Patent · US Expired

Highly sensitive particle size detection device having noise cancellation

US4893928A · kind A · utility

73Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 13, 1988
Grant dateJan 16, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 13, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/391
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A detection device is disclosed for determining particle size from particle effected light scattering in a sensing region illuminated by a laser beam and receiving the particles in a medium, such as air. Background light from molecular scattering is reduced to a level that enables light scattered by particles having a size of at least as low as about 0.1 micron to be sensed in a high background of molecular scattering such as, for example, where molecular scattering can exceed the 0.1 micron particle's scattering by one hundred times. High sensitivity at high molecular scattering background is achieved through use of a linear array of detectors positioned, with respect to an imaging system, so that each detector monitors a different portion of the sensing region and provides an electrical output signal indicative of sensed particle presence within that portion monitored, with the output signals from the detectors being parallel processed and with the output signals from detectors monitoring non-adjacent portions of the sensing region being combined at noise cancellation units.

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