Artium Technologies, Inc.

Gregory Allan Payne

William D Bachalo

Khalid M Ibrahim

Michael J Fidrich

Chad M Sipperley

Julien Manin

Methods and apparatuses to image particles are described. A plurality of illuminating light beams propagating on multiple optical paths through a particle field are generated. The plurality of illuminating light beams converge at a measurement volume. A shadow image of a particle passing through a portion of the measurement volume at a focal plane of a digital camera is imaged. Shadow images of other particles in the particle field are removed using the plurality of illuminating light beams.

Multiple beam and convergent light illumination crossed-beam imaging

Methods and apparatuses to detect particles in dense particle fields are described. A time varying signal is partitioned into a plurality of segments. Parameters are determined from the segments. The time varying signal is parsed into a plurality of individual particle signal components based on the plurality of parameters.

Enhanced detection through parsing records into signal components

An apparatus to provide multi-beam imaging of particles includes a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) configured to generate a plurality of light beams that converge with each other to form a measurement volume within a particle field. The plurality of the VCSELs are configured to provide uniformity in a background illumination of the measurement volume. An imaging optics is coupled to at least one of the plurality of VCSELs. A digital camera is coupled to the imaging optics to obtain a shadow image of a particle passing through the measurement volume at a focal plane of the digital camera. A processor is coupled to the digital camera.

Particle field imaging and characterization using VCSEL lasers for convergent multi-beam illumination

Machine-implemented methods and apparatuses to automatically set-up a signal processing system are described. The signal processing system is set to a first bandwidth. A sampling frequency of the signal processing system is set to a first sampling frequency. Next, first samples of first signals are received at the first bandwidth and the first sampling frequency. First parameters of the first signals based on the first samples are determined. Next, a second sampling frequency is determined based on the first parameters to sample second samples. The first parameters of the first signals may be a mean transit time, a minimum transit time, a mean frequency of the signals, and a standard deviation of the frequency of the signals. Next, a mixer frequency is determined based on the first parameters. A low pass filter is set based on the mixer frequency.

Automatic set-up for instrument functions

Methods and apparatuses for validating signals to determine sizes and velocities of spherical objects are described. Light is scattered from a spherical object to form an interference fringe pattern. Portions of the interference fringe pattern are received by photodetectors. In response, the photodetectors generate time varying electrical signals. At least one of the time varying signals is partitioned into timing segments. The timing segments are processed to determine one or more timing parameters. A timing parameter consistency between at least two of the timing segments is verified. At least one of the time varying signals is validated based on the timing parameter consistency. The time varying electrical signal is accepted if a timing parameter difference is less or equal to a predetermined timing parameter error threshold. The time varying electrical signal is rejected if the timing parameter difference is larger than the predetermined timing parameter error threshold.

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Richland, WA, United States of America

Gregory Allan Payne