Patent ID: 8013994

Claim:
A method of measuring parameters of a particle comprising: a. providing a particle moving substantially in a first direction, wherein said particle has a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is different from said second portion; b. providing a column of photo-detectors including a first photo-detector and a second photo-detector, wherein said first photo-detector measures amount of light received by said first photo-detector and said second photo-detector measures amount of light received by said second photo-detector, wherein a direction along said column of photodetectors defines a second direction, wherein said second direction is substantially perpendicular to said first direction, wherein a direction across said column of photodetectors is substantially parallel to said first direction; c. providing an optical system, and using said optical system for projecting light from said particle onto said column of photo-detectors, wherein said optical system is positioned and said column of photo-detectors is oriented so said optical system projects light from said first portion onto said first photo-detector and light from said second portion onto said second photo-detector; d. taking a measurement with said first photo-detector and taking a measurement with said second photo-detector as said projected light from said particle completely traverses across said column, wherein said first photo-detector measurement includes said amount of light received from said first portion of only one said particle and wherein said second photo-detector measurement includes said amount of light received from said second portion of said only one said particle; and e. using said first and said second photo-detector measurements to determine at least one from the group consisting of temperature and diameter of said one said particle.