Patents Assigned to Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
  • Patent number: 12276592
    Abstract: Particle detection systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a particle detection system comprises an incident beam light source that emits an incident beam, a particle interrogation zone disposed in the path of the incident beam, a photodetector disposed to detect the incident beam after passing through the particle interrogation zone, a pump beam light source for emitting a pump beam, the pump beam being targeted at the particle interrogation zone, wherein the incident beam, the pump beam, and photodetector are arranged such that the photodetector is configured to detect a combination of light from the incident beam, scattered light due to incident beam scattering in the particle interrogation zone, and scattered light due to pump beam scattering in the particle interrogation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Rodier
  • Publication number: 20240183759
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods allowing for automated sampling and/or analysis of controlled environments, for example, to determine the presence, quantity, size, concentration, viability, species or characteristics of particles within the environment. The described systems and methods may utilize robotics or automation or remove some or all of the collection or analysis steps that are traditionally performed by human operators. The methods and systems described herein are versatile and may be used with known particle sampling and analysis techniques and particle detection devices including, for example, optical particle counters, impingers and impactors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2024
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Giovanni SCIALO, Davide RECCHIA
  • Patent number: 11892462
    Abstract: Devices and methods for sampling, detecting and/or characterizing particles, for example, via collection, growth and analysis of viable biological particles such as microorganisms. Devices and methods of the invention include particle samplers and impactors including a sampling head comprising one or more intake apertures, a selectively removable cover, an impactor base connected to the sampling head, and one or more magnets fixed to the sampling head, the selectively removable cover and/or the impactor base. The one or more magnets allow for robotic manipulation of the impactor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: Pharma Integration SRL, Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Giovanni Scialò, Davide Recchia, Claudio Bechini
  • Patent number: 11428619
    Abstract: Provided herein is a particle analyzer that is operably connected to a probe unit that is capable of both dislodging particles from a surface and sampling the particles after they have been dislodged. The devices and methods described herein may be lightweight and/or handheld, for example, so that they may be used within a cleanroom environment to clean and sample permanent surfaces and tools. The devices may include optical particle counters that use scattered, obscured or emitted light to detect particles, including condensation particle counting systems or split detection optical particle counters to increase the sensitivity of the device and thereby facilitate detection of smaller particles, while avoiding the increased complexity typically required for the detection of nanoscale particles, such as particles less than 100 nm in effective diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian A. Knollenberg, Daniel Robert Rodier
  • Patent number: 11428617
    Abstract: Provided herein are particle detection systems, and related methods configured to characterize a liquid sample, comprising: a first probe configured to determine a first parameter set of a plurality of first particles in a liquid sample, the first particles characterized by a size characteristic selected from a first size range; wherein the first parameter set comprises a first size distribution and a first concentration; and a second probe configured to determine a second parameter set of one or more second particles in the liquid sample, the second particles being characterized by a size characteristic selected from a second size range; wherein the second parameter set comprises a second size distribution and a second concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian A. Knollenberg, Daniel Rodier
  • Publication number: 20220236146
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods allowing for automated sampling and/or analysis of controlled environments, for example, to determine the presence, quantity, size, concentration, viability, species or characteristics of particles within the environment. The described systems and methods may utilize robotics or automation or remove some or all of the collection or analysis steps that are traditionally performed by human operators. The methods and systems described herein are versatile and may be used with known particle sampling and analysis techniques and particle detection devices including, for example, optical particle counters, impingers and impactors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Giovanni SCIALO, Davide RECCHIA
  • Publication number: 20220228963
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method of particle size and concentration measurement that comprises the steps of: providing a focused, synthesized, structured laser beam, causing the beam to interact with the particles, measuring the interaction signal and the number of interactions per unit time of the beam with the particles, and using algorithms to map the interaction signals to the particle size and the number of interactions per unit time to the concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph SHAMIR
  • Patent number: 11385161
