Optical Sensor for Rapid Determination of Particulate Concentration
AssigneeBugLab LLC
InventorMartin P. Debreczeny
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention provides methods and devices to measure particle suspension concentrations through the side wall of a container. Particle back-scatter readings are taken at light wavelengths that do not travel far through the medium. Detected scatter is related to actual particle concentration or standard O.D. values. The methods and devices allow particle concentration readings through containers not normally intended for use in such assays.
Claims45
A method of determining the concentration of particles in a medium, which method comprises:
- providing the medium in a container having a wall;
- irradiating the medium with a light source through the wall with a wavelength of light, wherein the medium absorbs the light as characterized by a mean absorption path length;
- detecting light scattered by the particles in the medium using at least a first detector positioned outside the container wall, wherein the spatial separation between the light source and first detector is within a factor of 10 of the mean absorption path length;
- correlating the detected light to the concentration of the particle.
A device for determining the concentration of particles in a medium, which device comprises:
- a) a housing containing a sensor;
- b) a first light source in the sensor, wherein a wavelength emitted by the source is absorbed by the medium, as characterized by a mean absorption path length;
- c) a first detector in the sensor positioned to detect a signal of source light wavelengths scattered by particles within the medium, wherein the spatial separation between the light source and first detector is within a factor of 10 of the mean absorption path length, and
- d) a processor configured to correlate the detected signal to the concentration of particles.
A method of determining the concentration of particles in a medium which comprises the steps of:
- a) positioning a sensor next to a container having a wall and holding the medium;
- b) passing light originating from at least one light source through the container wall into the medium, wherein the light is absorbed by the medium, as characterized by a mean absorption path length;
- c) detecting a light signal through the wall with a detector, wherein the signal is from light reflected from within the medium, and wherein the spatial separation between the light source and first detector is within a factor of 10 of the mean absorption path length;
- and,
- d) correlating the detected signal to the concentration of the particles in the medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.