A method includes illuminating a drop with a pulse of light from a light source. A duration of the pulse of light is from about 0.0001 seconds to about 0.1 seconds. The method also includes capturing an image, video, or both of the drop. The method also includes detecting the drop in the image, the video, or both. The method also includes characterizing the drop after the drop is detected. Characterizing the drop includes determining a size of the drop, a location of the drop, or both in the image, the video, or both.

The present invention comprises methods and apparatus utilizing multiple detectors to measure properties related to light scattered by particles. Characteristics of particles are determined from the measured properties.

A system for characterizing at least one particle from a fluid sample is disclosed. The system includes a filter disposed upstream of an outlet, and a luminaire configured to illuminate the at least one particle at an oblique angle. An imaging device is configured to capture and process images of the illuminated at least one particle as it rests on the filter for characterizing the at least one particle. A system for characterizing at least one particle using bright field illumination is also disclosed. A method for characterizing particulates in a fluid sample using at least one of oblique angle and bright field illumination is also disclosed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of screening a prostate cancer patient by optical image analysis of a circulating tumor cell marker and a prostate-specific membrane antigen.

A system structured to monitor particle contamination of different equipment or machinery categories including power pressure systems having a monitoring module. The monitoring module includes an intake structure and an exhaust structure, wherein the intake structure is connected in fluid communication with an air intake or air supply the power pressure systems being monitored. The monitoring module further includes alarm capabilities structured to communicate alarm signals to local and remote operating personnel. In addition, a particle sensor module is structured to determine predetermined particle characteristics of an air sample received from the power pressure systems. An electronic control module (ECM) is connected in on-off activating relation to the intake and exhaust structures and the particle sensor. As such, the ECM is operative to capture and analyze an air sample from the power pressure systems within said particle sensor and categorize the particle characteristics within the captured air sample as normal or abnormal dependent on levels of contamination.

A device for detecting (D) at least one predetermined particle (P) includes an interferometric element (EI) arranged so as to be illuminated by an incident radiation (L.sub.in) and comprising at least one so-called thin layer (CM) disposed on top of a so-called substrate layer (Sub), the particle being attached to a surface (Sm) of the thin layer, the interferometric element (EI) forming a Fabry-Pérot cavity with or without attached particle P; a matrix sensor (Det) adapted to detect an image comprising a first portion (P.sub.1) deriving from the detection of the incident radiation transmitted (L.sub.TBG) by the interferometric element alone and a second portion (P.sub.2) deriving from the detection of the incident radiation transmitted (L.sub.TP) by the interferometric element and any particle (O, P) attached to a surface (Sm) of the thin layer; a processor (UT) linked to the sensor and configured: to calculate, as a function of wavelengths of the incident radiation λ.sub.i i∈[1,m], the variation of intensity of at least one first pixel of the first portion, called first variation (F.sub.BG) and of at least one second pixel of the second portion, called second variation (F.sub.P), to determine a trend, as a function of the wavelengths of the incident radiation λ.sub.i i∈[1,m], of a phase shift ϕ.sub.i between the first variation and the second variation; to detect the attached particle when the phase shift ϕ.sub.i is not constant as a function of the wavelengths of the incident radiation λ.sub.i i∈[1,m].

A portable air quality monitoring device is disclosed that can identify the type of particles in the air. This device takes images of particles in the air and compares them with a library of particles in its memory to identify the type of particles. The device has a housing that draws ambient air into the system and takes microscopic images of the flowing particles and droplets using flash photography. The device can be stand alone or can connect to the back of a mobile phone and use the mobile phone camera and light. People can upload their local air quality data online for all to see the local air quality.

A liquid droplet and solid particle sensing device is provided that can measure the average droplet size in a spray. The present device uses a swirling flow to draw a particulate or a spry into the device for sizing and counting. The swirling flow is configured to keep all the particles away from the walls of the device and to concentrate them at the center of a flow channel to pass through the center of a light beam for high sensitivity and repeatability of the measurement.

Provided is a particle measurement device in which irradiation light emitted by a light source is expanded by an expander in a shape satisfying the requirements of a diffractive optical element, converted into parallel light, and made to enter the diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element shapes the irradiation light entering therein into a flat top beam in which the cross section in the focal position thereof has an elongate rectangle shape. The intensity distribution of light can be made substantially uniform in a detection area formed by the shaped irradiation light.

A flow passage is irradiated with irradiation light, and light scattered from a particle contained in a sample passing through a detection region that is formed in a prescribed section is condensed at a position obtained by extending the prescribed section in a flow direction of the sample and captured at a prescribed frame rate. Then movement amount of the particle due to Brownian motion in directions perpendicular to the flow direction on the basis of captured plural frame images. Furthermore, a particle size of the particle is determined by correcting the movement amount using correction values that were obtained in advance corresponding to each of defocus positions for correcting errors of movement amount in the images caused by magnification.