FLOW-THROUGH CHAMBER FOR PHOTOMETERS TO MEASURE AND COUNT PARTICLES IN A DISPERSION MEDIUM

• US 3,761,187 A
• Filed: 12/23/1971
• Issued: 09/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wolfgang H. Gohde, Wolfgang M. Dittrich
• Original Assignee: Wolfgang H. Gohde, Wolfgang M. Dittrich
• Inventors: Dittrich, Wolfgang M., Gohde, Wolfgang H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Application Number:
  US05/211,798
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 356/244,245,246,96,97,51 250/435R,218
• US Class Current: 356/246
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1484 microstructural devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1486 Counting the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1493 Particle size
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/101 by electro-optical means

Abstract

A particle measuring and counting device comprises a flowthrough chamber having a conduit for the dispersion medium. The central vertical nozzle of the conduit is disposed with its opening in the sharply focussed object plane of a microscope and uniformly illuminated from below or by incident illumination. Electronic counting and recording devices are coupled to the output of the microscope for analyzing light pulses occuring in the nozzle when particles pass therethrough.

Claims

1. A flow-through chamber for photometric measurement and counting of particles in a dispersion medium, comprising:

a transparent top plate;

a base plate in parallel spaced relation to said top plate;

means, located between said plates, for defining, in conjunction with said plates, inlet and outlet channels having a first axis and second axis, respectively;

said first and second axes lying in planes which are in parallel spaced relationship;

means for defining a passage for connecting adjacent ends of said channels;

said passage having an axis perpendicular to said first and second axes and having a reduced diameter midportion including a nozzle having a circular cross-section.

2. A flow-through chamber according to claim 1, wherein said means for defining said inlet and outlet channels includes an intermediate plate located between and parallel to said top and base plates.

3. A flow-through chamber according to claim 1, wherein said means for defining a passage includes means defining first and second frusto-conical portions coinciding at and converging to said nozzle.

4. A flow-through chamber according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle is located in a plane parallel to said first and second axes.

5. A flow-through chamber according to claim 1, wherein said base plate is transparent.

6. A flow-through chamber according to claim 1, wherein said means for defining a passage includes an intermediate plate located between and parallel to said top and base plates.

7. A flow-through chamber according to claim 1, wherein the sum of the dimensions of said first and second channels in the direction perpendicular to said first and second axes is approximately equal to the spacing between said top and base plates.

8. A flow-through chamber, for use With photometers having an optical axis to measure and count particles in a dispersion medium flowing through said chamber, comprising:

a transparent top plate;

a base plate in parallel spaced relation to said top plate;

means, located between said plates, for defining in conjunction with said plates inlet and outlet channels having a first axis and second axis, respectively;

said first and second axes lying in planes which are in parallel spaced relationship with each other and with said top and base plates;

means for defining a passage for connecting adjacent ends of said channels;

said passage having an axis perpendicualr to said first and second axes and parallel to said optical axis of said photometer, and having a reduced diameter midportion including a nozzle having a circular cross-section.