Scanner element for coulter particle apparatus

Claim 2

In a particle studying apparatus the improvement comprising a scanner element including a wall of electrically insulative material having an orifice therein and a wafer being of a flat disc configuration and having an aperture therein secured to said wall over said orifice whereby liquid flow from one side of the wall to the other will pass through said aperture, while an electric current also flows through the aperture, a signal being produced each time a particle passes through the aperture, said wafer being of a material of electrically insulative property and thermal conductivity of at least 50 Btu/hr/sq ft/*F/ft, such as to reduce excessive noise in the aperture, improve the signal-tonoise ratio, and increase sensitivity of the scanner Element.

Claim 3

The scanner element as claimed in claim 1 in which the wafer is fusedly secured to said wall.

Claim 4

The scanner element as claimed in claim 1 in which the wafer is adhered to said wall.

Claim 5

The scanner element as claimed in claim 1 in which the wafer is formed of an oxide of beryllium.

Claim 6

The scanner element as claimed in claim 2 in which the wafer is formed of an oxide of beryllium.

Claim 7

The scanner element as claimed in claim 3 in which the wafer is formed of an oxide of beryllium.

Claim 8

The scanner element as claimed in claim 4 in which the wall is formed of glass.

Claim 9

The scanner element as claimed in claim 7 in which the glass is of the soda-lime variety.

Claim 10

The scanner element as claimed in claim 1 in which the wafer has metallic means engaged therewith to serve as heat conduit means, said metallic means comprising separate members engaged against opposite faces of said wafer.

Claim 11

The scanner element as claimed in claim 9 in which said separate members surround said aperture at opposite ends thereof and come in close proximity thereto.

Claim 12

The scanner element as claimed in claim 9 in which said separate members comprise electrodes adopted to be connected to a Coulter particle device.

Claim 13

In particle studying apparatus which includes a vessel having an aperture therein through which fluids carrying suspensions of particles are adapted to pass, the passage of a particle through the aperture resulting in a change of the impedance of the fluid in the aperture, and in which electrical means are provided to detect the passage of particles in terms of the change in impedance, the improvement comprising, a scanner element which comprises a wall of insulating material having an orifice therein, a substantially inert wafer having a flat disc configuration and being of electrically insulative material and having thermal conductivity of at least 50 Btu/hr/sq ft/*F/ft and having an aperture therein secured to said wall in face-to-face engagement and with the aperture and orifice aligned, wherein excessive noise in the aperture is reduced, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, and the sensitivity of the scanner elmement is increased.

Claim 14

In particle studying apparatus which includes a vessel having an aperture therein through which fluids carrying suspensions of particles are adapted to pass, the passage of a particle through the aperture resulting in a change of the impedance of the fluid in the aperture, and in which electrical means are provided to detect the passage of particles in terms of the change in impedance, the improvement comprising, a scanner element which comprises a wall of insulating material having an orifice therein, a substantially inert wafer having a flat disc configuration and being of electrically insulative material and having thermal conductivity of at least 50 Btu/hr/sq ft/*F/ft and having an aperture therein secured to said wall in face-to-face engagement and with the aperture and orifice aligned, wherein excessive noise in the aperture is reduced, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, and the sensitivity of the scanner elmement is increased.

Claim 15

The structure as claimed in claim 12 in which the aperture is of right cylindrical configuration and having a sharp entrance edge.

Claim 16

The structure as claimed in claim 12 in which the wafer is formed of an oxide of beryllium.

Claim 17

The structure as claimed in claim 13 in which the wafer is formed of beryllium oxide.

Claim 18

An aperture tube for use with a Coulter particle apparatus comprising an elongate glass tube having an orifice in its wall adjacent the lower end thereof, an electrically insulative wafer being of a flat disc configuration and having thermal conductivity of at least 50 Btu/hr/sq ft/*F/ft engaged to said wall and blocking said orifice and there being a through aperture in said wafer aligned with said orifice, wherein excessive noise in the aperture is reduced, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, and the sensitivity of the aperture tube is increased.

Claim 19

An aperture tube for use with a Coulter particle apparatus comprising an elongate glass tube having an orifice in its wall adjacent the lower end thereof, an electrically insulative wafer being of a flat disc configuration and having thermal conductivity of at least 50 Btu/hr/sq ft/*F/ft engaged to said wall and blocking said orifice and there being a through aperture in said wafer aligned with said orifice, wherein excessive noise in the aperture is reduced, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, and the sensitivity of the aperture tube is increased.

Claim 20

The aperture tube as claimed in claim 15 in which the wafer is formed of an oxide of beryllium.