Method and apparatus for detecting extraneous solid substances contained in liquid

An apparatus for determining the presence of an extraneous solid substance which may exist in a transparent liquid contained in a clear container, said apparatus comprising:

• a light source;
• rotatable turntable means adjacent said light source for supporting and rotating said container thereon;
• first lens means between said light source and said container on said turntable for collimating the light rays from said light source toward said container;
• a photoelectric member;
• scanning means between said photoelectric member and said container for receiving the light rays passing through said container which are not blocked by said solid substances in said liquid, said scanning means being optically connected to said photoelectric member and comprised of:
• an optical fiber line-circle converter having a linear end of a plurality of parallel, straight linear files of optical fiber directed toward said container and a circular end formed into a single circle from said fibers at the end of said fibers opposite said linear end, and
• a rotating scan head means at the circular end of said converter for scanning said fibers, said scan head means being optically connected to said photoelectric member;
• an amplifier connected to said photoelectric member;
• and
• a focusing lens means between said container and the linear end of said converter for focusing the light rays passing through said container onto said linear end of said optical fiber converter.