Patent ID: 8121388

Claim:
A method for automated determination of an individual three-dimensional shape of particles of samples in powder form or in a form of dispersions, comprising in succession: a) individualized dosing of the particles, aligning the particles in the longitudinal axis, and automated delivering of the particles along a line; b) observing the aligned particles from at least two observation directions and image acquisition wherein the observing is carried out by extinction transmitted light, diffuse transmitted light, coaxial direct light, or concentric direct light by at least two cameras, which are CCD or CMOS cameras; c) evaluating the images, wherein the aligning and automated delivering of the particles of samples in the form of dispersions is carried out in a flow cell for aligning particles in two axes, comprising a feed zone for the samples containing particles to be aligned and an outlet for the samples containing particles aligned in two axes, a fluid element of the samples with dimensions a, b, c being converted in a stretching zone into a fluid element with dimensions a×n, b/(n×m), c×m, where a denotes width, b denotes height, c denotes length of the fluid element, and n and m are constants (degree of stretching) depending on a geometry of the flow cell, which denote positive numbers ≧1, or in a cuvette which is hexagonal or octagonal.