US 2014/0234865 A1Published application

Instrument and method for optical particle sensing

AssigneeInvitrox, Inc.

InventorDon Gabriel

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Abstract

Devices for detecting particle sizes and distributions using focused light scattering techniques, by passing a sample through a focused beam of light, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the devices include one or more lasers, whose light is focused into a narrow beam and into a flow cell, and dispersions are passed through the flow cell using hydrodynamic sample injection. In another embodiment, a plurality of lasers is used, optionally with hydrodynamic sample injection. Particles pass through and scatter the light. The scattered light is then detected using scatter and extinction detectors, and, optionally, fluorescence detectors, and the number and size of the particles is determined. Particles in the size range of 0.1 to 10 μm can be measured. Using the device, significantly smaller particles can be detected than if techniques such as EQELS, flow cytometry, and other conventional devices for measuring biological particles.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A device for measuring the size and/or number of particles in a sample medium, comprising:

a) one or more lasers which produce beams of laser light,
b) a first focusing lens positioned in the path of the beams of laser light, which focusing lens focuses the beams of light such that the effective width in a direction transverse to the axis of the light beam is between about 0.05 and 0.5 μm,
c) a flow cell positioned in the path of the focused light source, wherein the flow cell is adapted to receive and pass a sample medium comprising a dispersion of particles, and passing the sample medium through the focused beams of light, so that beams of light that interact with one or more of the particles are scattered, and beams of light that do not interact with one or more particles are not scattered,
d) a spatial filter positioned in the path of the beams of light, which allows scattered beams of light to pass through, and does not allow beams of light that are not scattered to pass through,
e) a collimating lens positioned in the path of beams of light passing through the circular spatial filter, to collimate scattered beams of light,
f) a second focusing lens positioned in the path of the collimating lens, for focusing the beams of light passing through the collimating lens,
g) a scatter detector positioned in the path of the focused beams of light passing through the focusing lens,
h) a mirror positioned between the flow cell and the spatial filter, to reflect a portion of the scattered beams of light, and
i) an extinction detector positioned in the path of the reflected beams of light,
wherein the device further comprises a hydrodynamic flow injector for introducing the sample medium into the flow cell, or comprises two or more lasers, or both.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/233,874Filed 20 Jul 2012
Priority: 21 Jul 2011
Published: 21 Aug 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

G01N 15/1434
Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry: optical arrangements
G01N 15/0211
By optical means: investigating a scatter or diffraction pattern
G01N 15/1459
Without spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle, e.g. processing of pulse signals: the analysis being performed on a…
G01N 21/6428
Fluorescence; Phosphorescence: measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g.…