OPTICAL PARTICLE DETECTING DEVICE AND PARTICLE DETECTING METHOD

• US 20130342838A1
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Azbil Corporation (Azbil BioVigilant Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Azbil Corporation (Azbil BioVigilant Incorporated)
• Inventors: KINUGASA, Seiichiro
• Application Number:
  US13/924,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342838A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/338
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1434 Optical arrangements

Abstract

An optical particle detecting device including a light source that emits an inspection light, a converting unit that converts the inspection light into collimated light, a focusing reflecting mirror that reflects toward a focal point the inspection light that has been converted into collimated light, a jet mechanism that causes an airstream including a particle to jet into the focal point of the focusing reflecting mirror, and a detecting portion that detects either scattered light or fluorescence produced by the particle included in the airstream being illuminated by the inspection light.

Claims

1. :

An optical particle detecting device comprising;

a light source that emits an inspection light;

a converting unit that converts the inspection light into collimated light;

a focusing reflecting mirror that reflects toward a focal point the inspection light that has been converted into collimated light;

a jet mechanism that causes an airstream including a particle to jet into the focal point of the focusing reflecting mirror; and

a detecting portion that detects either scattered light or fluorescence produced by the particle included in the airstream being illuminated by the inspection light.

2. :

The optical particle detecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the focusing reflecting mirror is a parabolic mirror.

3. :

The optical particle detecting device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising;

an achromatic lens disposed between the focal point of the focusing reflecting mirror and the light detecting portion.

4. :

The optical particle detecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the converting unit is a collimating lens.

5. :

The optical particle detecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the converting unit is a concave mirror.

6. :

The optical particle detecting device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the concave mirror is an off-axis parabolic mirror.

7. :

The optical particle detecting device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the concave mirror is an off-axis spherical mirror.

8. :

The optical particle detecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode.

9. :

A particle detecting method, comprising;

emitting an inspection light;

converting, by a converting unit, the inspection light into collimated light;

reflecting, by a focusing reflecting mirror having a focal point, the inspection light that has been converted into collimated light toward a focal point;

jetting an airstream including a particle into the focal point of the focusing reflecting mirror; and

detecting scattered light or fluorescence produced by the particle included in the airstream being illuminated by the inspection light.

10. :

The particle detecting method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the focusing reflecting mirror is a parabolic mirror.

11. :

The particle detecting method as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the detection of scattered light or fluorescence includes having the scattered light or fluorescence to be incident into an achromatic lens.

12. :

The particle detecting method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the converting unit is a collimating lens.

13. :

The particle detecting method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the converting unit is a concave mirror.

14. :

The particle detecting method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the concave mirror is an off-axis parabolic mirror.

15. :

The particle detecting method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the concave mirror is an off-axis spherical mirror.

16. :

The particle detecting method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the inspection light is emitted from a light-emitting diode.