Sample cell monitoring system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 where the sample is confined to a channel and the illuminating light beam has a diameter much smaller than the diameter of the channel.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 where the light beam is from a laser.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 where the light from the laser is polarized.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 where the fraction of the incident light source intensity is obtained from a beam splitter, said beam splitter dividing the incident beam into a source beam which illuminates the sample and a reference beam which illuminates the source beam monitor.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 where the sample is contained in a cell between two transport windows and said illuminating collimated light beam passes through first transparent window means, then through said sample, and finally through second transparent window means.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 where the medium external to each said transparent window means is air.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 where the collimated light beam is plane polarized.

Claim 10

A sample cell monitor for generating a normalization factor by which means scattering light intensity values measured at a plurality of angles may be normalized by dividing each measured intensity by said normalizing factor, said sample cell containing a suspension of particles in a solvent solution that is illuminated by a collimated light beam that passes undeviated through the sample cell by entrance and exit window means provided therefore, and comprised of A. Detector means for measuring a value proportional to the incident light beam intensity before said beam enters said sample cell; B. Detector means for measuring a value proportional to the intensity of the light beam passing undeviated through the sample cell; C. Multiplication means forming a value proportional to the product of the value from said incident light beam detector means and said undeviated light beam detector means; D. Normalization generation means that forms normalization factor proportional to the square root of the product value of step C; E. Division means to divide said scattered light intensity values by said normalization factor.

Claim 11

A sample cell monitor for generating a normalization factor by which means scattering light intensity values measured at a plurality of angles may be normalized by dividing each measured intensity by said normalizing factor, said sample cell containing a suspension of particles in a solvent solution that is illuminated by a collimated light beam that passes undeviated through the sample cell by entrance and exit window means provided therefore, and comprised of A. Detector means for measuring a value proportional to the incident light beam intensity before said beam enters said sample cell; B. Detector means for measuring a value proportional to the intensity of the light beam passing undeviated through the sample cell; C. Multiplication means forming a value proportional to the product of the value from said incident light beam detector means and said undeviated light beam detector means; D. Normalization generation means that forms normalization factor proportional to the square root of the product value of step C; E. Division means to divide said scattered light intensity values by said normalization factor.

Claim 12

The monitor of claim 9 where the collimated light beam is a laser.

Claim 13

The monitor of claim 10 where the light from the laser is polarized.

Claim 14

The monitor of claim 9 where the incident light beam is split by a beam splitter before the said light beam enters the sample cell and where said split component is measured by said detector means of step A.