Patent ID: 7385694

Claim:
A tribological debris analysis system for analyzing fluids used in a machine, comprising: an illumination delivery system to control a pulse width of an illumination pulse generated thereby to illuminate a fluid sample maintained by the machine; an imaging device and an embedded processor integrated with a circuit board and coupled to the illumination delivery system to form a self-contained unit adapted to be mounted adjacent the machine, the circuit board configured to enable the embedded processor and the imaging device to communicate with one another, the imaging device positioned so that the fluid sample flows between the illumination delivery system and the imaging device, wherein the imaging device is configured to generate one or more data signals based on the images of debris in the flowing fluid sample illuminated by the illumination pulse, such that a predetermined number of debris images forms an illumination map comprising a base line illumination pattern, and wherein the embedded processor is enabled to determine and store a wear condition of the machine corresponding to the debris images based on an analysis of the data signals and the base line illumination pattern; and an interface coupled to the embedded processor, wherein the interface is adapted to be selectively coupled to a display device so as to transfer the stored wear condition data and the debris images from the embedded processor to the display device for display.