Drying balance
AssigneeSartorius AG
InventorsKarin Diedrich, Horst Nagel, Wilfried Spannagel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drying balance (1) including a pan (3) that rests on a weighing system (2) as well as a heat source (5) for heating and drying a sample (4) on the pan. A sensor (11) measures the absorption coefficient, transmission coefficient, or reflection coefficient of the sample (4) in at least one predefined spectral range, or measures the moisture dependent dielectric constant of the sample while the weighing system (2) measures the moisture dependent weight of the sample (4). The drying balance allows the entire calibration curve of the sensor (11) to be determined in a single drying process.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising:
- a pan;
- a weighing system supporting the pan and measuring the moisture dependent weight of a sample on the pan;
- a heat source heating and drying the sample ;
- and
- a sensor measuring at least one of a moisture dependent absorption coefficient, transmission coefficient, and reflection coefficient of the sample in at least a predefined spectral range or moisture dependent dielectric constants of the sample, while the weighing system measures the weight,
- wherein the sensor for measuring at least one of the absorption coefficient, transmission coefficient and reflection coefficient consists of a radiation source that irradiates the sample with electromagnetic radiation comprising at least the predefined spectral range and a radiation detector that detects the radiation reflected or transmitted by the sample in the predefined spectral range,
- the apparatus further comprisin a processor, and wherein the sensor comprises a spectrometer and the predefined spectral range is defined by software of the processor.
An apparatus comprising:
- a pan;
- a weighing system supporting the pan and measuring the moisture dependent weight of a sample on the pan;
- a heat source heating and drying the sample;
- and
- a sensor measuring at least one of a moisture dependent absorption coefficient, transmission coefficient, and reflection coefficient of the sample in at least a predefined spectral range or moisture dependent dielectric constants of the sample, while the weighing system measures the weight,
- wherein the sensor for measuring at least one of the absorption coefficient, transmission coefficient and reflection coefficient consists of a radiation source that irradiates the sample with electromagnetic radiation comprising at least the predefined spectral range and a radiation detector that detects the radiation reflected or transmitted by the sample in the predefined spectral range,
- wherein the sensor comprises an optical waveguide coupled to at least one of the radiation source and the radiation detector.
An apparatus comprising:
- a pan;
- a weighing system supporting the pan and measuring the moisture dependent weight of a sample on the pan:
- a heat source heating and drying the sample ;
- and
- a sensor measuring at least one of a moisture dependent absorption coefficient, transmission coefficient, and reflection coefficient of the sample in at least a predefined spectral range or moisture dependent dielectric constants of the sample, while the weighing system measures the weight,
- wherein the sensor measuring the dielectric constants of the sample comprises at least one electrode.
A method, comprising:
- measuring the moisture dependent weight of a sample that rests on a pan of a weighing system;
- heating and drying the sample;
- and
- measuring, via a sensor, at least one of a moisture dependent absorption coefficient, transmission coefficient, and reflection coefficient of the sample in at least a predefined spectral range or moisture dependent dielectric constants of the sample, while measuring the moisture dependent weight of the sample,
- wherein the sensor measuring the dielectric constants of the sample comprises at least one electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.