What is an optical particle counter?

An optical particle counter is an apparatus used for particle counting and sizing by applying light extinction or light scattering technology. When a particle passes through the illuminated zone, the light will be partially blocked or scattered, causing a decrease in light intensity or an increase in the scattered light signal, which will be captured by the detectors. Particle counting can be achieved through the calculation of the amount of positive or negative pulses caused by the scattering or blockage of light. A standard calibration curve obtained from a set of reference materials enables particle sizing by substituting the detected pulse heights of particles into the calibration curve.

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