Fiber optic refractometer

Patent 5311274 Issued on May 10, 1994. Estimated Expiration Date:

May 11, 2012. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3370502

3513319

3520619

3619068

3639770

3779352

3850528

3870807

3917410

Apparatus for the continuous measurement of the density of a liquid by utilization of the law of refraction
Patent #: 3932038
Issued on: 01/13/1976
Inventor: Schweizer , et al.

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Inventor

Cole, Jr., Charles F.

Application

No. 881059 filed on 05/11/1992

US Classes:

356/133, Refractive rod engages specimen356/70, OIL TESTING (E.G., CONTAMINATION)356/128REFRACTION TESTING (E.G., REFRACTOMETERS)

Examiners

Primary: Housel, James C.
Assistant: Crawford, L. M.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Parker; J. Kevin

International Classes

G01N 021/41
G01N 033/38

Abstract

A fiber optic refractometer is disclosed for use in on-line measurement of the refractive index of a process fluid. The refractometer does not require light to pass through the process fluid and is hence unaffected by the presence of light diffusing particulate matter in the process fluid. A particular application for which the refractometer is well-suited is the on-line measurement of the hydrogenation state of edible oils (which correlates with refractive index) during the partial hydrogenation process.

Other References

Ady Arie, Reuven Karoubi, Yigal S. Gur, and Moshe Tur Applied Optics--vol. 25, No. 11--Jun. 1, 1986 "Measurement and analysis of light transmission through a modified cladding optical fiber with applications to sensors"
P. M. Kopera, J. Melinger, and V. J. Tekippe Proceedings of the SPIE--vol. 412, pp. 82-89--1983 "Modified cladding wavelength dependent fiber optic temperature sensor"
Ady Arie, Moshe Tur, and Samuel Goldsmith SPIE--vol. 718 Fiber Optic and Laser Sensors IV (1986)--pp. 160-167 "Measurement and analysis of a modified cladding optical fiber with various input illuminations"
W. Golunski, R. Hypszer, and J. Plucinski SPIE--vol. 1085 Optical Fibers and Their Applications V (1989)--pp. 473-475 "Optical fibre refractometer for liquid refractive index measurement"
D. J. David, D. Shaw, and H. Tucker Rev. Sci. Instrum., vol. 47, No. 9, Sep. 1976--pp. 989-997 "Design, development, and performance of a fiber optics refractometer: Application to HPLC"
A. L. Harmer Optical Fiber Sensors, 1983--pp. 104-108 "Optical fibre refractometer using attenuation of cladding modes"
Michael D. DeGrandpre and Lloyd W. Burgess Center for Process Analytical Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry BG-10--pp. 821-830 "Evanescent field fiber optic probe for process analysis"
M. Gottlieb and G. B. Brandt Applied Optics--Nov. 15, 1981--vol. 20, No. 22--p. 3867 "Temperature sensing in optical fibers using cladding and jacket loss effects"
N. S. Kapany and J. N. Pike--Journal of the Optical Society of America vol. 47, No. 12--Dec., 1957--pp. 1109-1117 "Fiber Optics, Part IV. A Photorefractometer"
C. F. Cole, Jr., Development of a Fiber Optic Refractometer to Measure the Partial Hydrogenation of Edible Oils., dissertation, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Aug., 199