Patent ID: 6570176
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A submersible bioluminescence detector system comprising:a) a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, the inlet and outlet ports defining a passage, and the housing enclosing at least the following items; b) a baffleless grid disposed at the inlet port in the path of water entering the inlet port to excite organisms in the water to exhibit bioluminescence, the passage being pump free such that water is drawn into the inlet port and through the passage by motion of the detector system through the water; c) a first photodiode disposed in an hermetically sealed optically clear envelope facing the grid for detecting the bioluminescence and generating a first bioluminescence electrical signal in response thereto; d) a digital circuit proximate to and coupled with the photodiode, the circuit configured to sample, integrate and amplify the electrical signal underwater when the detector system is underwater and to transmit the integrated and amplified electrical signal to a remote non-submersed computer for processing; and e) a power supply positioned within the housing, the photodiode and the digital circuit being powered entirely by the power supply, the power supply supplying a voltage of less than about 10 V and having a maximum power output of less than about 100 mW.