The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 12, 1995
Kenneth L Girvin, Grants Pass, OR (US);
Met One, Inc., Grants Pass, OR (US);
Abstract
Small, mobile particles in a fluid are optically detected by an apparatus having spaced apart reflectors bordering and defining an optical cavity into which a light beam is introduced. The reflectors are arranged along axes which are slightly misaligned such that the light beam is introduced at a low angle, barely over the edge of one of the reflectors, and is repeatedly reflected between the two reflectors, overlapping itself many times in a view volume located within the optical cavity, thereby increasing the intensity of detected particles. A fluid flow is introduced into the view volume and the light scattered by particles as they pass through the intensely illuminated view volume is received by a detector which observes the view volume. The detector produces a signal which is indicative of characteristics such as the number or size of particles.