Patent EP0556971A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0556971A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
An apparatus for investigating particles in a fluid, and a method of operation thereof
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
•
Filing: 1993-02-02
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2013-02-02
Abstract
Abstract In order to investigate particles in a fluid, a flow cell (1) causes the fluid to flow past a sensor (16) which receives light from a continuous light emission system (76). When the sensor (16) detects a change in light, a particle detector (35) is triggered, which in turn triggers a pulse generator (34) and hence an intermittent light emission system (75). Light then illuminates the flow cell (1) to allow a CCD camera (15) to photograph the particle. The photographs taken by the CCD camera (15) are analyzed by an image processor (32). In order to obtain an accurate particle concentration measurement, it is necessary to modify the initial concentration measurement derived from the analysis of particle images by the image processor by a compensation coefficient. This operation is carried out by a concentration compensator (39). The result may then be displayed (38). Additional analysis may be carried out by changing the magnification of the CCD camera (15), or by selecting for analysis only those particles of a selected size or type.
Inventors
- 👤 Isao Yamazaki
- 👤 Hiroshi Ohki
- 👤 Masaetsu Matsumoto
- 👤 Ryo Miyake
- 👤 Ryohei Yabe
- 👤 Hideyuki Horiuchi
- 👤 Shinichi Sakuraba
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 08:01
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N15/00; G01N15/10; G01N15/14; G01N15/1429; G01N15/1433; G01N35/00; G01N35/10; G01N35/1095; G01N15/01; G01N15/1456; G01N15/1459; G01N2015/1486
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
190 words
An apparatus for investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guide means (1) for guiding a flow of said fluid containing said particles; a particle detector (16, 35, 76) for detecting said particles, the particle detector (16,35,76) being located proximate a first part (50a, 50b) of said guide means (1) and being arranged to generate corresponding particle detection signals; image means (15, 75) for generating images of said particles, the image means (15,75) being located proximate a second part (10a, 10b) of said guide means (1), said image means (15, 75) being arranged to generate said images in dependence on said particle detection signals; and analysis means (32, 39) connected to the image means (15,75) for analyzing said images for investigating said particles; characterized in that: said analysis means is arranged to derive a particle concentration measurement corresponding to the concentration of said particles in said flow of said fluid, said analysis means including counting means (32) for counting said particles in said images to obtain an initial concentration value and compensation means (36) for modifying said initial concentration value by a compensation coefficient, thereby to derive said particle concentration measurement.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compensation means (39) is arranged to receive said particle detection signal, whereby said compensation coefficient is dependent on said particle detection signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said compensation means (39) includes means (39a) for storing said compensation coefficient.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
54 words
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said particle detector (16, 35, 76) has means (76) for generating a continuous light beam incident on said first part (50a, 50b) of said guide means (1) and a light detector (16) for detecting the interaction of said light beam and said particles.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
60 words
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said image means (15, 75) includes means (75) for generating light pulses incident on said second part (10a, 10b) of said guide means (1) said light pulses corresponding to said particle detection signals, and an imaging device (15) for picking up images of said particles during said light pulses.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further including means (36) for classifying said particles into a plurality of groups.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
52 words
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said guide means (1) is a flow cell arranged for guiding said flow of said fluid such that said fluid is planar at at least said first part (50a, 50b) and said second part (10a, 10b) of said guide means (1).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
67 words
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said image means (15) is arranged to select one of a plurality of magnifications for said images of said particles, and said guide means (1) is arranged to vary a dimension of said flow of said fluid at said second part of said guide means (1) in dependence on said one of said plurality of magnifications.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said image means (15) is arranged to select one of a plurality of magnifications for said images of said particles, and said particle detector (15) is arranged to select one of a plurality of detection dimensions (50a, 50b) in dependence on said one of said plurality of magnifications.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
37 words
An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said image means is arranged to select one of a plurality of magnifications for said image of said particles in dependence on said particle detection signals.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guide means (1) for guiding a flow of said fluid containing said particles; image means (15, 75) for generating images of said particles, the image means (15,75) being located proximate a part (10a, 10b) of said guide means (1); and analysis means (32, 39) connected to the image means (15,75) for analyzing said images to investigate said particles; characterized in that said image means (15, 75) is arranged to select one of a plurality of magnifications for said images of said particles, and the said guide means (1) is arranged to vary a dimension of said flow of said fluid at said part (10a, 10b) of said guide means (1) in dependence on said one of said plurality of magnifications.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
170 words
An apparatus for investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guide means (1) for guiding a flow of said fluid containing said particles; a particle detector (16, 35) for detecting said particles, the particle detector being located proximate a first part (50a, 50b) of said guide means (1) and being arranged to generate corresponding particle detection signals; image means (15) for generating images of said particles, said image means (15,75) being located proximate a second part (10a, 10b) of said guide means (1), said image means (15) being arranged to generate said images in dependence on said particle detection signals; and analysis means (32, 39) connected to said image means (15,75) for analyzing said images to investigate said particles; characterized in that said image means (15) is arranged to select one of a plurality of magnifications for said images of said particles, and said particle detector (16, 35) is arranged to select one of a plurality of detection dimensions (50a, 50b) in dependence on said one of said plurality of magnifications.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guide means (1) for guiding a flow of said fluid containing said particles; a particle detector (16, 35) for detecting said particles, said particle detector (16,35) being located proximate a first part (50a, 50b) of said guide means (1) and being arranged to generate corresponding particle detection signals; image means (15) for generating images of said particles, said image means (15) being located proximate a second part (10a, 10b) of said guide means (1), said image means (15) being arranged to generate said images in dependence on said particle detection signals; and analysis means connected to said image means (15) for analyzing said images to investigate said particles; characterized in that said image means (15) is arranged to select one of a plurality of magnifications for said image of said particles in dependence on said particle detection signals.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
245 words
