MOTION MODULATION FLUIDIC ANALYZER SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A fluid analyzer, comprising:
- an optical source and an optical detector defining a beam path of an optical beam;
a fluid flow cell disposed on the beam path defining an interrogation region in a fluid channel in the fluid flow cell in which the optical beam interacts with a fluid;
one or more flow-control devices configured to conduct an analyte fluid and a reference fluid stream through the fluid channel, a fluid boundary region component separating the analyte and reference fluids when flowing together through the fluid channel;
a motion control device operative in response to a motion modulation signal to position the interrogation region within the fluid channel; and
a controller operative (1) to generate the motion modulation signal having a time-varying characteristic to cause the interrogation region to be moved across the fluid boundary accordingly, (2) to sample an output signal from the optical detector at one interval of the motion modulation signal during which the interrogation region contains more analyte fluid than reference fluid and at a second interval during which the interrogation region contains more reference fluid than analyte fluid, thereby generating corresponding output signal samples, and (3) to determine from the output signal samples a measurement value indicative of an optically measured characteristic of the analyte fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid analyzer includes an optical source and an optical detector defining an optical beam path through an interrogation region of a fluid flow cell. Motion control devices determine position of the interrogation region. Flow-control devices conduct analyte and reference fluids and manipulate fluid flow in response to control signals to position a fluid boundary across the interrogation region. A controller (1) generates a time-varying motion modulation signal to move the interrogation region across the fluid boundary, (2) samples an output signal from the optical detector at one time in which the interrogation region contains more analyte fluid than reference fluid and at a time at which the interrogation region contains more reference fluid than analyte fluid, thereby generating corresponding output signal samples, and (3) determines from the output signal samples a measurement value indicative of an optically measured characteristic of the analyte fluid.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A fluid analyzer, comprising:
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an optical source and an optical detector defining a beam path of an optical beam; a fluid flow cell disposed on the beam path defining an interrogation region in a fluid channel in the fluid flow cell in which the optical beam interacts with a fluid; one or more flow-control devices configured to conduct an analyte fluid and a reference fluid stream through the fluid channel, a fluid boundary region component separating the analyte and reference fluids when flowing together through the fluid channel; a motion control device operative in response to a motion modulation signal to position the interrogation region within the fluid channel; and a controller operative (1) to generate the motion modulation signal having a time-varying characteristic to cause the interrogation region to be moved across the fluid boundary accordingly, (2) to sample an output signal from the optical detector at one interval of the motion modulation signal during which the interrogation region contains more analyte fluid than reference fluid and at a second interval during which the interrogation region contains more reference fluid than analyte fluid, thereby generating corresponding output signal samples, and (3) to determine from the output signal samples a measurement value indicative of an optically measured characteristic of the analyte fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A fluid analyzer, comprising:
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an optical source and an optical detector defining a beam path of an optical beam; a fluid flow cell disposed on the beam path defining an interrogation region in a fluid channel in the fluid flow cell in which the optical beam interacts with a fluid; one or more flow-control devices configured to conduct an analyte fluid and a reference fluid stream through the fluid channel, a fluid boundary region separating the analyte and reference fluids when flowing together through the fluid channel; a controller operative (1) to generate a motion modulation signal having a time-varying characteristic to cause the interrogation region to be moved relative to the fluid boundary accordingly, (2) to sample an output signal from the optical detector at one interval of the motion modulation signal during which the interrogation region contains more boundary region fluid than analyte and reference fluid and at a second interval during which the interrogation region contains more analyte or reference fluid than boundary region fluid, thereby generating corresponding output signal samples, and (3) to determine from the output signal samples a measurement value indicative of an optically measured characteristic of the interaction of the analyte and reference fluids. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A fluid analyzer, comprising:
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an optical source and an optical detector defining a beam path of an optical beam; a fluid flow cell disposed on the beam path defining an interrogation region in a fluid channel in the fluid flow cell in which the optical beam interacts with a fluid; one or more flow-control devices configured to conduct an analyte fluid and a reference fluid stream through the fluid channel, a fluid boundary region separating the analyte and reference fluids when flowing together through the fluid channel; a controller operative (1) to sample an output signal from a transducer to detect a particle within the fluid channel, (2) to generate a motion modulation signal having a time-varying characteristic to cause the particle to be moved relative to the interrogation region, (3) to sample the output signal from the optical detector at one interval of the motion modulation signal during which the interrogation region contains substantially the particle and at a second interval during which the interrogation region contains substantially the fluid surrounding the particle, thereby generating corresponding output signal samples, and (4) to determine from the output signal samples a measurement value indicative of an optically measured characteristic of the particle. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification