Abstract: A viscometer includes a viscosity sensor with a liquid flow channel and at least two pressure sensors positioned along the liquid flow channel and configured to measure a pressure drop of a liquid flowing through the liquid flow channel, and a dispensing mechanism configured to cause dispensing of a liquid from the syringe to the viscosity sensor at a known flow rate. The dispensing mechanism and the viscosity sensor are configured to couple with a syringe configured to contain a liquid. The viscometer further includes an electronic controller configured to control operations of the dispensing mechanism and receive and process data from the viscosity sensor. The viscometer includes a sample loading interface, included in the syringe, through which the viscometer is configured to receive the liquid. The sample loading interface includes a selection valve coupled with, and located between, the viscosity sensor and the syringe.

Abstract: A viscometer includes a viscosity sensor with a liquid flow channel and at least two pressure sensors positioned along the liquid flow channel and configured to measure a pressure drop of a liquid flowing through the liquid flow channel, and a dispensing mechanism configured to cause dispensing of a liquid from the syringe to the viscosity sensor at a known flow rate. The dispensing mechanism and the viscosity sensor are configured to couple with a syringe configured to contain a liquid. The viscometer further includes an electronic controller configured to control operations of the dispensing mechanism and receive and process data from the viscosity sensor. The viscometer includes a sample loading interface, included in the syringe, through which the viscometer is configured to receive the liquid. The sample loading interface includes a selection valve coupled with, and located between, the viscosity sensor and the syringe.

Abstract: A portable viscometer includes a pump mechanism which cooperates with a positive displacement sample container referred to as a positive displacement pipette, for dispensing, at a known flow rate, a sample of liquid for which viscosity is desired to be determined. The dispensed liquid flows through a flow through miniature viscosity sensor having at least two pressure sensors which measure the pressure drop of the liquid as it flows through a rectangular flow channel, the pressure drop at the known flow rate being proportional to the viscosity. A controller controls operation of the viscometer and processes sensor data, and the resulting measurements of viscosity can be displayed on a display. The positive displacement pipette is removably positioned in the viscometer so that it can be removed from the viscometer when a viscosity test is completed and replaced with another positive displacement pipette containing another liquid to be tested.

Abstract: A viscometer includes a viscosity sensor with a liquid flow channel and at least two pressure sensors positioned along the liquid flow channel and configured to measure a pressure drop of a liquid flowing through the liquid flow channel, and a dispensing mechanism configured to cause dispensing of a liquid from the syringe to the viscosity sensor at a known flow rate. The dispensing mechanism and the viscosity sensor are configured to couple with a syringe configured to contain a liquid. The viscometer further includes an electronic controller configured to control operations of the dispensing mechanism and receive and process data from the viscosity sensor. The viscometer includes a sample loading interface, included in the syringe, through which the viscometer is configured to receive the liquid. The sample loading interface includes a selection valve coupled with, and located between, the viscosity sensor and the syringe.

Abstract: A micro-rheometer for measuring flow characteristics such as viscosity, elasticity, and flow rate of a sample liquid combines well defined micro-fabricated flow channels having geometry changes forming a constriction region therein to a monolithically fabricated pressure sensor arrays. The pressure sensor array positions pressure sensors to measure the viscosity of the sample liquid while flowing in a uniform length of the flow passage and to measure the extensional viscosity while flowing through the constriction region of the passage. The invention can improve the measurement accuracy of the flow rate, viscosities, or elasticities over a wide range of shear rate. The accuracy of the viscosity over a broader range of shear rate or flow rate measurement over broader range of flow rates can be accomplished by employing monolithically integrated pressure sensors fabricated with different sensitivities disposed in a known manner.

Abstract: An improved micro slit viscometer includes a combined micrometer depth rectangular slit flow channel with monolithically integrated multiple pressure sensors in the flow channels and a pumping system that injects a test sample to the channel at a desired flow rate. Pressure sensing diaphragm of the monolithically integrated pressure sensors is smooth to minimize the flow disturbance thereby measuring accurate local pressures. With the measurement of the pressures at various locations of the channel the true viscosity of test sample can be calculated. The viscometer may consist of multiple flow channels and thus the true viscosity at multiple shear rates can be measured simultaneously for a given flow rate thereby obtaining a full viscosity curve as a function of shear rate of non-Newtonian liquids in a much faster manner. The viscometer needs only a miniscule amount of sample, which minimizes a waste of test material.

Abstract: An improved rheometer plate includes a smooth sensing surface with monolithically integrated miniature pressure sensors which do not interfere with the smooth surface. Pressure sensing diaphragms formed by the smooth surface deflect in response to local pressures against the surface to enable the measurement of unperturbed local pressures of materials sheared between plates. The pressure sensors are sufficiently small that measured pressures are considered to be significantly local properties compared to the size of the plate. Normal stress differences and viscosity of fluid are measured accordingly. The membrane covers a plurality of wells or recesses with pressure sensors located in the wells to measure the deflection of the membrane over the wells. Capacitive or other sensors may be used. The rheometer plate can be used as part of a slit rheometer with a slit of varying dimensions.