US3910702A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for detecting particles employing apertured light emitting device
Assignee: Particle Technology Inc
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Filing: 1974-02-12
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Granted: 1975-10-07
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Expires: 1994-02-12
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for detecting particles suspended in a fluid medium wherein the particles pass through a light path modulating the light path and wherein the light path modulation is detected to detect the particles. The apparatus includes a light emitting device having an aperture passing through the device. The light path is developed by the device within the aperture interior and transverse to the aperture.
Inventors
- 👤 James A Corll
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 17:35
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N15/00; G01N15/10; G01N15/1031; G01N15/12; G01N15/13; G01N15/14; G01N15/1456; G01N15/1459; G01N15/1434; G01N15/149; G01N2015/1486; G01N2015/1493
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
An apparatus for detecting particles suspended in a fluid medium including in combination: a light emitting device for developing a plane of light, said light emitting device having a bore therethrough, said plane of light extending interior to said bore and transverse to the axis of said bore, means for coupling the particles suspended in the fluid medium to said bore, and detection means for detecting a first signal developed in response to said particles passing through said bore and through said plane of light.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
85 words
An apparatus for detecting particles suspended in a fluid medium including in combination: a light emitting device for developing a plane of light, said light emitting device having a bore therethrough, said plane of light extending interior to said bore and transverse to the axis of said bore, means for coupling the particles suspended in the fluid medium to said bore, and detection means for detecting a first signal developed in response to said particles passing through said bore and through said plane of light.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including counter means coupled to said detection means and operative in response to said first signal to count the particles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first signal is a reflected light signal developed in response to the particles passing through said plane of light, said reflected light signal extending in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said bore, said detection means including light detection means for detecting said reflected light.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said light detection means includes photoresponsive means operative in response to said reflected light to develop second signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 4 further including counter means coupled to said photoresponsive means and operative in response to said second signals to count the particles.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the particles have particular characteristics, said reflected light having an intensity related to said particular particle characteristics, said photoresponsive means including photoelectric means operative to develop electrical second signals varying in accordance with the intensity of said reflected light.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 6 further including analyzer means coupled to said photoelectric means and operative in response to said electrical second signals to identify said particular particle characteristics.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the particles have particular characteristics, said reflected light having a duration related to said particular particle characteristics, said photoresponsive means including photoelectric means operative to develop electrical second signals varying in accordance with the duration of said reflected light.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 8 further including analyzer means coupled to said photoelectric means and operative in response to said electrical second signals to identify said particular particle characteristics.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particles suspended in the fluid medium passing through said plane of light in said bore fluoresce in response to said plane of light and develop said signal, said first signal including particular wavelengths of light related to particular characteristics of the particles, said detection means including light detector means for detecting said particular wavelengths of light.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 10 further including analyzer means coupled to said light detector means and operative in response to said first signal including particular wavelengths of light to identify the particular characteristics of the particles.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said analyzer means further includes counter means operative in response to said first signal to count the particles.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the particles suspended in the fluid medium passing through said plane of light in said bore fluoresce in response tO said plane of light and develop a second signal, said second signal including particular wavelengths of light related to particular characteristics of the particles and light detector means for detecting said second signals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 13 further including analyzer means coupled to said light detector means and operative in response to said second signal including particular wavelengths of light to identify said particular characteristics of the particles.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 14 further including counter means coupled to said detection means and operative in response to said first signal to count said particles.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
72 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including housing means defining a chamber therein, said means for coupling the particles suspended in said fluid medium to said bore including entry means formed in said housing, mounting means secured in said chamber for mounting said light emitting device, said bore forming a passage from said chamber, the fluid medium being introduced into said entry means, said bore means allowing exit of the fluid medium.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the fluid medium has a conductivity different than the particles and including means for establishing a stable electrical current path through said bore, the particles passing through said bore modulating said current, and current detecting means operative in response to said modulated current to develop a second signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first signal is a reflected light signal developed in response to the particles passing through said plane of light, said reflected light signal extending in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said bore, said detection means including light detection means for detecting said reflected light.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the particles have particular characteristics, said reflected light having at least one of an intensity and duration related to said particular particle characteristics, said light detection means including photoelectric detection means operative to develop electrical first signals varying in accordance with at least one of the intensity and duration of said reflected light.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said light emitting device includes at least one light emitting diode.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 19 further including analyzer means coupled to said photoelectric detection means and operative in response to said electrical first signals to identify said particular particle characteristics.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said analyzer means includes counter means operative in response to said electrical signals first to count the particles.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
