG. 16 illustrates an analysis system 10 including an exemplary configuration of an interferometer 22 that can be polarization split and recombined using a prism(s) or a combination of prism structures. The interferometer 22 is disposed between an imaging lens 74 configured to receive light that has passed through a slit 34 in an opaque member 32 and a condenser lens 72. The interferometer 22 can include, among other suitable components, a polarizer 86, one or more prisms 88 (e.g., one or more birefringent crystal blocks, one or more Wollaston prisms, one or more Rochon polarizing prisms, one or more Sénarmont prisms, etc.), and an analyzer 90. In some configurations, the polarizer 86 can be a first polarizer and the analyzer 90 can be configured as a second polarizer, although other suitable configurations are contemplated.

[0156] The polarizer 86 and the analyzer 90 may be any suitable type of polarizer. For example, but not limited to, the polarizer 86 and the analyzer 90 may be a thin-film-based linear polarizer, a wire-grid polarizer, a crystal-based polarizer, a polarizing beam splitter, and / or other suitable type of polarizer. Polarizing beam splitters may be formed using linearly polarized, light-absorbing thin films, wire grids, optical crystals, and / or polarizing beam splitters. The polarizer 86 and the analyzer 90 may be the same type of polarizer or different types of polarizers relative to each other, as desired.

[0157] 16 , interferometer 22 may receive a collimated beam from imaging lens 74. The collimated beam may be passed through polarizer 86 having its pass axis oriented at 45 degrees relative to the two optical axes of prism 88 (e.g., two optical birefringent crystals of a Wollaston prism) such that half of the light beam received at prism 88 is amplitude-split after passing through polarizer 86 and propagates through prism 88 as p-polarized light, while the other half of the light beam propagates through prism 88 as s-polarized light. The p-polarized and s-polarized beams may have a crossing angle determined by the base angles of the two constituent prisms (e.g., birefringent crystals and / or other suitable crystals) that form prism 88 (e.g., a small-angle version of a Wollaston prism). In some exemplary configurations, an analyzer 90 (e.g., oriented at a 45 degree angle relative to the two optical axes of the crystals forming prism 88 and / or at one or more other suitable angles) may be positioned in the path of the two light beams exiting prism 88 such that the two light beams exiting prism 88 interfere with each other to produce an interferogram spatial interference pattern on light or image sensor 36.

[0158] 16 is described as being a Wollaston prism, other suitable birefringent crystal blocks having similar or different optical axis orientations and / or different shapes may be utilized to achieve the described splitting of a received light beam into two output beams having a crossing angle. For example, other birefringent crystal blocks suitable for use in or as prism 88 include, but are not limited to, a small-division angle splitter comprised of a birefringent crystal prism, a Rochon polarizing prism comprised of two birefringent crystals, a Senarmont prism comprised of two birefringent crystals, and / or any other suitable prism utilizing one or more birefringent crystals and / or other suitable crystals.

[0159] 16, for example, when a birefringent crystal is utilized in the prism 88 of the interferometer 22, the optical path length between the two interfering beams emerging from the analyzer 90 may be affected by the different refractive indices of the prism 88 such that when the beams recombine as they emerge from the analyzer 90, the beams have different optical path lengths outside of the appropriate coherence range. To account for the different optical path lengths of the beams emerging from the interferometer 22, a birefringent crystal compensation block (e.g., configured as a wave plate and / or other suitable configuration) may be used either before or after the analyzer 90 to bring the optical path length difference into the appropriate coherence range.

[0160] 16 is positioned between the imaging lens 74 and the collecting lens 72, other suitable configurations are contemplated. For example, the example interferometer 22 depicted in FIG. 16 may be positioned between the opaque member 32 having a single slit 34 and the imaging lens 74, between the collecting lens 72 and the light or image sensor 36, and / or in one or more other suitable locations.

[0161] FIG. 17 illustrates a method 100 for facilitating the performance of a fluid analytical test on one or more fluids. The method 100 comprises exposing (102) one or more reactants of a reactant array to a fluid. The reactants of the reactant array are configured to react in a particular manner to one or more analytes. An interferogram of the reactants of the reactant array or a portion of the reactants of the reactant array may be sensed or captured by an optical or image sensor of an analytical system. Configurations of the analytical system discussed herein and / or other suitable configurations of an analytical system may be utilized to sense or capture interferograms of light from the reactant array. In some examples, the sensed or captured interferogram may be a Fourier transform (e.g., a spatial frequency domain representation) of the optical spectrum of the reactant array.

[0162] The sensed or captured interferogram may be processed (104) to obtain a processed spectrum of light from the reactant array. As such, the sensed or captured interferogram may be processed by applying an inverse Fourier transform to the sensed or captured interferogram to obtain the optical spectrum of each reactant in the reactant array, the optical spectrum of the entire reactant array, and / or the optical spectrum of a desired portion of the reactant array. In some examples, the inverse application of standard low Fourier transform or fast Fourier transform signal processing techniques may be used to obtain a processed spectrum from the reactant array based on the sensed or captured interferogram. In one embodiment, the sensed or captured interferogram may be processed by subtracting the midpoint envelope profile of the sensed or captured interferogram from the sensed or captured interferogram. The resulting interferogram may be transformed from the spatial frequency domain to the spectral domain to obtain a processed spectrum representing the optical spectrum of the reactant array.

