Non-orthogonal particle detection systems and methods

1. A method of detecting a particle, said method comprising the steps of:

providing said particle suspended within a fluid flowing in a flow direction through a flow cell;

passing a beam of electromagnetic radiation having a cross sectional profile having a major axis and a minor axis through said fluid, wherein an angle between said major axis and said flow direction is non-orthogonal, and wherein said particle interacts with said beam thereby generating scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation;

collecting at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation using a system of optics, wherein said system of optics has an optical axis positioned non-orthogonal to said major axis;

imaging at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation collected by said system of optics onto a two-dimensional detector, wherein said two-dimensional detector is positioned non-orthogonal to said optical axis of said system of optics;

detecting at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation imaged on said two-dimensional detector, thereby generating a plurality of output signals corresponding to intensities of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation detected by said two-dimensional detector; and

analyzing at least a portion of said plurality of output signals using one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of time delay integration, image threshold analysis, image shape analysis, pulse height analysis, and pulse width analysis, thereby detecting said particles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of analyzing at least a portion of said plurality of output signals results in a determination of a characteristic of said particle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of analyzing at least a portion of said plurality of output signals results in a determination of a size of said particle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of analyzing at least a portion of said plurality of output signals comprises analyzing a sub-array comprising only a portion of said plurality of output signals.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sub-array comprises output signals corresponding to scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation from an imaged region of said flow cell.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sub-array comprises output signals corresponding to scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation from a region of said flow cell illuminated by said beam of electromagnetic radiation.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sub-array comprises output signals corresponding to scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation from a region of said flow cell illuminated by said beam of electromagnetic radiation excluding the walls of said flow cell.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sub-array comprises output signals corresponding to scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation from a region of said flow cell illuminated by the center of the beam of electromagnetic radiation.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sub-array comprises output signals corresponding to scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation from a region of said flow cell illuminated by at least a portion of the beam of electromagnetic radiation having substantially uniform intensities.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of analyzing at least a portion of said plurality of output signals comprises comparing said plurality of output signals corresponding to said intensities of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation detected by said two-dimensional detector with one or more threshold reference values.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said one or more threshold reference values correspond to intensities of scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation from particles having known sizes.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said one or more threshold reference values are dependent on the flow rate of the fluid.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said one or more threshold reference values are dependent on the intensity of the beam of electromagnetic radiation.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising a step of determining a position of said particle within said flow cell, wherein said one or more threshold reference values are dependent upon the position of the particle within said flow cell.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said one or more threshold reference values are dependent upon both the position of the particle within said flow cell and the intensity of the beam of electromagnetic radiation.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising spatially resolving electromagnetic radiation scattered or emitted by said particle from electromagnetic radiation scattered or emitted by walls of said flow cell.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said two-dimensional detector has an orientation positioned to allow for a sharply focused image of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation across an active area of said two-dimensional detector.

18. A method of spatially resolving an interaction of particles with a beam of electromagnetic radiation, said method comprising the steps of:

providing said particles suspended within a fluid flowing in a flow direction through a flow cell;

passing a beam of electromagnetic radiation through said fluid, wherein said beam has a cross sectional profile having a major axis and a minor axis and wherein an angle between said major axis and said flow direction is non-orthogonal, and wherein said particles interact with said beam thereby generating scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation;

collecting at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation using a system of optics, wherein said system of optics has an optical axis positioned non-orthogonal to said major axis;

imaging at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation collected by said system of optics onto a two-dimensional detector, wherein said two-dimensional detector is positioned non-orthogonal to said optical axis of said system of optics; and

detecting at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation imaged on said two-dimensional detector, thereby spatially resolving electromagnetic radiation scattered or emitted by said particles from electromagnetic radiation scattered or emitted by walls of the flow cell.

19. A method of sizing a particle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing said particle suspended within a fluid flowing in a flow direction through a flow cell;

passing a beam of electromagnetic radiation through said fluid, wherein said beam has a cross sectional profile having a major axis and a minor axis and wherein an angle between said major axis and said flow direction is non-orthogonal, and wherein said particle interacts with said beam thereby generating scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation;

collecting at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation using a system of optics, wherein said system of optics has an optical axis positioned non-orthogonal to said major axis;

imaging at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation collected by said system of optics onto a two-dimensional detector, wherein said two-dimensional detector is positioned non-orthogonal to said optical axis of said system of optics;

detecting at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation imaged on said two-dimensional detector, thereby generating a plurality of output signals corresponding to intensities of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation detected by said two-dimensional detector;

determining a position of said particle within the flow cell; and

comparing said output signals corresponding to intensities of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation imaged onto said two-dimensional detector with one or more threshold reference values dependent on the position of the particle within the flow cell, thereby determining a size of said particle.

20. A particle detection system comprising:

a flow cell for containing a fluid flowing through said flow cell in a flow direction;

a source for generating a beam of electromagnetic radiation having a cross sectional profile having a major axis and a minor axis, said source positioned to direct said beam through said flow cell, wherein an angle between said major axis and said flow direction is non-orthogonal, wherein particles contained within said fluid interact with said beam, thereby generating scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation;

a system of optics for collecting and imaging said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation onto a two-dimensional detector, wherein said system of optics has an optical axis positioned non-orthogonal to said major axis;

said two-dimensional detector positioned in optical communication with said flow cell for receiving and detecting at least a portion of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation, thereby generating a plurality of output signals corresponding to intensities of said scattered or emitted electromagnetic radiation detected by said two-dimensional detector, wherein said two-dimensional detector is positioned non-orthogonal to said optical axis of said system of optics; and

a processor for receiving and analyzing at least a portion of said plurality of output signals from said two-dimensional detector using one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of time delay integration, image threshold analysis, image shape analysis, pulse height analysis, and pulse width analysis.