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Method and apparatus for quantitative particle determination in fluids

  • US 6,315,955 B1
  • Filed: 01/16/1998
  • Issued: 11/13/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for quantitative particle determination in fluids having a particle content, said apparatus comprising:

  • an emitter set comprising one or more light emitters, each acting as a point light source, providing one or more sample light signals as output;

    a detector set comprising one or more light detectors sensitive to the output of the light emitters, wherein the sample light signals from a plurality of discrete sample light signal paths between the emitter and detector sets are received by the detector set during analysis of a sample, the detector set being operable to discern between different sample light signal paths;

    a signal connection adapted for communicating information received from the detector set to a processor for processing one or more values indicative of the presence of particles within a sample fluid; and

    a feedback detector positioned to receive incident light from an emitter of said emitter set;

    said feedback detector providing an output used to compensate for any drifting of the emitter'"'"'s output from a predetermined ideal norm through either or both of;

    i) control of the emitter'"'"'s output, and ii) influencing the sensitivity of at least one light detector to match the light output of said emitter;

    the detector set providing, for a plurality of different sample light signal paths, individual output values which can be evaluated by a processor for providing a value indicative of the fluid particle content of the fluid sample being analyzed.

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