Optical spectrometers are prevalent in many fields from industrial to biomedical to scientific research. They are generally used in identifying materials and chemicals by way of analyzing the spectral composition of light. Product applications of optical spectrometers are manifold, including: Process Control & Monitoring; Medical Diagnostics; Chemical Analysis; Material & Polymer Analysis; Quality Control and Environmental Quality Analysis.
The vast majority of industrial spectrometers are used in spectral regions from ultraviolet (UV) to visible spectrum (VIS) to near infrared (NIR). Our partner Broadcom offers a family of compact modular spectrometer devices for UV–VIS–NIR measurements ranging from 190 nm to 1700 nm.
Fig. 1 device family of compact modular spectrometer devices for UV–VIS–NIR measurements ranging from 190 nm to 1700 nm (Copyright Broadcom Inc.)
NIR spectrometer is ideal for PAT applications
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has defined process analytical technology (PAT) as a mechanism to design, analyze and control manufacturing processes through measurements of critical process parameters which affect critical quality attributes.
Taking a probe, going to a lab and waiting for results is costly. Using an NIR spectrometer as a PAT spectroscopic tool is a nondestructive way of online, in-line and real-time monitoring for various use cases during processing, manufacturing and quality control of a final product.
As industrial process control instruments and quality checks by handheld analytical devices continue to get smarter and smaller, customers can rely on Broadcom’s advanced technology and efficient optical setup for quantitative measurements in short wave NIR. Process analytical systems can easily be adapted with Broadcom’s Qneo NIR spectrometer to improve and scale up even more applications.
Choice of optical setup and components leads to reliable performance. Especially when measuring low signals with high accuracy, Broadcom's Qneo shows reliable measurements even compared to high-performance-cooled NIR spectrometers on the market.
Fig. 2 Comparison of Qneo's uncooled short-range InGaAas vs other cooled & uncooled solutions (Copyright Broadcom Inc.)
Even a non-extended InGaAs spectrometer equipped with a cooling function does not significantly benefit from its cooling. In most cases the cooling adds the burden to dissipate the excess heat and furthermore adds BOM costs.
Compact, uncooled and premium performance
The compact form factor provides OEMs high versatility in integrating the spectral sensor in PAT or handheld devices for point of care (POC) diagnostics. Equally important, thermal stability of the electro-optical system is crucial to spectrometer performance over the full temperature range from -15°C to +55°C (5°F to 131°F).
Equipped with an uncooled 256-pixel InGaAs array in a pocket-sized module, Broadcom Qneo sets new standards in NIR spectroscopy and performs at levels comparable to premium-cooled NIR spectrometers.
For more information visit our partner website.