Lensless Diffraction Imaging for Large-Volume Particle Agglutination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for characterizing the coagulation and agglomeration of particles in a liquid, such as blood, are bulky and limited to observing a small volume of fluid, making them inefficient for larger samples.
Innovation Solution
A characterization system with a spatially and temporally coherent light source, a matrix photodetector, and a fluidic chamber that allows direct illumination and imaging without magnification optics, enabling a larger light beam area and closer detector placement to capture diffraction patterns over a larger volume, facilitating the determination of agglomeration and coagulation dynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional focusing lens system is used to illuminate the fluidic chamber, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the focusing lens from the optical path, using direct illumination of the fluidic chamber. This extraction of the lens component simplifies the system structure while maintaining measurement capability through alternative optical arrangements that directly illuminate the sample without requiring focal convergence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a diffuser or scattering element as an intermediary between the light source and fluidic chamber. This intermediary component enables uniform illumination across the chamber without requiring a focusing lens, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining adequate illumination for particle characterization.
2Area of stationary object
If a small light beam area is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the volume of liquid that can be observed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from illuminating a small area in one dimension to illuminating a large area by spreading light across the entire fluidic chamber plane. This dimensional approach allows the light beam to cover the maximum available area of the chamber, thereby increasing the observable liquid volume without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system is designed to uniformly illuminate the entire fluidic chamber area, making the light beam universally applicable across the whole observation volume. This multi-functional illumination approach allows simultaneous characterization of multiple particles across a large volume, rather than sequentially scanning a small beam area.
3Measurement precision
If the image sensor is placed far from the fluidic chamber, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a magnified optical copy of the fluidic chamber content on the image sensor plane through diffraction-based imaging. This copying mechanism allows accurate particle characterization without requiring physical distance separation between the chamber and sensor, maintaining precision while minimizing system footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical focusing system (lenses and distance adjustments) with a diffraction-based optical system. By using the diffraction pattern formed by particles themselves as the imaging mechanism, the system eliminates the need for precise mechanical positioning and focusing components, reducing both size and complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the observation of a larger volume of liquid while maintaining a compact system size, allowing for accurate characterization of agglomeration and coagulation dynamics with reduced interference, and supporting applications like blood group determination and analyte quantification.
Implementation Method 1
an optical granularity pattern generated by the interaction between the particles contained in the chamber and the light beam
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
This method is suitable for characterizing particle agglutination in a liquid (12). The characterization method comprises the following steps: - introducing the liquid (12) into a fluidic chamber (14); - illuminating the fluidic chamber (14) with a light beam (18) emitted by a light source (16); - acquiring one or more images of the fluidic chamber (14) by a matrix photodetector (20), the fluidic chamber (14) being positioned between the light source (16) and the matrix photodetector (20); - processing the image or the plurality of images to determine an indicator characterizing particle agglutination in the liquid (12); and - characterizing the particle agglutination in the liquid (12) as a function of the indicator value.