Hach Ultra Analytics, Inc.

Hach Company

Bret Warrick

Michael M Carrabba

Richard K DeFreez

Geoffrey Wilson

Keith Bender

Ivan Horban

A self-centering vial clamp is provided. The self-centering vial clamp includes a clamp body including a vial aperture and two or more jaw slots spaced around the vial aperture, two or more clamp jaws spaced around the vial aperture, with a clamp jaw including a vial contact face and one or more jaw projections configured to engage a jaw slot of the clamp body, and two or more lever arms coupled to the two or more clamp jaws. A lever arm of the self-centering vial claim is configured to be manually pivoted, wherein the lever arm translates the pivoting motion into a sliding motion of the corresponding clamp jaw. Interacting lever gears formed on the lever arms constrain the two or more clamp jaws to move substantially in unison during the manual pivoting, aligning the vial.

Self-centering vial clamp

A self-centering vial clamp () is provided. The self-centering vial clamp () includes a clamp body () including a vial aperture () and two or more jaw slots () spaced around the vial aperture (), two or more clamp jaws () spaced around the vial aperture (), with a clamp jaw () including a vial contact face () and one or more jaw projections () configured to engage a jaw slot () of the clamp body (), and two or more lever arms () coupled to the two or more clamp jaws (). A lever arm () is configured to be manually pivoted, wherein the lever arm translates the pivoting motion into a sliding motion of the corresponding clamp jaw (). Interacting lever gears () formed on the lever arms () constrain the two or more clamp jaws () to move substantially in unison.

An integrated particle detection apparatus for optical detection of particles in an air stream. The particle detection apparatus includes a scalper for removing large particles from the air stream, a concentrator for separating out small particles and increasing the concentration of particles of interest, and a fluorescence sensor system for detecting the particles present in the air stream. The scalper, concentrator and sensor may include a single integrated unit, such that the scalper is fluidly contiguous with the concentrator and the concentrator is fluidly contiguous with the sensor.

Integrated assembly for delivery of air stream for optical analysis

A particle separation apparatus is disclosed. The particle separation apparatus may be for sample air stream preparation and delivery in particle detection systems. The particle separation apparatus may include a first vortex separator coupled to a second vortex separator for selecting particles in the air stream that are within a desirable size range for particle detection. The second vortex separator may further increase the concentration of particles within the desirable size range per unit volume. The particle separation apparatus may deliver the size-selected air stream to a detector, such as a laser-induced fluorescence detection system.

Vortex separator in particle detection systems

An integrated particle detection apparatus for optical detection of particles in an air stream. The particle detection apparatus includes a scalper for removing large panicles from the air stream, a concentrator for separating out small particles and increasing the concentration of particles of interest, and a fluorescence sensor system for detecting the particles present in the air stream. The scalper, concentrator and sensor comprise a single integrated unit, such that the scalper is fluidly contiguous with the concentrator and the concentrator is fluidly contiguous with the sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Grants Pass, OR, United States of America

Bret Warrick