Method and apparatus for quantitative particle determination in fluids
AssigneeDeLaval International AB
InventorCornelis Klein
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Abstract
The present invention includes a method and an apparatus for the quantitative determination of particles in fluid. The apparatus of the invention includes an emitters set of one or more light emitters, in combination with a detector set of one or more light detectors sensitive to the output of the emitters. During analysis of the sample, data from a plurality of signal paths between the emitter and detector sets are gathered. This information is subsequently evaluated by comparison with known data for different fluid particle contents. Some differentiation between different particles in a fluid sample are possible in many embodiments. Typical uses include analysis of milk and dairy fluids, blood samples, lubricants, suspensions of pigments, etc.
Claims38
Apparatus for quantitative particle determination in fluids having a particle content, said apparatus comprising:
- an emitter set comprising one or more light emitters, each acting as a point light source, providing one or more sample light signals as output;
- a detector set comprising one or more light detectors sensitive to the output of the light emitters, wherein the sample light signals from a plurality of discrete sample light signal paths between the emitter and detector sets are received by the detector set during analysis of a sample, the detector set being operable to discern between different sample light signal paths;
- a signal connection adapted for communicating information received from the detector set to a processor for processing one or more values indicative of the presence of particles within a sample fluid;
- and
- a feedback detector positioned to receive incident light from an emitter of said emitter set;
- said feedback detector providing an output used to compensate for any drifting of the emitter's output from a predetermined ideal norm through either or both of:
- i) control of the emitter's output, and
- ii) influencing the sensitivity of at least one light detector to match the light output of said emitter;
- the detector set providing, for a plurality of different sample light signal paths, individual output values which can be evaluated by a processor for providing a value indicative of the fluid particle content of the fluid sample being analyzed.
A method of quantitative determination of the levels of one or more different particles in a fluid comprising:
- i) transmitting one or more light signals as output from one or more emitters into a fluid sample wherein the emitters act as point light sources;
- ii) detecting the light signals from a plurality of different discrete sample light signal paths as output with one or more detectors, wherein different discrete sample light signal paths are discemable one from the other;
- and
- ii) making the detected output for each discrete sample light signal path available for subsequent evaluation by a processor;
- wherein an output value is obtained from a feedback detector positioned to receive incident light from at least one emitter, the output value being used as a correction for drift in the output of said emitter by either or both of i) control of the emitter's output, and ii) influencing the sensitivity of at least one light detector to match the light output of said emitter.
Apparatus for particle determination in fluids, said apparatus including:
- an emitter set comprising a plurality of light emitters, each received in a conduit providing an optical path convergent at a common focus point, each acting as a point light source, providing one or more light signals as output;
- a detector set comprising one or more light detectors sensitive to the output of the light emitters, wherein said common focus point is substantially on a said one of said light detectors, and wherein the sample light signals from a plurality of discrete sample light signal paths between the emitter and the detector sets are received by the detector set during analysis of a sample, the detector set being operable to discern between different sample light signal paths;
- the apparatus including compensation for any drifting of an emitter's output from a predetermined ideal norm;
- the detector set providing, for a plurality of different sample light signal paths, individual output values which can be evaluated by a processor for providing a value indicative of the fluid particle count.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.