# US 8,771,484 B2 · Device for determination of parameters of particles in conductive solution and microscopic hole assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,484 B2 - Document ID: US8771484B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/615,480 - Filed: 2006-12-22 - Published: 2008-04-24 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-18 - Assignees: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Tianfeng Zhao; An Li; Huaming Xu - Inventors: Tianfeng Zhao; An Li; Huaming Xu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771484B2 ## CPC - G01N 15/131: {Details (G01N15/13 takes precedence)} - G01N 2015/133: {Flow forming} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract The present invention discloses a device for detecting blood cells and a microscopic hole sensor assembly thereof. The device includes a microscopic hole sensor assembly positioned between a front pool and a back pool. The microscopic hole sensor assembly further includes a microscopic hole plate with a microscopic hole positioned thereon for communicating the front pool and the back pool. The end surface of the inlet is a flow-guiding surface gradually narrowing from the front pool to the back pool. The end surface of the outlet is a downstream surface gradually distending and extending towards the back pool. A straight effective orifice area is formed connecting the ends of the flow-guiding surface and the downstream surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for determining one or more parameters of particles in a conductive solution, comprising: a front pool; a back pool spaced from the front pool; and a microscopic hole sensor assembly, comprising: a microscopic hole plate with a microscopic hole defined therein, the microscopic hole plate comprising an inlet on a front pool side and an outlet on a back pool side and communicating the front pool with the back pool; a first electrode and a second electrode respectively arranged in the front pool and the back pool configured for conducting an electric current between the front pool and the back pool via the conductive solution passing through the microscopic hole from the inlet to the outlet; a processing circuit connecting the first electrode and the second electrode, the processing circuit being configured for detecting the electric current or one or more changes in an electric field caused by the electric current and outputting a detection result, wherein an electrically conductive material that is a part of or is attached to the inlet forms at least a part of the first electrode and at least in part a flow-guiding surface which gradually narrows from the front pool side towards the back pool side, the outlet comprises or attaches to a fixed seat with a downstream surface gradually distending and extending towards the back pool to form an effective orifice configured for determining the one or more parameters of the particles in the microscopic hole, wherein the fixed seat, through which the particles exit the microscopic hole plate, does not support electrically conductive materials, and a first center axis of the first electrode or a second center axis of the second electrode substantially aligns with a third center axis of the microscopic hole. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microscopic hole sensor assembly further comprises a flow-guiding plate positioned at the end surface of the inlet, a front end surface of which plate functions as the flow-guiding surface, and a rear end surface of which is matchingly assembled with the front end surface of the microscopic hole plate to form an effective orifice area configured for accelerating liquid flow at a corresponding position within the microscopic hole. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flow-guiding plate is a good electric conductor and is configured to comprise the first electrode in the front pool. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the microscopic hole sensor assembly further comprises the fixed seat that is positioned at an end surface of the outlet on the back pool side, wherein the fixed seat comprises the downstream surface gradually distending and extending towards the back pool. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the back pool is configured to be a sealed pool; a negative pressure extracting outlet and the second electrode therein are outwardly positioned and aligned with the microscopic hole; and at least one inlet is positioned along the downstream surface for washing the back pool. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a thickness of the effective orifice area of the microscopic hole plate is 1.1 to 4 times of that of the flow-guiding plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the flow-guiding surface and the downstream surface is configured to comprise a bugle-shaped, circular, convex, conical, or concave whirly curved surface. ### Claim 8 A microscopic hole sensor assembly used in a device for determining one or more parameters of particles, the device comprising: a front pool and a back pool spaced from each other, the microscopic hole sensor assembly being positioned between the front pool and the back pool and comprising: a microscopic hole plate with a microscopic hole defined therein, the microscopic hole plate comprising an inlet on a front pool side and an outlet on a back pool side and communicating the front pool with the back pool; a first electrode and a second electrode respectively arranged in the front pool and the back pool and configured for conducting an electric current between the front pool and the back pool via a conductive solution passing through the microscopic hole from the inlet to the outlet; and a processing circuit connecting the first electrode and the second electrode, the processing circuit being configured for detecting the electric current or one or more changes in an electric field caused by the electric current and outputting a detection result, wherein an electrically conductive material that is a part of or is attached to the inlet forms at least a part of the first electrode and at least in part a flow-guiding surface which gradually narrows from the front pool side to the back pool side so as to form an effective orifice configured for determining the one or more parameters of the particles in the microscopic hole, the outlet comprises or attaches to a fixed seat with a downstream surface gradually distending and extending towards the back pool, wherein the fixed seat, through which the particles exit the microscopic hole plate, does not support electrically conductive materials, and a first center axis of the first electrode or a second center axis of the second electrode is aligned with a third center axis of the microscopic hole. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein a rear end of the outlet comprises a first downstream surface gradually distending and extending towards the back pool. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the microscopic hole sensor assembly further comprises a flow-guiding plate positioned at the front end of the inlet, a front end of the flow-guiding plate functions as the flow-guiding surface, while the rear end surface of which is matchingly assembled with the front end of the microscopic hole plate to form an effective orifice area configured for accelerating liquid flow at a corresponding position within the microscopic hole. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the flow-guiding plate comprises an electrically conductive material and is configured to comprise the first electrode in the front pool. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the microscopic hole sensor assembly further comprises the fixed seat that is positioned on an end surface at the rear end of the outlet on the back pool side, wherein the fixed seat comprises the downstream surface gradually distending and extending outwardly from the end surface of the outlet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the flow-guiding surface and the downstream surface is configured to comprise a bugle-shaped, circular, convex, conical, or concave whirly curved surface. ### Claim 14 A microscopic hole sensor assembly used in a device for determining parameters of particles, the device comprising: a front pool and a back pool spaced from each other, the microscopic hole sensor assembly being positioned between the front pool and the back pool; a microscopic hole plate with a microscopic hole defined therein, the microscopic hole plate comprising an inlet on a front pool side and an outlet on a back pool side and communicating the front pool with the back pool; a first electrode and a second electrode respectively arranged in the front pool and the back pool and configured for conducting an electric current between the front pool and the back pool via a conductive solution passing through the microscopic hole from the inlet to the outlet; and a processing circuit connecting the first electrode and the second electrode, the processing circuit being configured for detecting the electric current or one or more changes in an electric field caused by the electric current and outputting a detection result, wherein an electrically conductive material that is a part of or is attached to the inlet forms at least a part of the first electrode and at least in part a flow-guiding surface which gradually narrows from the front pool side towards the back pool side, and the outlet comprises a downstream surface which gradually distends and extends from the front pool side to the back pool side to form an effective orifice configured for detection in the microscopic hole, wherein the fixed seat, through which the particles exit the microscopic hole plate, does not support electrically conductive materials, and a first center axis of the first electrode or a second center axis of the second electrode is aligned with a third center axis of the microscopic hole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the microscopic hole sensor assembly further comprises the fixed seat that is positioned on an end surface on the back pool side of the outlet, wherein the fixed seat comprises the downstream surface gradually distending and extending outwardly from the rear end of the outlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the downstream surface is configured to comprise a bugle-shaped circular, convex, conical, or concave whirly curved surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The microscopic hole sensor assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein both the first center axis and the second center axis are aligned with the third center axis of the microscopic hole. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to align with an imaginary line connecting the first center axis of the first electrode and the second center axis of the second electrode with the third center axis of the microscopic hole. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive solution flows from the inlet to the outlet due to a negative pressure in the back pool. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode comprises an integral part of the flow-guiding surface.