Method and arrangement for monitoring a separating liquid stream
First Claim
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1. An arrangement for monitoring a separating liquid stream, comprising:
- a detection device operable for detection of a variable position of a separation point at which individual drops separate from a column of liquid by detecting a pixel image;
an evaluation device operable for evaluation of the detected position of the separation point with respect to at least one predetermined position boundary value by row or column analysis of the image, the evaluation device comparing the detected position with the at least one position boundary value; and
an acting device that is set into action upon the detected position deviating more than a predetermined distance from a predetermined reference position as determined by the evaluation device.
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Abstract
A method and an arrangement by which separating liquid streams, such as occur for example in cell sorters, are monitored automatically. An image of the separating liquid streams is recorded and the position of a separation point at which the drops separate from a column of liquid is found using image analysis methods. Various solution possibilities are indicated for the suitable preparation of the image information for easier processing.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An arrangement for monitoring a separating liquid stream, comprising:
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a detection device operable for detection of a variable position of a separation point at which individual drops separate from a column of liquid by detecting a pixel image; an evaluation device operable for evaluation of the detected position of the separation point with respect to at least one predetermined position boundary value by row or column analysis of the image, the evaluation device comparing the detected position with the at least one position boundary value; and an acting device that is set into action upon the detected position deviating more than a predetermined distance from a predetermined reference position as determined by the evaluation device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for monitoring a separating liquid stream, comprising the steps of:
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acquiring a pixel image of a separation point at which individual drops separate from a column of liquid; determining a position of the separation point in the image by row or column analysis of the image, thereof; comparing the determined position of the separation point to at least one boundary value for the position; and introducing a measure dependent on the determined position deviating more than a predetermined distance from a predetermined reference point based on said comparison. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An arrangement for monitoring a separating liquid stream, comprising:
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a detection device operable for detection of a variable position of a separation point at which individual drops separate from a column of liquid, the detection device being a monitoring camera that is connected to and that operates together with image storage devices for storing at least one momentary photograph of the separation point; a computer operable for evaluation of the detected position of the separation point in dependence on at least one predetermined position boundary value, the computer comparing the detected position with the at least one position boundary value, the computer being structured such that a graphic evaluation of the position boundary value is based on row or column analysis of pixel information stored as a momentary image, the position boundary value being predetermined in the form of pixel coordinate values; an alarm device that is activated by a result of the comparing that indicates the detected position deviating more than a predetermined distance from a predetermined reference position as determined by the computer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification