Method and apparatus for estimating nanoparticles in a solution

An apparatus for estimating nanoparticles in a solution, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory configured to store information on a nanoparticle estimation model including a pre-trained machine learning model;
• a communication unit configured to transmit and receive information with an external device;
• and
• a processor configured to control the memory and the communication unit, the processor further configured to:
• generate a laser-induced plasma by making a pulsed laser beam incident on inside a cell containing a solution;
• acquire feedback signals based on light, shock wave and sound generated by the laser-induced plasma;
• acquire the feedback signals, an intensity of the laser incident on the cell, and intensities of each laser passing through the cell for each laser pulse;
• and
• input the feedback signals acquired for each laser pulse, the intensity of the laser, and the intensities of the lasers passing through the cell into a pre-trained nanoparticle estimation model to estimate sizes or types of unknown nanoparticles included in the solution,
• wherein the processor further performs
• a learning operation of training the nanoparticle estimation model,
• wherein the learning step comprises the operations of:
• collecting training data;
• and
• training the nanoparticle estimation model by machine learning based on the training data,
• wherein the training data comprises intensities of each laser incident on a cell containing a solution including standard nanoparticles with previously known size or type information for each laser pulse, intensities of each laser passing through the cell, and the feedback signals generated by the laser-induced plasma,
• wherein in the operation of collecting training data, the processor performs the operations of:
• generating a laser-induced plasma by making the pulsed laser beam incident on a cell containing only the solution;
• acquiring noise feedback signals based on light, shock wave and sound generated by the laser-induced plasma;
• and
• filtering signals identical to the noise feedback signals from the feedback signals acquired in the step of acquiring for each laser pulse.