Method and apparatus for rapid particle identification utilizing scattered light histograms
US6421121B1 · kind B1 · utility
22Cited by
4References
27Claims
0Family size
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Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 10, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jul 16, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 10, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2015/1486
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Unique methods and apparatus are provided for rapidly identifying microscopic particles, such as protozoa and other microbes suspended in a fluid or gas. In one embodied form, the method comprises illuminating the particles to be detected with an intense light source such as a laser, detecting scattered light by means of an array of optical sensors surrounding a detection zone, converting the detected light to an electrical signal, and comparing the derived signal with at least one frequency-of-occurrence/probability histogram curve to qualitatively and/or quantitatively identify the microscopic particles present.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.