# US 12,000,768 B2 · Flow device and associated method and system

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- Number: US 12,000,768 B2
- Document ID: US12000768B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/247,096
- Filed: 2020-11-30
- Published: 2021-06-03
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-26
- Assignees: Honeywell International Inc.
- Applicants: Honeywell International Inc.
- Inventors: Andy Walker Brown; Adam D. McBrady; Ryadh Abdullah Zakaria; Stephan Michael Bork
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000768B2

## CPC

- G01N 1/2273: {Atmospheric sampling}
- G01N 15/0227: using imaging; using holography
- G06T 7/62: of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
- G06V 10/751: {Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching}
- G01N 15/01: specially adapted for biological cells, e.g. blood cells (investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions in blood G01N15/05)
- G01N 2015/0233: {using holography}
- 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)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A flow device, method, and system are provided for determining the fluid particle composition. An example flow device includes a fluid sensor configured to monitor at least one particle characteristic of fluid flowing through the fluid sensor. The example flow device also includes at least one processor configured to, upon determining the at least one particle characteristic satisfies a particle criteria, generate a control signal for an external device. The example flow device also includes a fluid composition sensor configured to be powered based on the control signal and further configured to capture data relating to the fluid particle composition. The example flow device is also configured to generate one or more particle profiles of at least one component of the fluid based on the data captured by the fluid composition sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for controlling a flow device, the method comprising:
detecting, via a photodiode element, presence of one or more particles carried by fluid flowing through a fluid sensor;
generating, via the photodiode element, signal pulses based upon the detection of the presence of one or more particles carried by the fluid;
monitoring, via the fluid sensor, the signal pulses generated by the photodiode element;
determining that the signal pulses satisfy one or more particle criteria; and
generating a control signal for an external device based on the determination that the signal pulses satisfy the one or more particle criteria,
wherein the one or more particle criteria defines a ratio of fluorescent particles in the fluid to non-fluorescent particles in the fluid.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the fluid sensor is continuous.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid sensor is an optical scanner device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an initial particle profile based on the monitoring by the fluid sensor.

### Claim 5

A flow device for detecting fluid particle composition comprising:
a fluid sensor configured to:
detect presence of one or more particles carried by fluid flowing through the fluid sensor;
generate signal pulses based upon the detection of the presence of one or more particles carried by the fluid;
monitor at least one particle characteristic of fluid flowing through the fluid sensor; and
a processor configured to, determine that the signal pulses satisfy one or more particle criteria; and generate a control signal for an external device based on the determination that the signal pulses satisfy the one or more particle criteria,
wherein the one or more particle criteria defines a ratio of fluorescent particles in the fluid to non-fluorescent particles in the fluid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The flow device of claim 5, wherein the monitoring of the fluid sensor is continuous.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The flow device of claim 5, wherein the fluid sensor is an optical scanner device.