Method and apparatus for visualizing particles suspended in a fluid
AssigneeSpectrex Corporation
InventorJohn M Hoyte
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for direct visualization of particles suspended in a fluid medium include a source of a collimated beam of light that illuminates a sample volume of particles and reference volume of particles of a selected size and density. Light scattered from the particles is viewed directly along an axis skewed from the beams for comparatively assessing approximate particle size and density in the sample volume.
Claims12
Apparatus for illuminating particles suspended within a fluid medium, comprising:
- a housing for containing a volume of a sample including particles to be illuminated, and including a view port;
- a source of illumination oriented to produce a beam of substantially collimated light through a portion of the volume of a sample;
- a scanner disposed in the beam of light from the source for deflecting light therefrom recurringly through said portion of the volume along a substantially continuous path;
- the view port in the housing being disposed along an axis skewed relative to the beam of light for channeling visualization of light scattered by particles within the portion of the volume of the sample;
- and
- an optical target disposed within the housing at a location in alignment with the beam of light on a side of the volume opposite the source of illumination and displaced from the view port for absorbing a portion of the beam of light that passes through the portion of the volume.
Apparatus for illuminating particles suspended within a fluid medium, comprising:
- a housing for containing a volume of a sample including particles to be illuminated and a volume of reference particles suspended in a fluid medium and positioned in proximity to the volume of the sample, the housing including a view port;
- a source of illumination oriented to produce a beam of substantially collimated light through a portion of the sample volume and through a portion of the reference volume;
- the view port in the housing being disposed along an axis skewed relative to the beam of light for channeling visualization of light scattered by particles within the portions of the sample volume and reference volume;
- and
- an optical target disposed within the housing at a location in alignment with the beam of light on a side of the volumes opposite the source of illumination and displaced from the view port for absorbing portions of the beam of light that pass through the sample volume and through the reference volume.
A method for illuminating particles suspended in a fluid medium, comprising:
- confining a sample volume of the fluid medium and particles;
- confining a reference volume of particles in a fluid medium near the sample volume;
- illuminating the sample and reference volumes with beams of light along substantially continuous paths through each of the volumes;
- absorbing portions of the beams of light that pass through the sample volume and through the reference volume;
- and
- directly viewing light scattered from particles in the sample volume and in the reference volume along an axis skewed by a selected angle from the axis of the light beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.