Apparatus and method for analyzing particles
OwnerShailesh Mehtainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for analyzing particles suspended in a fluid. The fluid has electrical properties different from that of the particles. The fluid and particles move from a first fluid containing portion to a second fluid containing portion through a conduit or aperture. A first pair of electrodes, each electrode of the pair being in a respective fluid containing portion. A constricted electrical path is defined between the first and second electrodes, and the path extends along the aperture. At least one other pair of electrodes is positioned in a non-encircling arrangement, and are aligned with each other and transversed to the constricted electrical path. This configuration eliminates many common errors suseptible to other devices.
Claims42
An apparatus for analyzing particles suspended in a fluid having at least one electrical property different from properties of the particles, as the fluid and particles move from a first fluid-containing portion to a second fluid-containing portion, the apparatus comprising:
- a conduit creating a path permitting fluid communication between the first and second fluid-containing portions, the path having a longitudinal axis and the conduit defining a fluid-constraining path in a direction along the longitudinal axis;
- a first pair of electrodes, the first pair of electrodes including a first electrode located in the first fluid-containing portion and a second electrode located in the second fluid-containing portion;
- a first constricted electrical path between the first and second electrodes, the first constricted electrical path extending along the fluid constraining path;
- and
- a second pair of electrodes, the second pair of electrodes including a third electrode and a fourth electrode, the third and fourth electrodes being positioned in a non-encircling arrangement relative to the conduit and defining a unique line therebetween extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.
A method of analyzing particles suspended in a fluid having at least one electrical property different from properties of the particles, comprising:
- providing first and second fluid-containing elements in communication with each other via a conduit provided therebetween, the conduit defining a fluid-flow constraining path in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the conduit;
- providing a quantity of the fluid, and particles contained therein, in the first and second fluid-containing elements and in the conduit;
- providing a first pair of electrodes, comprising a first electrode located in the first fluid-containing portion and a second electrode in the second fluid-containing portion, with the conduit axis being disposed along a line between the first and second electrodes, whereby a first constricted electrical path is provided along the fluid-flow constraining path;
- providing a second pair of electrodes, comprising third and fourth electrodes positioned in a non-encircling arrangement relative to the conduit and defining a unique line therebetween, such that the unique line extends in a direction transverse to the conduit axis;
- flowing the fluid and particles contained therein, from the first to the second fluid-containing element, via the conduit along the first constricted electrical path;
- providing an electrical field between the first and second electrodes;
- and
- detecting variations in an electrical field at the first constricted electrical path.
A method of analyzing a characteristic of a particle suspended in a fluid moving through a conduit, comprising:
- applying a first electrical field substantially along a direction of motion of the particle;
- applying a second electrical field substantially orthogonally relative to the first electrical field;
- and
- analyzing variations in at least one of the first and second electrical fields to determine a corresponding property of the particles.
An apparatus for analyzing particles suspended in a fluid having an electrical property different from an electrical property of the particles, as the fluid and particles move from a first fluid-containing portion of the apparatus to a second fluid-containing portion thereof, comprising:
- a conduit creating a path permitting fluid communication between the first and second fluid-containing portions, the path having a longitudinal axis, the conduit defining a fluid-constraining path in a direction along the longitudinal axis;
- a first pair of electrodes, including a first electrode and a second electrode;
- a first constricted electrical path between the first and second electrodes, extending in a first direction transverse to the longitudinal axis;
- a second pair of electrodes, including a third electrode and a fourth electrode;
- and
- a second constricted electrical path between the third and fourth electrodes, extending in a second direction transverse to the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the first and second constricted electrical paths are in different planes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.