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Publication Number
US-12352778-B2
Publication Date
2025-07-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
A flow velocity determining apparatus (10) includes an irradiating unit (20) that emits irradiation light (L1) toward a liquid mixture (BL) which contains a non-spherical solid (BC) and a liquid (BP) and flows through a flow path (TB), a detecting unit (30) that detects reflected light (L2) emitted by the irradiating unit (20) and reflected by the liquid mixture (BL) flowing through the flow path (TB), the detecting unit (32) being disposed on at least one side of an optical axis (L2A) of the reflected light (L2) when seen in a plan view of an imaginary plane including an optical axis (L1A) of the irradiation light (L1) and the optical axis (L2A) of the reflected light (L2), and a determining unit (40) that determines a flow velocity of the liquid mixture (BL) by using a light amount of the reflected light (L2) detected by the detecting unit (32).
Core Innovation
The invention provides a flow velocity determining apparatus that includes an irradiating unit, a detecting unit, and a determining unit. The irradiating unit emits irradiation light toward a liquid mixture containing a non-spherical solid and a liquid, and the liquid mixture flows through a flow path. The detecting unit detects reflected light emitted by the irradiating unit and reflected by the liquid mixture flowing through the flow path.
The detecting unit is disposed on at least one side of an optical axis of the reflected light when seen in a plan view of an imaginary plane including an optical axis of the irradiation light and the optical axis of the reflected light. The optical axis of the irradiation light and the optical axis of the reflected light are on the same line when viewed from a normal direction of a reflection surface at a reflection point, and the angle of the optical axis of the reflected light with respect to the flow path is defined in relation to the angle of the optical axis of the irradiation light with respect to the flow path.
The determining unit determines a flow velocity of the liquid mixture by using a light amount of the reflected light detected by the detecting unit. The detecting unit includes a first detecting unit and a second detecting unit disposed on opposite sides of the optical axis in the plan view of the imaginary plane, and the determining unit compares a first light amount with a second light amount to determine the flow velocity of the liquid mixture.
In embodiments aligned with the claims, the apparatus is configured to determine flow direction and a non-flow/stop condition based on comparisons between the first light amount and the second light amount using a reference difference or threshold/coef-based logic. The liquid mixture is described as blood containing red blood cells as the non-spherical solid, and the apparatus configurations include different detector number arrangements and different irradiation/illumination geometry options for reflected/scattered light.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim defines an apparatus-level optical detection geometry and a comparative light-amount basis for determining flow velocity using multiple detector positions. It includes two inventive features that constrain the relative placement of detectors with respect to the optical axis and constrain the angle relationship used for the optical axes.
Optical-axis-based irradiating and detecting geometry
The irradiating unit emits irradiation light toward a liquid mixture containing a non-spherical solid and a liquid and flowing through a flow path; the detecting unit detects reflected light emitted by the irradiating unit and reflected by the liquid mixture flowing through the flow path, the detecting unit being disposed on at least one side of an optical axis of the reflected light when seen in a plan view of an imaginary plane including an optical axis of the irradiation light and the optical axis of the reflected light, the optical axis of the irradiation light and the optical axis of the reflected light being on a same line when viewed from a normal direction of a reflection surface at a reflection point, and an angle of the optical axis of the reflected light with respect to the flow path being defined in relation to an angle of the optical axis of the irradiation light with respect to the flow path.
Two-detector opposite-side reflected-light comparison
The detecting unit includes a first detecting unit disposed on one side of the optical axis of the reflected light and a second detecting unit disposed on an other side when seen in the plan view of the imaginary plane; and the determining unit compares a first light amount of the reflected light detected by the first detecting unit with a second light amount of the reflected light detected by the second detecting unit to determine the flow velocity of the liquid mixture.
The inventive features center on detectors positioned on opposite sides of the reflected-light optical axis under a constrained optical-axis and angle relationship, with flow velocity determined by comparing first and second detected light amounts. Dependent claims further specify flow direction and non-flow based on a reference difference, and the liquid mixture is described as blood containing red blood cells.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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