Special purpose cuvette assembly and method for optical microscopy of nanoparticles in liquids
AssigneeManta Instruments, Inc.
InventorsJan J. Tatarkiewicz, Rick Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A special purpose cuvette assembly with features that create a small, restricted volume to minimize bulk movements of liquid and that minimize backscattering of light. The special-purpose cuvette assembly enables recording of Brownian movements of nanoparticles in a liquid when it is placed in a suitable optical device comprising a light sheet and an optical microscope attached to a video camera that is oriented perpendicular to the light-sheet plane.
Claims30
A system for viewing particles, the system comprising:
- a light source for generating an electromagnetic energy directed at a cuvette;
- a sensor external to said cuvette for detecting electromagnetic energy within the cuvette;
- and
- the cuvette comprising:
- exterior walls and a floor that define a volume, wherein at least a portion of the exterior walls is transparent to the electromagnetic energy, and wherein the volume is adapted to contain a suspension liquid and the particles;
- a viewing chamber comprising:
- an upper viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls and a lower viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls, wherein the upper and lower viewing chamber walls are substantially parallel to the floor;
- a reflecting wall adjacent to the upper and lower viewing chamber walls;
- a backscatter chamber separated from and in fluid communication with the viewing chamber, wherein the reflecting wall is adapted to reflect the electromagnetic energy into the backscatter chamber.
A cuvette for viewing particles, the cuvette comprising:
- exterior walls and a floor that define a volume wherein at least a portion of the exterior walls is transparent to electromagnetic energy, and wherein the volume is adapted to contain a suspension liquid and particles;
- a viewing chamber comprising:
- an upper viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls and a lower viewing chamber extending from the exterior walls, wherein the upper and lower viewing chamber walls are substantially parallel to the floor;
- a reflecting wall adjacent to the upper and lower viewing chamber walls;
- a backscatter chamber separated from and in fluid communication with the viewing chamber, wherein the reflecting wall is adapted to reflect the electromagnetic energy into the backscatter chamber.
An insert for a cuvette, wherein the cuvette comprises exterior walls and a floor that define a volume, wherein at least a portion of the exterior walls is transparent to electromagnetic energy, and wherein the volume is adapted to contain a suspension liquid and particles, the insert comprising:
- an upper viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls and a lower viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls, wherein the upper and lower viewing chamber walls are substantially parallel to the floor, wherein the upper and lower viewing chamber walls define a viewing chamber;
- a reflecting wall adjacent to the upper and lower viewing chamber walls;
- backscatter chamber walls extending parallel to the exterior walls, the backscatter chamber walls defining a backscatter chamber separated from and in fluid communication with the viewing chamber, wherein the reflecting wall is adapted to reflect the electromagnetic energy into the backscatter chamber.
An insert for a cuvette wherein the cuvette comprises exterior walls and a floor that define a volume 5 wherein at least a portion of the exterior walls is transparent to electromagnetic energy, and wherein the volume is adapted to contain a suspension liquid and particles, the insert comprising:
- an upper viewing chamber wall extending from the exterior walls, wherein the upper viewing chamber wall is substantially parallel to the floor, wherein the upper viewing chamber wall and the floor define a viewing chamber;
- a reflecting wall adjacent to the upper viewing chamber wall and floor;
- backscatter chamber walls extending parallel to the exterior walls, the backscatter chamber walls defining a backscatter chamber separated from and in fluid communication with the viewing chamber, wherein the reflecting wall is adapted to reflect the electromagnetic energy into the backscatter chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.