US 12,275,027 B2
Imaging apparatus for imaging a nozzle section of a droplet dispenser device, dispenser apparatus including the imaging apparatus, and applications thereof
Mathieu Bennet, Lyons (FR); Joshua Cantlon-Bruce, Phoenix, AZ (US); and Steffen Cosson, Lyons (FR)
Assigned to Scienion GmbH, Berlin (DE)
Filed by Scienion GmbH, Berlin (DE)
Filed on Dec. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/072,864.
Claims priority of application No. 21212044 (EP), filed on Dec. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0173519 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. B05B 12/08 (2006.01); G02B 21/10 (2006.01); H04N 23/74 (2023.01)
CPC B05B 12/08 (2013.01) [G02B 21/10 (2013.01); H04N 23/74 (2023.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging apparatus, being configured for imaging a nozzle section of a droplet dispenser device, comprising:
an illumination device being arranged for creating illumination light which is directed along an illumination axis towards an illumination range, wherein the illumination range is configured for accommodating the nozzle section, and
a camera device having an imaging axis which is directed to the illumination range, wherein the camera device is configured for collecting at least one nozzle image of the nozzle section arranged in the illumination range, wherein
the illumination device and the camera device are arranged for a dark field illumination of the nozzle section, wherein the illumination axis and the imaging axis are slanted relative to each other and an illumination angle between the illumination axis and the imaging axis is selected such that the at least one nozzle image is collected with a dark background, and
the imaging apparatus further comprises a control loop being configured for adjusting the illumination angle in dependency on properties of at least one of the at least one nozzle image and the at least one particle image.