Patent ID: 6646741
Filing Date: 2003-11-11
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
Apparatus for illuminating particles suspended within a fluid medium, comprising:a housing for containing a volume of a sample including particles to be illuminated, and including a view port; a source of illumination oriented to produce a beam of substantially collimated light through a portion of the volume of a sample; a scanner disposed in the beam of light from the source for deflecting light therefrom recurringly through said portion of the volume along a substantially continuous path; the view port in the housing being disposed along an axis skewed relative to the beam of light for channeling visualization of light scattered by particles within the portion of the volume of the sample; and an optical target disposed within the housing at a location in alignment with the beam of light on a side of the volume opposite the source of illumination and displaced from the view port for absorbing a portion of the beam of light that passes through the portion of the volume.