US 2026/0276508 A1 · VISCOSITY AND SURFACE TENSION MEASUREMENT USING RESONANCE OF LEVITATED DROPLETS

Abstract

Various examples are provided related to measurement of viscosity and surface tension in levitated liquid droplets. In one example, a method includes levitating a sample using electrostatic levitation; determining a measured resonance frequency of the sample by an analysis of a plurality of captured images, the measured resonance frequency based upon a maximum response deviation of the levitated sample at a mode of oscillation; determining a decay constant of the sample associated with the measured resonance frequency; and determining a viscosity of the sample based at least in part upon the decay constant of the sample. In another example, a system includes electrodes; a position sensor; and a camera device. A computing device can cause the system to levitate a sample using the method or variations thereof.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

levitating a sample using electrostatic levitation;
determining a measured resonance frequency of the sample by an analysis of a plurality of captured images of the sample, the measured resonance frequency based upon a maximum response deviation of the levitated sample at n=3 mode of oscillation, wherein the measured resonance frequency is a particular frequency associated with sample resonance;
determining a decay constant of the sample associated with the measured resonance frequency;
and
determining a viscosity of the sample based at least in part upon the decay constant of the sample.

2 more elements

A system, comprising:

a plurality of electrodes;
a position sensor;
a camera device;
and
at least one computing device that executes instructions that cause the system to at least:
levitate a sample using a feedback-controlled voltage applied to at least one of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the feedback-controlled voltage is determined based at least in part on a position of the sample that is detected by the position sensor;
determine a measured resonance frequency of the sample by an analysis of a plurality of images of the sample captured with the camera device, the measured resonance frequency based upon a maximum response deviation of the levitated sample at n=3 mode of oscillation, wherein the measured resonance frequency is a particular frequency associated with sample resonance;
determine a decay constant of the sample associated with the measured resonance frequency;
and
determine a viscosity of the sample based at least in part upon the decay constant of the sample.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

19/676,649Filed 13 May 2026

Priority

17 Nov 2023

Published

17 Sep 2026

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G01N 11/00
Investigating flow properties of materials
G01N 1/44
Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q: sample treatment…
G01N 13/02
Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface,…:…
G01N 29/036
Analysing fluids: by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves

Viscosity and surface tension measurement using resonance of levitated droplets

Life of this patent

Viscosity and surface tension measurement using resonance of levitated droplets

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17