65 words
An apparatus for optically detecting particles suspended in a fluid medium wherein the particles pass through a light path modulating the light path and wherein the modulated light path is detected for optically detecting the particles, comprising a light emitting semiconductor device for developing the light path, said device having an aperture passing therethrough, the light path extending interior to said aperture and transverse thereto.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
65 words
An apparatus for optically detecting particles suspended in a fluid medium wherein the particles pass through a light path modulating the light path and wherein the modulated light path is detected for optically detecting the particles, comprising a light emitting semiconductor device for developing the light path, said device having an aperture passing therethrough, the light path extending interior to said aperture and transverse thereto.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 20 further including a source of electrical potential coupled to said light emitting device, said light emitting device being operative in response to said electrical potential to develop said light path.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said light emitting device is a light emitting diode.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
the apparatus of claim 23 further including photoresponsive means operative to detect the modulation of the light path for optically detecting the particles.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said photoresponsive means includes photoelectric detector means operative in response to the modulation of the light path to develop a first signal and detection means coupled to said photoelectric means and operative in response to said first signal to detect the particles.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 27 wheRein said detection means includes analyzer means operative in response to said first signal to identify particular characteristics of the particles.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said detection means includes counter means operative in response to said first signal to count passage of the particles through said light path.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for detecting particles suspended in a fluid medium including in combination, a semiconductor device having a bore passing therethrough, said semiconductor device being operative to develop a light path extending interior to said bore and transverse to the axis of said bore, means for coupling the particles suspended in the fluid medium to said bore for passing the particles through said bore and, detection means for detecting modulation of said light path in response to the particles in said fluid medium passing through said bore and through said light path.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for detecting particles suspended in a fluid medium including in combination, a semiconductor device having a bore passing therethrough, said semiconductor device being operative to develop a light path extending interior to said bore and transverse to the axis of said bore, means for coupling the particles suspended in the fluid medium to said bore for passing the particles through said bore and, detection means for detecting modulation of said light path in response to the particles in said fluid medium passing through said bore and through said light path.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 30 further including a source of electrical potential coupled to said semiconductor device, said semiconductor device being operative in response to application of said electrical potential to develop said light path.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said semiconductor device is a light emitting diode.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said detection means includes photoelectric means operative in response to modulation of said light path to develop a first signal, and detector means coupled to said photoelectric means and operative in response to said first signal to detect the particles.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the particles have particular characteristics, said light path being modulated in accordance with said particular particle characteristics, said first signal developed by said photoelectric means varying in accordance with said modulation of said light path, said detector means including first analyzer means operative in responce to said varying first signal to identify said particular particle characteristics.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said bore in said semiconductor device forms a Coulter aperture and further including, current means for establishing an electrical current path through said aperture, said current path being modulated by passage of the particles through said bore, and current detection means coupled to said current means and operative in response to modulation of said current path to detect the passage of the particles.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
80 words
The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the particles fluoresce in response to passage through said light path and develop particular wavelengths of light related to particular characteristics of said particles and further including, optical detection means operative in response to receipt of said particular wavelengths of light to develop second signals representative of said particular characteristics, and second analyzer means coupled to said optical detector means and operative in response to said second signals to identify said particular particle characteristics.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus of claim 36 further including, droplet developing means operative to form a droplet of the fluid medium surrounding each of the particles upon passage of the particles through said bore, charging means operative in response to passage of said droplet to charge said droplet to a predetermined potential, and, deflection means operative in response to passage of said charged droplet to deflect said droplet in a path in accordance with the charge on said droplet.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said first analyzer means develops first identification signals for identifying said particular particle characteristics and said second analyzer means develops second identification signals for identifying said particular particle characteristics, and further including logic means coupled to said first and second analyzer means and said charging means and operative in response to said first and second identification signals To charge said droplet to said predetermined potential.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said current detection means develops current detection signals in response to said modulation of said current path, said logic circuit means being further operative in response to said current detection signals to charge said droplet to said predetermined potential.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said logic circuit means is a computer.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said semiconductor device is a light emitting diode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3770349A
Cited
US3710933A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-06 | 1979-04-07 | 1979-10-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-06 | 1983-04-07 | 1983-10-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-06 | 1987-04-07 | 1987-10-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |