Patents Assigned to Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
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Publication number: 20210223273Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Applicants: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc., Pharma Integration SRLInventors: Giovanni SCIALĂ’, Davide RECCHIA, Claudio BECHINI
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Publication number: 20210208054Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2020Publication date: July 8, 2021Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.Inventors: Timothy A. ELLIS, Chris BONINO, Brian A. KNOLLENBERG, James LUMPKIN, Daniel RODIER, Dwight SEHLER, Mehran Vahdani MOGHADDAM, Thomas RAMIN
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Publication number: 20210190659Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2020Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Brian A. KNOLLENBERG, Daniel RODIER
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Publication number: 20210140867Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2021Publication date: May 13, 2021Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.Inventors: Brian A. KNOLLENBERG, Daniel Robert RODIER
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Publication number: 20210136722Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2020Publication date: May 6, 2021Applicants: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc., PHARMA INTEGRATION S.R.L.Inventors: Giovanni SCIALĂ’, Davide RECCHIA, Claudio BECHINI
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Patent number: 10997845Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 6, 2020Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Scott MacLaughlin, Matt Michaelis
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Publication number: 20210104146Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2020Publication date: April 8, 2021Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.Inventors: Scott MacLAUGHLIN, Matt MICHAELIS
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Publication number: 20210102884Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2020Publication date: April 8, 2021Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.Inventors: Scott MacLAUGHLIN, Jon SKUBA
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Patent number: 10928293Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 3, 2019Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.Inventors: Brian A. Knollenberg, Daniel Robert Rodier
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Patent number: 10921229Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 23, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventor: Joseph Shamir
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Publication number: 20210044978Abstract: Systems, methods, devices and software for operating particle sampling devices in a user-restrictive manner include a tag and a particle sampling device. The device includes a tag reader and a processor in communication with the tag reader. The processor: receives device configuration data and reads operational and/or user data from the tag having that data encoded thereon. Based on the data read from the tag, the processor may either grant or deny access to a user for performing device operations. Alternatively, for a headless particle sampling device configured for minimal user interaction during operation, the device is removably attached to a supporting structure proximate the tag positioned in or on the supporting structure. In the headless configuration, the processor reads device configuration parameters including network communication information from the tag following device power up.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Applicant: Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.Inventors: Matt MICHAELIS, Daniele PANDOLFI, Brett HALEY
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Patent number: 10908059Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 2019Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Brian A. Knollenberg, Daniel Rodier
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Patent number: 10859487Abstract: The systems and methods provided herein relate generally to the improvement of data quality in optical liquid particle counters and control of optical particle counters to achieve longer expected lifetime, for example by avoiding damage caused by electromagnetic radiation and heat. The systems and methods incorporate sensors which characterize the fluid flowing through the flow cell, thereby enhancing accuracy and reducing the number of false positives.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2019Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Brian Knollenberg, Jim Lumpkin, Brett Haley, Matt Soappman, Dan Rodier, Mark Lilly
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Publication number: 20200355599Abstract: Provided herein are optical systems and methods for detecting and characterizing particles. Systems and method are provided which increase the sensitivity of an optical particle counter and allow for detection of smaller particles while analyzing a larger fluid volume. The described systems and methods allow for sensitive and accurate detection and size characterization of nanoscale particles (e.g., less than 50 nm, optionally less than 20 nm, optionally less than 10 nm) for large volumes of analyzed fluids.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2020Publication date: November 12, 2020Applicant: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Daniel RODIER, James LUMPKIN, Dwight SEHLER, Brian KNOLLENBERG
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Patent number: 10792694Abstract: Apparatuses for increasing the effective size of gas-entrained particles in a particle detector are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises an evaporation chamber, a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporation chamber, and an inlet in fluid communication with the condenser for receiving a stream of sample gas containing gas-entrained particles. The evaporation chamber includes a heating element and a porous support surrounding the heating element. The porous support carries thereon a working fluid, and the heating element vaporizes the working fluid to form vapor within the evaporation chamber. The porous support may include a portion which extends into a working fluid reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Boris Zachar Gorbunov, Harald Wilhelm Julius Gnewuch
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Publication number: 20200240896Abstract: An optical system for particle size and concentration analysis, includes: at least one laser that produces an illuminating beam; a focusing lens that focuses the illuminating beam on particles that move relative to the illuminating beam at known or pre-defined angles to the illuminating beam through the focal region of the focusing lens; and at least two forward-looking detectors, that detect interactions of particles with the illuminating beam in the focal region of the focusing lens. The focusing lens is a cylindrical lens that forms a focal region that is: (i) narrow in the direction of relative motion between the particles and the illuminating beam, and (ii) wide in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by an optical axis of the system and the direction of relative motion between the particles and the illuminating beam. Each of the two forward-looking detectors is comprised of two segmented linear arrays of detectors.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2018Publication date: July 30, 2020Applicant: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Nir KARASIKOV, Ori WEINSTEIN, Shoam SHWARTZ, Mehran Vahdani MOGHADDAM, Uri DUBIN
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Patent number: 10371620Abstract: The systems and methods provided herein relate generally to the improvement of data quality in optical liquid particle counters and control of optical particle counters to achieve longer expected lifetime, for example by avoiding damage caused by electromagnetic radiation and heat. The systems and methods incorporate sensors which characterize the fluid flowing through the flow cell, thereby enhancing accuracy and reducing the number of false positives.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2017Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Brian Knollenberg, Jim Lumpkin, Brett Haley, Matt Soappman, Dan Rodier, Mark Lilly
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Patent number: 10345200Abstract: The invention generally provides 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 for collecting and/or analyzing biological particles in manufacturing environments requiring low levels of particles, such as cleanroom environments for electronics manufacturing and aseptic environments for manufacturing pharmaceutical and biological products, such as sterile medicinal products. Devices and methods of the invention incorporate an integrated sampler and impact surface, such as the receiving surface of a growth media, in a manner to minimize, or entirely eliminate, risks associated with user handling, such as the occurrence of false positive determinations due to contamination of the impact surface during particle sampling, growth or analysis processes.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2014Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignees: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, S.R.L., PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Giovanni Scialo, Ronald W. Adkins, Davide Recchia
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Patent number: 10197487Abstract: The systems and methods provided herein relate generally to the prevention of migration of condensate in a condensation particle counter between components designed to handle condensate (e.g. saturator, condenser, condensate reservoir) and components which may be damaged by the condensate (e.g. detection and flow control devices).Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2017Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Brian Knollenberg, Stephen Pavone, Cliff Ketcham, Rebecca Thompson
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Patent number: 9989462Abstract: This invention relates to optical particle counters and methods capable of effectively distinguishing signals generated from particle light scattering from sources of noise. Embodiments of the invention, for example, use multisensory detector configurations for identifying and distinguishing signals corresponding to fluctuations in laser intensity from signals corresponding to particle light scattering for the detection and characterization of submicron particles. In an embodiment, for example, methods and systems of the invention compare signals from different detector elements of a detector array to identify and characterize noise events, such as noise generated from laser intensity instability, thereby allow for the detection and characterization of smaller particles. The system and methods of the present invention, thus, provide an effective means of reducing false positives caused by noise or interference while allowing for very sensitive particle detection.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2016Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: PARTICLE MEASURING SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: James Lumpkin, Matthew Melton