US 12,235,200 B2
Apparatus and methods for particle testing
Philip Russell, Roettenbach (DE); Richard Zeltner, Erlangen (DE); Shangran Xie, Erlangen (DE); and Abhinav Sharma, Erlangen (DE)
Assigned to MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V., Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 17/438,710
Filed by MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V., Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/056232
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 13, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/182742, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19162592 (EP), filed on Mar. 13, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0146394 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 15/02 (2024.01); G01N 1/22 (2006.01); G01N 15/0205 (2024.01); G01N 15/14 (2006.01); G01N 15/1434 (2024.01); G01N 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 15/0211 (2013.01) [G01N 1/2273 (2013.01); G01N 15/1434 (2013.01); G01N 15/1459 (2013.01); G01N 2015/0046 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1493 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Particle testing apparatus, being configured for investigating particles in a fluid medium, comprising:
a waveguide device including a hollow optical waveguide having an input end and an output end,
an irradiation device including a laser source being arranged for optically trapping at least one particle at the input end of the optical waveguide and propelling the particle through the optical waveguide toward the output end thereof, wherein the laser source has high enough optical power to trap particles in front of the waveguide input end and then propel it along the hollow core of the waveguide,
a measuring device being arranged for sensing the at least one particle in the optical waveguide, and
an analysing device being coupled with the measuring device and being arranged for providing at least one particle feature, wherein
the laser source is arranged for focused irradiation of the input end of the optical waveguide from only one side thereof for optically trapping and propelling the at least one particle by the effect of radiation pressure of the laser light field and as a light source of the measuring device for measuring the optical transmission of the optical waveguide,
the measuring device is arranged for sensing the at least one particle in the optical waveguide by measuring an optical transmission of the optical waveguide along a longitudinal extension thereof,
the analysing device is adapted for providing the at least one particular feature based on an output of the measuring device and also on at least one of a duration, amplitude and waveform of particle induced changes of the measured optical transmission.