Miniature Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectrometer Engine For Handheld Applications

While substantial progress has been made recently towards the miniaturization of Raman, mid-infrared (IR), and near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers, there remains continued interest from end-users and product developers in pushing the technology envelope toward even smaller and lower cost analyzers. The potential of these instruments to revolutionize on-site and on-line applications can only be realized if the reduction in size does not compromise performance of the spectrometer beyond the practical need of a given application. In this paper, the working principle of a novel, extremely miniaturized NIR spectrometer will be presented. The ultra-compact spectrometer relies on thin-film linear variable filter (LVF) technology for the light dispersing element. We will also report on an environmental study whereby the contamination of soil by oil is determined quantitatively in the range of 0-12% by weight of oil contamination. The achieved analytical results will be discussed in terms of the instrument's competitiveness and suitability for on-site and in-the-field measurements.