| 摘要 |
A method and apparatus is disclosed for detecting the presence of particulate matter in liquids intended for pharmaceutical use, for example liquid contained in vials, flasks or ampoules. The method involves mechanically imparting to the vial or flask a rotary motion and then suddenly stopping it. Any particles contained in the liquid will continue to move, and will be illuminated by a number of parallel light beams of laser light, which are caused to pass through the liquid. Laser light diffused by particles in the liquid is converted into an electrical signal by a photomultiplier. The signal from the photomultiplier is amplified, filtered, and compared with a reference signal. The apparatus has a number of mandrel/chuck units which each impart a rotary motion to one container. At a second location, the light from a He-Ne laser is conveyed through optical fibers in the form of several parallel beams through each container, illuminated from below through a plurality of holes in the bottom of the mandrel. The laser light diffused by the particles is detected by a photomultiplier, whose signal is processed by an electronic circuit to indicate those vials containing particulate matter.
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