# US 10,422,734 B2 · Thermal compensation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,422,734 B2 - Document ID: US10422734B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/668,552 - Filed: 2017-08-03 - Published: 2018-02-08 - Granted: 2019-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-04 - Assignees: Malvern Panalytical Limited - Applicants: Malvern Panalytical Limited - Inventors: Rhys Poolman; David Stringfellow; Nigel Lightfoot; Jason Cecil William Corbett - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10422734B2 ## CPC - G01N 15/0211: {Investigating a scatter or diffraction pattern} - G01N 21/532: {with measurement of scattering and transmission} - G01N 2015/0222: {from dynamic light scattering, e.g. photon correlation spectroscopy} - G01N 2021/4716: {Using a ring of sensors, or a combination of diaphragm and sensors; Annular sensor} - G01N 2021/4721: {using a PSD} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Method of characterizing particles suspended in a fluid dispersant by light diffraction, comprising: obtaining measurement data from a detector element, the detector element being arranged to measure the intensity of scattered light; identifying a measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant; processing the measurement data to remove or separate the measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant; calculating a particle size distribution from the processed measurement. The detector element is one of a plurality of detector elements from which the measurement data is obtained. The detector elements are arranged to measure the intensity of scattered light at a plurality of scattering angles, the plurality of scattering angles distributed over a plurality of angles about an illumination axis. Identifying a measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant comprises identifying measured scattered light that is asymmetric about the illumination axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of characterizing particles suspended in a fluid dispersant by light diffraction, comprising: obtaining measurement data from a detector element arranged to measure the intensity of scattered light; identifying a measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant; processing the measurement data to remove or separate the measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant; calculating a particle size distribution from the processed measurement; wherein: the detector element is one of a plurality of detector elements from which the measurement data is obtained; the detector elements are arranged to measure the intensity of scattered light at a plurality of scattering angles, the plurality of scattering angles distributed over a plurality of angles about an illumination axis; and identifying a measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant comprises identifying measured scattered light that is asymmetric about the illumination axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of scattering angles are alternately arranged between a first and second radial location about the illumination axis with increasing scattering angle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second radial location about the scattering axis are separated by at least 90 degrees about the illumination axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a diffraction experiment to obtain the measurement data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the detector elements are arranged with their centroids in a logarithmic series of scattering angles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a measurement comprises obtaining a time history of the intensity of scattered light from the detector element or the detector elements. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein identifying a measurement contribution arising from light scattered by inhomogeneities in the dispersant comprises identifying peaks in the measurements for each of the plurality of scattering angles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein identifying peaks comprises comparing measurement data with smoothed data obtained from the same measurement data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, comprising classifying the peaks as a particle peak, resulting from scattering from a particle, or a spurious peak, resulting from scattering from dispersant inhomogeneities. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the smoothed data comprises a moving average obtained from a plurality of moving averages with different temporal width. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, comprising classifying a peak as a particle peak when corresponding peaks are present within a period tw over continuous range of n detectors with adjacent scattering angles, at least some of the n detectors having angular separation about the illumination axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A processor or instrument configured to perform the method of claim 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A machine readable, non-transient storage medium, comprising instructions for configuring a processor or instrument to perform the method of claim 1.