Patent · US Expired

Optical particle analyzers

US4348111A · kind A · utility

93Cited by
11References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 30, 1979
Grant dateSep 7, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 30, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N15/0205
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical particle analyzer in which the size of a particle in a particle stream is determined from the intensity or the duration of light scattered from it. A laser beam is directed transversely onto the stream and scattering occurs at the beam focus. To ensure that only particles which traverse the center of the beam are considered, a smaller, validating beam concentric with the main beam also produces scattered light. A pulse from the narrow beam coincident with one from the broad beam confirms that the associated particle has passed through the center of the broad beam and warrants consideration and assessment. A further narrow beam spaced from the first provides a time delay, dependent on particle velocity, between interception of the two narrow beams by a particle. Particle velocity is thus measured.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.