SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IN-LINE MONITORING OF PARTICLES IN OPAGQUE FLOWS

• US 20100231910A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: MAVLIEV, Rashid
• Application Number:
  US12/785,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231910A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/336
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1436 the optical arrangement forming an integrated apparatus with the sample container, e.g. a flow cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1493 Particle size
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0378 Shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/513 Cuvettes for scattering measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/51 inside a container, e.g. in an ampoule G01N21/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for particle monitoring. An exemplary method includes confining a flowable sample which is opaque to at least a first range of wavelengths of light waves; measuring transparency of the flowable sample; compressing the flowable sample in a first direction while confining the sample in a second direction parallel to a flow direction of the flowable sample and orthogonal to the first direction, while elongating the sample in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions. When the sample is compressed in the first direction, the sample becomes transparent to at least one of the wavelengths in the first range of wavelengths, and the method can include identifying characteristics of particles contained in the sample which has been compressed.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A particle monitoring system, comprising:

a cuvette for receiving a flowable sample;

a transparent flow compression element located within the cuvette and configured to compress the flowable sample in a first direction while controlling the sample in a second direction parallel to the direction of flow and orthogonal to the first direction while elongating the sample in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, wherein when the sample is compressed in the first direction it becomes transparent to at least one wavelength of light; and

a monitor for monitoring the flowable sample using the at least one wavelength.

28. A method of particle monitoring, comprising:

confining a flowable;

measuring transparency of the flowable sample;

compressing the flowable sample in a first direction while confining the sample in a second direction parallel to a flow direction of the flowable sample and orthogonal to the first direction, while elongating the sample in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, wherein when the sample is compressed in the first direction, the sample becomes transparent to at least one wavelength of light; and

identifying characteristics of particles contained in the sample that has been compressed.