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US 5,002,397 AGranted
System of fluid inspection and/or identification
AssigneeInternational Integrated Systems, Inc.
InventorsJerry G. Ingrum, Douglas J. Littlejohn, Douglas Modlin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Method and Apparatus for identifying and distinguishing fluids and for recognizing contamination of a fluid, which method and apparatus utilizes spectrographic analysis of control samples of known fluids and then spectrographic analysis of unknown fluids to generate optical signatures, finger prints and/or profiles of data and processed data relating to the relative intensities of light at selected wavelengths; and then, through comparison of the various signatures, fingerprints and/or profiles, provides determinative information as to contamination or non-contamination of the unknown fluids; after which appropriate operation control is effected and/or exercised.
Claims52
Fluid inspection method, comprising the steps of:
- a. creating a control sample defining a known fluid, wherein the known fluid is a solution of a known non-contaminant and a known liquid in known concentrations;
- b. directing light from a light source at the control sample;
- c. collecting light after absorption of at least some of the light by the control sample;
- d. separating the collected light from the control sample into a plurality of pre-selected wavelengths;
- e. detecting the relative intensity of the collected light at each of the pre-selected wavelengths;
- f. collecting data associated with the control sample indicating, at least, relative intensities of the collected light at each of the preselected wavelengths;
- g. creating a modified control sample defining the known fluid modified as to one or both of the properties:
- (i) the concentration level of non-contaminant in solution;
- and/or (ii) the temperature of the control sample;
- h. repeating, for the modified control sample, the steps of directing light, collecting light, separating, detecting, collecting data, and creating a modified control sample;
- and
- i. processing the collected data to provide processed control data representative of a plurality of mathematical inter-relationships among the relative intensity data associated with the pre-selected wavelengths of each control sample;
- j. correlating the data of all control samples to provide at least a first "signature" which represents the known non-contaminant;
- k. directing light from a light source at a fluid to be tested;
- l. collecting light after absorption of at least some of the light by the test fluid;
- m. separating the collected light from the test fluid into a plurality of parts, each part having a preselected, characteristic wavelength being those same pre-selected wavelengths into which the collected light from the control sample was separated;
- n. detecting the relative intensity of the collected light from the test fluid at each of the selected wavelengths;
- o. collecting data associated with the test fluid indicating, at least, the relative intensities of the collected light at each of the preselected wavelengths;
- p. processing the collected data associated with the test fluid to provide processed data representative of a plurality of mathematical inter-relationships among the relative intensity data associated with the pre-selected wavelengths of the Test fluid;
- q. comparing the processed data for the test fluid to said signature which represents the known non-contaminant;
- r. determining from the comparison whether or not the tested fluid is unacceptably contaminated.
18 more elements
Fluid inspection method, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. creating a plurality of control samples of a known, non-contaminated fluid, and
- b. modifying each control sample such that each said control sample differs from each of the other control samples by some property, while each control sample continues to consist essentially of the known non-contaminated fluid;
- c. as to each control sample, directing light from a light source at the control sample;
- d. as to each control sample, collecting light after absorption of at least some of the light by the control sample;
- e. as to each control sample, separating the collected light from the control sample into a plurality of pre-selected wavelengths;
- f. as to each control sample, detecting the relative intensity of the collected light from the control sample at each of the selected wavelengths;
- g. as to each control sample, processing data representative of the detected relative intensities from the control sample to, at least, provide processed data representative of a plurality of mathematical inter-relationships among the relative intensity data associated with all of the selected wavelengths of the control sample;
- h. correlating the processed data of two or more of the control samples of the plurality of control samples to provide at least a first control "topography" of processed control data which topography represents the known non-contaminated fluid;
- h. directing light from a light source at a fluid to be tested;
- i. collecting light after absorption of at least some of the light by the test fluid;
- j. separating the collected light from the test fluid into a plurality of wavelengths, said wavelengths being those same pre-selected wavelengths into which the collected light from the control sample was separated;
- k. detecting the relative intensity of the collected light from the test fluid at each of the selected wavelengths;
- l. processing data representative of the detected relative intensities from the test fluid to, at least, provide processed data representative of a plurality of mathematical inter-relationships among the relative intensity data associated with all of the selected wavelengths of the test fluid;
- m. comparing the processed data for the test fluid to the topography which represents the known non-contaminated fluid.
- n. determining from the comparison whether or not the test fluid is unacceptably contaminated.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.