| US 7,355,706 B2 | ||
| Particle detection system implemented with an immersed optical system | ||
| Kenneth L. Girvin, Grants Pass, Oreg. (US); Richard K. DeFreez, Azalea, Oreg. (US); and James Brady, Ashland, Oreg. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Hach Ultra Analytics, Inc., Grants Pass, Oreg. (US) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 30, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/241,216. | ||
| Application 11/241216 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/927671, filed on Aug. 27, 2004, abandoned. | ||
| Application 10/927671 is a continuation of application No. 10/407650, filed on Apr. 04, 2003, granted, now 6,784,990. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0132770 A1, Jun. 22, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G01N 21/00 (2006.01); G01N 15/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 356—338 [356/336] | 18 Claims |
| 1. In a particle detection system for detecting particles entrained in a fluid stream that flows along a flow axis, the particle
detection system having a view volume in which a light beam propagating along a light propagation path transversely intersects
the fluid stream such that entrained particles upon which the light beam is incident cause portions of the light beam to scatter
from the view volume as scattered light components, at least some of the scattered light components propagating through a
light collection lens system that has a light collection lens system axis and being incident on a light detector that produces
a signal representing the intensity of the scattered light components propagating through the collection lens system and incident
on the light detector, the improvement comprising:
a foxy-though cell including first and second body sections coupled to form a unitary article, the first and second body sections
associated with respective first and second optical elements;
each of the first and second body sections having opposed interior surface portions configured to form opposed walls of a
flow channel through which the fluid stream flows;
a pair of spacers positioned between and coupled to the first and second body sections, the spacers spaced apart from each
other to define the opposed interior surface portions that form the opposed walls of the flow channel; and
the unitary flow-through cell sized for insertion into the particle detection system in an orientation that positions the
first and second optical elements along the light collection lens system axis.
|