An apparatus for investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guide means (1) for guiding a flow of said fluid containing said particles; a particle detector (16, 35) for detecting said particles, said particles detector (16,35) being located proximate a first part (50a, 50b) of said guide means (1) and being arranged to generate corresponding particle detection signals; image means (15) for generating images of said particles, said image means (15) being located proximate a second part (50a, 50b) of said guide means, said image means (15) being arranged to generate said images in dependence on said particle detection signals; and analysis means (32, 39) connected to said image means (15) for analyzing said image to investigate said particles; characterized in that: said analysis means is arranged to determine the number of said particles having: i) a predetermined size range in a first time period and to determine the number of said particles having said predetermined size range and being of a predetermined particle type in a second time period, or ii) a predetermined property in the first time period and to determine the number of said particles having said predetermined property and being of a predetermined particle type in the second time period, iii) a predetermined size range and being of a first predetermined type in the first time period and to determine the number of said particles having said predetermined size range and being of a second predetermined type in the second time period.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said first time period is included in said second time period.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said second time period is included in said first time period.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guiding (1) a flow of said fluid containing said particles, said flow having a first part and a second part; detecting (16, 35, 37) said particles at said first part of said flow and generating corresponding particle detection information; and generating images (15, 75) of said particles at said second part (10a, 10b) of said flow, said generating of said images being in dependence on said particle detection information; characterized in that: said particles in said images are counted (32) to obtain an initial concentration value; and said initial concentration value is modified (36) by a compensation coefficient, thereby to analyze said images to investigate said particles to derive a particle concentration measurement corresponding to the concentration of said particles in said flow of said fluid.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
149 words
A method according to claim 19, further including classifying said particles into a plurality of groups in dependence on said particle concentration measurement: guiding (1) a flow of said fluid containing said particles, said flow having a first part and a second part; detecting (16, 35, 37) said particles at said first part of said flow and generating corresponding particle detection information; and generating images (15, 75) of said particles at said second part (10a, 10b) of said flow, said generating of said images being in dependence on said particle detection information; characterized in that: said particles in said images are counted (32) to obtain an initial concentration value; and said initial concentration value is modified (36) by a compensation coefficient, thereby to analyze said images to investigate said particles to derive a particle concentration measurement corresponding to the concentration of said particles in said flow of said fluid.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guiding (1) a flow of said fluid containing said particles; generating images (15, 75) of said particles at a part (10a, 10b) of said flow; and analyzing (32, 39) said images to investigate said particles; characterized in that: said method further includes selecting one of a plurality of magnifications for said images of said particles, and varying a dimension of said flow of said fluid at said part (10a, 10b) of said flow in dependence on said one of said plurality of magnifications.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guiding (1) a flow of said fluid containing said particles, said flow having a first part (50a, 50b) and a second part (10a, 10b); detecting (16, 35, 76) said particles at said first part of said flow and generating corresponding particle detection information; generating (15, 75) images of said particles at said second part (10a, 10b) of said flow, said generating of said images being dependent on said particle detection signals; and analyzing (32, 39) said images to investigate said particles; characterized in that: said method further includes selecting one of a plurality of magnifications for said images of said particles, and selecting one of a plurality of detection dimensions in dependence on said one of said plurality of magnifications.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guiding (1) a flow of said liquid containing said particles, said flow having a first part (50a, 50b) and a second part (10a, 10b); detecting said particles at said first part (50a, 50b) of said flow and generating corresponding particle detection information; generating (15, 75) images of said particles at said second part (10a, 10b) of said flow, said generation of said images being dependent on said particle detection information; and analyzing (32, 39) said images to investigate said particles; characterized in that: said method further includes selecting one of a plurality of magnifications for said image of said particles in dependence on said particle detection information.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
141 words
A method of investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guiding (1) a flow of said fluid containing said particles, said flow having a first part (50a, 50b) and a second part (10a, 10b); detecting (16, 35, 76) said particles at said first part (50a, 50b) of said flow and generating corresponding particle detection information; generating (15, 75) images of said particles at said second part (10a, 10b) of said flow, said generating of said images being dependent on said particle detection information; characterized in that: the method further includes: determining the number of said particles having a predetermined size range in a first time period; and determining the number of said particles having said predetermined size range and being of a predetermined particle type in a second time period; characterized in that: the method further includes: thereby to investigate said particles.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guiding (1) a flow of said fluid containing said particles, said flow having a first part (50a, 50b) and a second part (10a, 10b); detecting (15, 35, 76) said particles at said first part (50a, 50b) of said flow and generating corresponding particle detection information; generating (15, 75) images of said particles at said second part (10a, 10b) of said flow, said generating of said images being dependent on said particle detection information; characterized in that: the method further includes: determining the number of said particles having a predetermined property in a first time period; and determining the number of said particles having said predetermined property and being of a predetermined particle type in a second time period, thereby to investigate said particles.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
140 words
A method of investigating particles in a fluid, comprising: guiding (1) a flow of said fluid containing said particles said flow having a first part (50a, 50b) and a second part (10a, 10b); detecting (16, 35, 76) said particles at said first part (50a, 50b) of said flow and generating corresponding particle detection information; generating (15, 75) images of said particles at said second part (10a, 10b) of said flow, said generating of said images being dependent on said particle detection information; characterized in that: the method further includes: determining the number of said particles having a predetermined size range and being of a predetermined type in a first time period; and determining the number of said particles having said predetermined size range and being of a second predetermined type in a second time period, thereby to investigate said particles.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
23 words
A method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein said second time period is included in said first time period.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
23 words
A method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein said first time period is included in said second time period.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.