    Abstract: Provided are particle analyzers and related methods for verifying calibration status of the particle analyzer, including independently of the presence or absence of particles. The method and analyzers include use of distinct and non-interfering time frequency domains: a middle frequency time domain and a low frequency time domain, and optionally a high frequency time domain. The high frequency time domain generates a laser facet drive current frequency modulation to prevent the laser facet from spatial-mode hopping. The middle frequency time domain is for particle detection. The low frequency time domain is for calibration status, including laser-pulse-light self-diagnostics, for the health or calibration status of the analyzer. By carefully selecting the frequency time domain ranges, there is non-interference, with the ability to self-diagnose the instrument that is particle-independent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Bates, Matt Michaelis, Brett Haley
  • Patent number: 11320360
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods of optical particle counters which account and adjust for the refractive index of the carrier fluid being analyzed. The provided systems are robust and may be implemented in a variety of optical particle counters including obscured light, reflected light, emitted light and scattered light particle counters. The described systems may be useful with any fluid, including gases or liquids. In some cases, the system can account for the differences in refractive index between two liquids, for example, ultrapure water and an acid, such as sulfuric, hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, acetic, phosphoric, chromic phosphoric, and the like. By accounting for the refractive index of the carrier fluid, the described systems and methods are also more sensitive and able to more accurately detect and characterize smaller particles, including nanoscale sized particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Lumpkin, Brian A. Knollenberg, John R. Mitchell
  • Publication number: 20210404936
    Abstract: Provided are particle analyzers and related methods for verifying calibration status of the particle analyzer, including independently of the presence or absence of particles. The method and analyzers include use of distinct and non-interfering time frequency domains: a middle frequency time domain and a low frequency time domain, and optionally a high frequency time domain. The high frequency time domain generates a laser facet drive current frequency modulation to prevent the laser facet from spatial-mode hopping. The middle frequency time domain is for particle detection. The low frequency time domain is for calibration status, including laser-pulse-light self-diagnostics, for the health or calibration status of the analyzer. By carefully selecting the frequency time domain ranges, there is non-interference, with the ability to self-diagnose the instrument that is particle-independent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. BATES, Matt MICHAELIS, Brett HALEY
  • Publication number: 20210381948
    Abstract: Particle detection systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a particle detection system comprises an incident beam light source that emits an incident beam, a particle interrogation zone disposed in the path of the incident beam, a photodetector disposed to detect the incident beam after passing through the particle interrogation zone, a pump beam light source for emitting a pump beam, the pump beam being targeted at the particle interrogation zone, wherein the incident beam, the pump beam, and photodetector are arranged such that the photodetector is configured to detect a combination of light from the incident beam, scattered light due to incident beam scattering in the particle interrogation zone, and scattered light due to pump beam scattering in the particle interrogation zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel RODIER, Mehran Vahdani MOGHADDAM, Christopher A. BONINO
  • Patent number: 11181455
    Abstract: Provided are particle analyzers and related methods for verifying calibration status of the particle analyzer. The method includes the steps of providing an optical particle analyzer and modulating a power applied to a source of EMR. The method includes the steps of, in response to the modulating step, inducing a detector signal waveform and analyzing the detector signal waveform to determine a value of at least one diagnostic parameter associated with one or more of the source of EMR, an optical assembly, a chamber, a detector, and an optical collection system of the optical particle analyzer. The method includes the step of determining a calibration status of the optical particle analyzer based on the one or more determined values of the at least one diagnostic parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Bates, Matt Michaelis, Brett Haley
  • Publication number: 20210295670
    Abstract: The invention generally provides devices and methods for particle detection for minimizing human-caused contamination in manufacturing environments requiring low levels of microbes, such as cleanroom environments for electronics manufacturing and aseptic environments for manufacturing pharmaceutical and biological products, such as sterile medicinal products. Methods of the invention may incorporate wirelessly transmitting an alarm signal from a particle detector to a remote device, replicating a graphical user interface of the particle detector on an electronic display of the remote device, and passing one or more user instructions from the remote device to the particle detector via the replicate graphical interface of the remote device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott MacLAUGHLIN, Matt MICHAELIS
  • Publication number: 20210223273
    Abstract: Devices and methods for sampling, detecting and/or characterizing particles, for example, via collection, growth and analysis of viable biological particles such as microorganisms. Devices and methods of the invention include particle samplers and impactors including a sampling head comprising one or more intake apertures, a selectively removable cover, an impactor base connected to the sampling head, and one or more magnets fixed to the sampling head, the selectively removable cover and/or the impactor base. The one or more magnets allow for robotic manipulation of the impactor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicants: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc., Pharma Integration SRL
