US 12,241,825 B2
Apparatus for detecting microplastics based on differential interference contrast microscope system
Seok Won Hong, Seoul (KR); Jae Hun Kim, Seoul (KR); Jiyun Han, Seoul (KR); and Subeen Park, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (KR)
Filed by KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Seoul (KR)
Filed on Mar. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/187,405.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2022-0088633 (KR), filed on Jul. 19, 2022; and application No. 10-2023-0014109 (KR), filed on Feb. 2, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0027324 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 15/1434 (2024.01); G01N 15/14 (2024.01); G01N 15/1429 (2024.01); G02B 21/06 (2006.01); G02B 21/36 (2006.01); G06T 7/60 (2017.01); G06V 20/69 (2022.01)
CPC G01N 15/1434 (2013.01) [G01N 15/1429 (2013.01); G02B 21/06 (2013.01); G02B 21/365 (2013.01); G06T 7/60 (2013.01); G06V 20/693 (2022.01); G01N 2015/144 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1486 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10056 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30242 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for detecting microplastics based on optical technology, comprising:
a microfluidic chip which is equipped with a microchannel through which a fluid containing microplastics moves;
an optical imaging device which is capable of observing the microplastics contained in the fluid regardless of the transparency of the microplastics by focusing a point in the microchannel;
an image sensing device which senses the observed image; and
an image analysis device which counts the number of the microplastics in the image and analyzes the shape and size of the microplastics by analyzing the image sensed by the image sensing device,
wherein a bandpass filter which passes light of a wavelength in a specific range is disposed between a light source and a first polarizer of the optical imaging device.