Special purpose cuvette assembly and method for optical microscopy of nanoparticles in liquids

Abstract

A special purpose cuvette assembly with features that create a small, restricted volume to minimize bulk movements of liquid and that minimize backscattering of light. The special-purpose cuvette assembly enables recording of Brownian movements of nanoparticles in a liquid when it is placed in a suitable optical device comprising a light sheet and an optical microscope attached to a video camera that is oriented perpendicular to the light-sheet plane.

1 . A system ( 10 ) for viewing particles, the system comprising:
 a light source ( 15 ) for generating an electromagnetic energy ( 20 ) directed at a cuvette ( 25 );   a sensor ( 30 ) for detecting electromagnetic energy within the cuvette; and   the cuvette comprising:
 exterior walls ( 35 ) and a floor ( 40 ) that define a volume ( 45 ), wherein at least a portion of the exterior walls is transparent ( 50 ) to the electromagnetic energy, and wherein the volume is adapted to contain a suspension liquid and the particles; 
 a viewing chamber ( 55 ) comprising:
 an upper viewing chamber wall ( 60 ) extending from the exterior walls and a lower viewing chamber wall ( 65 ) extending from the exterior walls, wherein the upper and lower viewing chamber walls are substantially parallel to the floor; 
 a reflecting wall ( 70 ) adjacent to the upper and lower viewing chamber walls; 
 
 a backscatter chamber ( 75 ) separated from and in fluid communication with the viewing chamber ( 80 ), wherein the reflecting wall is adapted to reflect ( 85 ) the electromagnetic energy into the backscatter chamber.