Method and apparatus for measuring particle motion using scattered radiation
OwnerJan Arwood Northbyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring particle motion using electromagnetic radiation uses beams of radiation modulated with a distinct frequency and/or phase. A particle traversing these beams scatters a portion of the radiation. Scattered radiation, which retains its modulation information, is then detected, and a cross-correlation technique is used to quantify the particle's motion, for example, particle velocity.
Claims38
An apparatus for measuring particle motion, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of beams of radiation, each of said plurality of beams modulated at a respective, pre-determined frequency and a respective, pre-determined phase, said plurality of beams of radiation directed to at least one particle;
- a detector positioned to receive radiation scattered from each of said plurality of beams by said at least one particle;
- and
- a processor in electrical communication with said detector, said processor cross-correlating radiation scattered from at least two of said plurality of beams by said at least one particle,
- wherein the apparatus is configured to measure the relative velocity between the beams of radiation and the at least one particle.
An apparatus for measuring particle motion, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of beams of radiation, each of said plurality of beams modulated at a respective, pre-determined frequency and a respective, pre-determined phase, said plurality of beams of radiation directed to at least one particle;
- a detector positioned to receive radiation scattered from each of said plurality of beams by said at least one particle;
- and
- a processor in electrical communication with said detector, said processor cross-correlating radiation scattered from at least two of said plurality of beams by said at least one particle,
- wherein the apparatus is configured to measure a time-of-flight distribution.
A method of measuring motion of a particle, the method comprising:
- directing radiation from a plurality of beams to at least one particle, each of said plurality of beams modulated at a respective, pre-determined frequency and a respective, pre-determined phase;
- detecting radiation scattered from each of said plurality of beams by said at least one particle;
- and
- cross-correlating said radiation scattered from at least two of said plurality of beams by said at least one particle to measure the motion of said at least one particle relative to the beams of radiation.
An apparatus for measuring particle motion, the apparatus comprising:
- two beams of radiation, each of said beams modulated at a respective, pre-determined frequency and a respective, pre-determined phase, said beams of radiation directed on at least one particle;
- a detector positioned to receive radiation scattered from said beams by said at least one particle;
- a processor in electrical communication with said detector, said processor cross-correlating radiation scattered from said beams by said at least one particle.
A method of measuring a plurality of particles, the method comprising the steps of:
- directing radiation from a plurality of beams to at least one particle, each of the plurality of beams modulated at a respective, pre-determined frequency and a respective, pre-determined phase;
- detecting radiation scattered from each of the plurality of beams by the at least one particle as a single signal, and
- extracting information associated with each of the plurality of beams from the single signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.