US 7,064,827 B2 · Optical tracking and detection of particles by solid state energy sources

Abstract

A particle detector has a chamber defining a pathway that a target particle follows between an entry and an exit point, a solid-state energy source such as an LED, and a re-emission sensor. The energy source imparts energy to the particle between the two points, and the sensor includes an arcuate or multi-planar lens to focus energy re-emitted by the particle. The particle is identifiable by its re-emitted energy spectrum. A scanner re-directs the beam from a single energy source to track the particle between the entry and exit points. Alternatively, the energy source is a plurality of source elements that each scan the particle at a single position. Another embodiment is a chipscale detector system wherein energy source elements are disposed on a source layer, sensor elements are disposed on a sensor layer, and one or more target particles to be detected are retained on a capture layer disposed therebetween.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A particle detector comprising:

an interrogation chamber defining a pathway between an acquisition point and a privation point;
means for moving a carrier fluid through the pathway;
a plurality of photoexcitation elements arranged such that a first beam from a first photoexcitation element is directed at the acquisition point at an acquisition time and a second beam from a second photoexcitation element is directed at the privation point at a privation time;
and
a re-emission sensor for detecting energy of a defined spectrum that is re-emitted by a particle that absorbs energy from at least one of the first beam and the second beam.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical tracking and detection of particles by solid state energy sources

Life of this patent

Optical tracking and detection of particles by solid state energy sources

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21