FTIR Mirror Assembly Using Plastic Optics to Cut Manufacturing Cost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing FTIR spectrometers face high manufacturing costs and complexity due to the use of technically complex and expensive optical elements, particularly metal precision mirrors, which are resource-intensive and costly to produce, limiting accessibility to a wide range of users.
Innovation Solution
The FTIR spectrometer employs mirrors made of plastic material or 3D printed metal outside the interferometer, along with a simplified optical assembly, reducing production complexity and costs while maintaining measurement quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If metal precision mirrors are used in the FTIR spectrometer, then measurement quality is maintained, but manufacturing costs and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive metal precision mirrors with inexpensive plastic mirrors that can be manufactured using simple injection molding processes. These plastic mirrors, while not as durable as metal mirrors, provide sufficient optical quality for FTIR measurements and can be replaced if needed, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to plastic for the mirror substrate. This material substitution maintains the essential optical function while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs, as plastic mirrors can be molded directly into the required shape without complex machining.
2Measurement precision
If metal precision mirrors are used in the FTIR spectrometer, then measurement quality is maintained, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive metal precision mirrors with inexpensive plastic mirrors that can be manufactured using simple injection molding processes. These plastic mirrors, while not as durable as metal mirrors, provide sufficient optical quality for FTIR measurements and can be replaced if needed, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to plastic for the mirror substrate. This material substitution maintains the essential optical function while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs, as plastic mirrors can be molded directly into the required shape without complex machining.
3Ease of manufacture
If plastic mirrors are used outside the interferometer, then manufacturing costs and complexity are reduced, but optical performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality requirements to different locations in the optical system. Plastic mirrors with lower precision are used for beam direction outside the interferometer where high precision is not critical, while the interferometer itself maintains high optical quality components. This local differentiation of quality requirements optimizes the balance between cost and performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive metal precision mirrors with inexpensive plastic mirrors that can be manufactured using simple injection molding processes. These plastic mirrors, while not as durable as metal mirrors, provide sufficient optical quality for FTIR measurements and can be replaced if needed, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies the manufacturing process and significantly reduces costs without compromising measurement quality, making FTIR spectrometers more accessible to various users, including companies, state authorities, schools, universities, and individuals with limited budgets.
Implementation Method 1
a mirror arrangement outside the interferometer with at least two mirrors, each with a reflecting surface and a main body that comprises the reflecting surface, wherein the mirror arrangement is at least configured to direct a light beam from the interferometer onto the sample interface and to direct the light beam from the sample interface to the infrared detector
Implementation Method 2
With the help of an ATR crystal, an evanescent wave can be coupled into the sample material or respectively the sample in contact with the ATR crystal. This effect is also termed the optical tunnel effect. The remaining light carries information about the interaction with the sample, is guided out of the ATR crystal by means of total internal reflection
Implementation Method 3
The interferometer comprises a beam splitter that splits incident light into two individual beams
Implementation Method 4
The individual beams are each reflected at one (or possibly multiple) mirror(s) of the interferometer and then recombined in the beam splitter, wherein they interfere with each other
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an FTIR spectrometer with an infrared radiation source, an interferometer with at least one arm variable in length, a reference laser, a measuring cell with a sample interface, preferably an ATR crystal which can be brought into contact with a sample, an infrared detector, a control system which is configured to change the length of the at least one arm of the interferometer, and a mirror arrangement outside the interferometer with at least two mirrors, each with a reflecting surface and a main body that comprises the reflecting surface, wherein the mirror arrangement is at least configured to direct a light beam from the interferometer onto the sample interface and to direct the light beam from the sample interface to the infrared detector, wherein the main body of at least one mirror or all mirrors of the mirror arrangement is or respectively are made of a plastic material and/or of 3D printed metal, or the main body or the main body of at least one mirror or of all mirrors has or respectively have plastic material and/or 3D printed metal.