Patent ID: 6141097
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
An apparatus for optically measuring marine conditions comprising:means defining a sampling volume of water containing particles and/or organisms;means for generating a beam of light having a generally rectangular cross-section;means for directing said beam of light across said sampling volume through the water in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow of the water;a linear array of photo-sensor elements for receiving and measuring intensity of the light beam after passage through the water, the photo-sensor elements each having an effective size greater than the smallest of the particles to be detected and smaller than the largest of the organisms to be measured;said photo-sensor elements generating an output signal providing an average level representative of turbidity of the water, and a rapidly changing attenuated level caused by passage of an organism or particle;means for measuring attenuation of the output signal of each photo-sensor element caused by passage of a particle or organism for indicating the size of the particle or organism;means for determining if adjacent sensor elements have an attenuated level for indicating the passage of a relatively large organism extending beyond a transverse boundary of a single sensor element and for determining transverse size of the organism; andmeans for measuring transit time of an attenuated level, for indicating longitudinal size of an organism, or rate of passage of a particle for providing a measure of flow rate of the sampling volume.