US5229849A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laser doppler spectrometer for the statistical study of the behavior of microscopic organisms
Assignee: University of Delaware
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Filing: 1992-01-15
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Granted: 1993-07-20
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Expires: 2012-01-15
Abstract
Abstract An improved method and system of monitoring and identifying microbiota swimming in a fluid or moving across surfaces in a fluid provides a sensitive method for rapidly measuring very small changes in activity, and detecting and identifying individual microbes in relatively large volumes of fluid, even in the presence of detritus. The system comprises a laser station, a sample collector station, a picture taking station and a monitoring station.
Inventors
- 👤 C. M. Pleass
- 👤 Bin Zheng
- 👤 Charles S. Ih
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:51
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12M; C12M41/00; C12M41/30; C12M41/36; C12M41/46; C12Q; C12Q1/00; C12Q1/02; C12Q1/04; G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/49; G01P; G01P11/00; G01P11/02; G01P13/00; G01P5/00; G01P5/26; H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/18; H04N7/183
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A system for monitoring microbe form and activity in a fluid sample comprising: a laser station; a sample collector section; a picture taking station; and a monitor station; said sample collection station being adapted to hold the fluid sample, laser emitting means in said laser station for directing a laser beam at the fluid sample in said sample collector station with the beam being diffracted by microorganisms in the sample and to said picture taking station, picture taking means in said picture taking station for taking a picture of the activity in the sample in accordance with the diffracted beam, a photodetector for monitoring Doppler shifted frequencies and monitor means in said monitor station for converting said picture to an analyzable record of the activity.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
125 words
A system for monitoring microbe form and activity in a fluid sample comprising: a laser station; a sample collector section; a picture taking station; and a monitor station; said sample collection station being adapted to hold the fluid sample, laser emitting means in said laser station for directing a laser beam at the fluid sample in said sample collector station with the beam being diffracted by microorganisms in the sample and to said picture taking station, picture taking means in said picture taking station for taking a picture of the activity in the sample in accordance with the diffracted beam, a photodetector for monitoring Doppler shifted frequencies and monitor means in said monitor station for converting said picture to an analyzable record of the activity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system for monitoring life in fluids as claimed in claim 1 wherein said picture taking means is a camera.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system for monitoring life in fluids as claimed in claim 1 wherein said picture taking means is a video camera.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monitor means is a VCR.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monitor means consist of a VCR and a Television.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monitor means consist of a frame grabber, a computer and a monitor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sample collector station comprises a holder and said holder is adapted to an interrupted flow system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 1, further comprising of at least one lens station before said sample collector directing said laser beam for said laser station to said sample collector station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said laser station comprises a helium neon laser.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said laser station comprises a solid state laser diodes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sample collector station allows free exchange of dissolved gasses with the surrounding air.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid as claimed in claim 11, wherein said sample collector station comprises a holder and said holder is made of glass.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a laser beam splitter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system has two independent laser beams.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a blocker slide between said sample collection station and said picture taking station for blocking out of a selected portion the undiffracted laser beam.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 15, wherein said monitor means consist of a VCR and a Television.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 15, wherein said monitor means consist of a frame grabber, a computer and a monitor.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid sample comprising: emitting a laser beam from a laser, scattering or diffracting the laser light from bodies in the fluid sample in accordance with microbe activity, taking a picture of the microbe activity in the sample from the beam diffracted from the sample, and monitoring the picture to monitor the microbe activity, wherein said fluid sample is selected from the group consisting of blood, water, industrial process fluid and beverage, and including a step of comparing the microbe activity in the picture with a reference standard.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity in a fluid sample comprising: emitting a laser beam from a laser, scattering or diffracting the laser light from bodies in the fluid sample in accordance with microbe activity, taking a picture of the microbe activity in the sample from the beam diffracted from the sample, and monitoring the picture to monitor the microbe activity, wherein said fluid sample is selected from the group consisting of blood, water, industrial process fluid and beverage, and including a step of comparing the microbe activity in the picture with a reference standard.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, including the step of blocking a portion of the laser beam after the beam has been passed through the sample and before the picture is taken.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the monitoring consists of a VCR and a Television.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein said monitoring consists of a frame grabber, a computer and a monitor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the taking a picture is by a camera.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the taking a picture is by a video camera.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the monitoring consists using a VCR.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fluid sample is waste water in a sewage disposal plant, and including the step of comparing the microbe activity in the picture with a reference standard.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein additional information given by Doppler shifted frequencies is gathered together and monitored.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fluid sample is blood, and including the step of comparing the microbe activity in the picture with a reference standard.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fluid sample is a beverage, and including the step of comparing the microbe activity in the picture with a reference standard.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fluid sample is an industrial process fluid, and including the step of comparing the microbe activity in the picture with a reference standard.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the sample flows through a transparent vessel, stopping the flow for a period of examination, restarting the flow and intermittently restarting the flow during corresponding periods of examination.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein means are provided for maintaining the image of the microbe in a preferred position on a monitor screen.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 18, wherein the microbe is a parasite.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method for monitoring microbe activity as claimed in claim 32, wherein the parasite is a giardia parasite.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-07-19 | 1997-01-18 | 1997-07-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-07-19 | 2001-01-18 | 2001-07-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-07-19 | 2005-01-18 | 2005-07-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |