Patent ID: 7173697

Claim:
A nephelometer comprising: an integrating cavity body having a sensing aperture and a dark aperture opposite said sensing aperture disposed along a longitudinal axis and a third illuminating aperture disposed on said cavity body; a forward truncation-reduction tube coupled to said sensing aperture, said forward truncation-reduction tube configured to provide a scattering medium flow and scattered light from the cavity body and truncation reduction tubes to said sensing aperture; a light source disposed proximate to said illuminating aperture for providing a light source for said cavity body; a backward truncation-reduction tube coupled to said dark aperture configured to provide a dark background viewing area for the photomultiplier sensor and an exit for said scattering medium flow; said forward and backward truncation reduction tubes having a length on the order of the diameter of said cavity body; and a photomultiplier sensor operatively disposed proximate to said sensing aperture for sensing the scattering of said diffuse light source by said scattering medium within said cavity body and said forward and backward truncation reduction tubes.