    Inventors: Giovanni SCIALÒ, Davide RECCHIA, Claudio BECHINI
  • Publication number: 20210208054
    Abstract: The present invention relates to interferometric detection of particles and optical detection of particles having size dimensions less than or equal to 100 nm. Systems and methods are provided exhibiting enhanced alignment and stability for interferometric detection of particles and/or optical detection of particles having size dimensions less than or equal to 100 nm. Systems and methods are provided that include compensation means for mitigating the impact of internal and external stimuli and changes in operating conditions that can degrade the sensitivity and reliability of particle detection via optical methods, including interferometric-based techniques and/or systems for optical detection of particles having size dimensions less than or equal to 100 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. ELLIS, Chris BONINO, Brian A. KNOLLENBERG, James LUMPKIN, Daniel RODIER, Dwight SEHLER, Mehran Vahdani MOGHADDAM, Thomas RAMIN
  • Publication number: 20210140867
    Abstract: Provided herein is a particle analyzer that is operably connected to a probe unit that is capable of both dislodging particles from a surface and sampling the particles after they have been dislodged. The devices and methods described herein may be lightweight and/or handheld, for example, so that they may be used within a cleanroom environment to clean and sample permanent surfaces and tools. The devices may include optical particle counters that use scattered, obscured or emitted light to detect particles, including condensation particle counting systems or split detection optical particle counters to increase the sensitivity of the device and thereby facilitate detection of smaller particles, while avoiding the increased complexity typically required for the detection of nanoscale particles, such as particles less than 100 nm in effective diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian A. KNOLLENBERG, Daniel Robert RODIER
  • Publication number: 20210136722
    Abstract: A mobile monitoring device for monitoring controlled contamination areas may include a motorized mobile structure, a sampling unit, and a central management and control unit. The motorized mobile structure is configured to move within an area to be monitored. The sampling unit is positioned on said mobile structure, and configured to perform sampling operations of air and/or surfaces of said area and obtain sampling data. The central management and control unit is operatively connected to the mobile structure and to said sampling unit. The mobile structure may be controlled by the central unit to reach predefined points of the area to be monitored. The sampling unit may be selectively activated and/or deactivated by said central unit in correspondence with said predefined starting points of said sampling operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicants: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc., PHARMA INTEGRATION S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giovanni SCIALÒ, Davide RECCHIA, Claudio BECHINI
  • Publication number: 20210104146
    Abstract: The invention generally provides devices and methods for particle detection for minimizing human-caused contamination in manufacturing environments requiring low levels of microbes, such as cleanroom environments for electronics manufacturing and aseptic environments for manufacturing pharmaceutical and biological products, such as sterile medicinal products. Methods of the invention may incorporate wirelessly transmitting an alarm signal from a particle detector to a remote device, replicating a graphical user interface of the particle detector on an electronic display of the remote device, and passing one or more user instructions from the remote device to the particle detector via the replicate graphical interface of the remote device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott MacLAUGHLIN, Matt MICHAELIS
  • Publication number: 20210102884
    Abstract: The invention generally provides systems and methods for particle detection for minimizing microbial growth and cross-contamination in manufacturing environments requiring low levels of microbes, such as cleanroom environments for electronics manufacturing and aseptic environments for manufacturing pharmaceutical and biological products, such as sterile medicinal products. In some embodiments, systems of the invention incorporate a housing having an outer surface being a first antimicrobial surface and a touchscreen being a second antimicrobial surface. In some embodiments, substantially all of the outer surfaces of the system are antimicrobial surfaces. In some embodiments, the first antimicrobial surface may comprise an Active Screen Plasma alloyed layer. In some embodiments, the housing may comprise a molded polymer substrate and a metal coating layer bonded to the molded polymer substrate such that at least some exterior surfaces of the housing are metal coated surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott MacLAUGHLIN, Jon SKUBA
  • Patent number: 10928293
    Abstract: Provided herein is a particle analyzer that is operably connected to a probe unit that is capable of both dislodging particles from a surface and sampling the particles after they have been dislodged. The devices and methods described herein may be lightweight and/or handheld, for example, so that they may be used within a cleanroom environment to clean and sample permanent surfaces and tools. The devices may include optical particle counters that use scattered, obscured or emitted light to detect particles, including condensation particle counting systems or split detection optical particle counters to increase the sensitivity of the device and thereby facilitate detection of smaller particles, while avoiding the increased complexity typically required for the detection of nanoscale particles, such as particles less than 100 nm in effective diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian A. Knollenberg, Daniel Robert Rodier