[0163] In some cases, the processed spectrum representing the optical spectrum of the reactant array may be further processed to calibrate the processed spectrum based on a spectrum from a non-reactant portion of the substrate supporting the reactant array. For example, a reference spectrum obtained from the space between reactants in the reactant array may be obtained and used as a calibration standard so that it can be used in obtaining the processed spectrum representing the optical spectrum of the reactant array. Any suitable calibration technique using a reference spectrum may be used to calibrate the processed spectrum to the optical system, sensor, and / or other components of the analytical system and / or to the configuration of the detector comprising the reactant array.

[0164] The processed spectrum is compared to one or more predetermined spectra, each associated with one or more fluid components of interest (e.g., analytes of interest or other fluids) and / or conditions of interest. Each of the predetermined spectra may be representative of how one or more reactants in the reactant array will react when exposed to a fluid component of interest or a particular amount of a fluid component of interest. A single processed spectrum may be compared to the predetermined spectrum, or multiple spectra obtained over time during a fluid analysis test may be compared to the predetermined spectrum. The predetermined spectra may or may not include one or more time-based (e.g., exposure time) sets of spectra for one or more fluid components of interest and / or conditions of interest.

[0165] Based on the comparison, a component (e.g., an analyte or other fluid) of the fluid tested in the fluid analysis test may be determined 108. For example, if one or more processed spectra match one or more predetermined spectra, either at a time or over time, a component associated with the predetermined spectrum that matches the processed spectrum may be determined to be present in the tested fluid.

[0166] Although the present method 100 describes the use of an analytical system configuration in fluid analytical testing, the analytical system may likewise be enabled for use in one or more other suitable applications. For example, the analytical systems described herein and / or other suitable analytical systems may be enabled for use in method 100 or similar methods to analyze agricultural crop growth, the authenticity of antique art objects (e.g., paintings, etc.), and / or other suitable conditions where the exposure step may or may not be omitted.

[0167] Although the present subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

[0168] Unless expressly stated otherwise, it is in no way intended that the methods or techniques described herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a particular order. This applies to all possible implicit bases for interpretation, including matters of logic regarding the arrangement of steps or operational flow, the plain meaning derived from grammatical construction or punctuation, and the number or type of embodiments described in the specification.

[0169] It should be understood that this disclosure is, in many respects, merely illustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of steps, without exceeding the scope of the disclosure. This may include, to the extent appropriate, using any of the features of one illustrative embodiment in other embodiments. The scope of the invention is, of course, defined in the language of the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A system for analyzing a target region, the system comprising: an opaque member having one or more slits configured to intersect with the target area; one or more lenses configured to receive light from the target area; an image sensor configured to receive light from the target area that has passed through the one or more slits and the one or more lenses; A system comprising:

2. The one or more slits may be A first slit; a second slit parallel to and spaced apart from the first slit; Equipped with The system of claim 1 .

3. the one or more lenses comprise a collection lens and an imaging lens configured to receive light from the target area before the light passes through the one or more slits.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the one or more lenses comprise a collection lens and an imaging lens configured to receive light from the target area after the light passes through the one or more slits and before the light reaches the image sensor. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The one or more lenses may include: a first lens set comprising one or more lenses configured to receive light from the target area before the light passes through the one or more slits; a second lens set comprising one or more lenses configured to receive light from the target area after the light passes through the one or more slits and before the light reaches the image sensor; and Equipped with The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the system further includes an interferometer configured to receive light from the target area after the light passes through the one or more slits and before the light reaches the image sensor. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The interferometer includes one or more beam splitters / combiners, a first mirror, and a second mirror. The system of claim 6.

8. the first mirror surface is non-perpendicular to the second mirror surface; The system of claim 7.

9. the interferometer includes a prism having a first total internal reflecting surface and a second total internal reflecting surface; The system according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

10. The interferometer comprises: a first polarizer; and a second polarizer; and a beam splitter disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer; Equipped with The system according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

11. the target area comprises an array of reactants; the light received by the one or more lenses and the image sensor is light from the reactant array; The system further comprises a substrate supporting the reactant array and a controller in communication with the image sensor; The controller determines a component of a fluid in contact with the reactant array based on light from the reactant array received by the image sensor. configured to identify The system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. 1. A system as an optical system for use in a fluid analysis system, the system comprising: a first lens set; A second lens set; an opaque member having one or more slits therein and positioned between the first lens set and the second lens set; It is equipped with the first lens set is configured to form an image of a reactant array on the opaque member; the second lens set is configured to form an interferogram on the surface from light passing through the one or more slits. system.

13. The one or more slits may be A first slit; a second slit parallel to and spaced apart from the first slit; Equipped with The system of claim 12.

14. the first lens set includes one or both of a focusing lens and an imaging lens configured to receive light from the reactant array and form an image of the reactant array on the opaque member; 14. A system according to claim 12 or 13.

15. the second lens set includes one or both of a collecting lens and an imaging lens configured to form an interferogram on the surface; The system according to any one of claims 12 to 14.

16. the system further includes an interferometer configured to receive light from the reactant array after the light passes through the one or more slits. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 15.

17. The system further includes a housing configured to house the first lens set, the second lens set, and the opaque member. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 16.

18. 1. A system as a hyperspectral imaging fluid analysis system, the system comprising: A substrate; one or more reactants supported on the substrate; an opaque member having one or more slits; an image sensor configured to receive light from the one or more reactants that has passed through the one or more slits; a controller in communication with the image sensor; A system comprising:

19. the controller is configured to identify components of a fluid in contact with the one or more reactants based on light from the one or more reactants received by the image sensor.

20. The system of claim 18.

20. the one or more slits comprise a first slit and a second slit; 20. A system according to claim 18 or 19.

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