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Objective Due to multiple light scattering that occurs inside and between cells, quantitative optical spectroscopy in turbid biological suspensions is still a major challenge. This includes also optical inline determination of biomass in bioprocessing. Photon Density Wave (PDW) spectroscopy, a technique based on multiple light scattering, enables the independent and absolute determination of optical key parameters of concentrated cell suspensions, which allow to determine biomass during cultivation. Results A unique reactor type, called "mesh ultra-thin layer photobioreactor" was used to create a highly concentrated algal suspension. PDW spectroscopy measurements were carried out continuously in the reactor without any need of sampling or sample preparation, over 3 weeks, and with 10-min time resolution. Conventional dry matter content and coulter counter measurements have been employed as established offline reference analysis. The PBR allowed peak cell dry weight (CDW) of 33.4 g L-1. It is shown that the reduced scattering coefficient determined by PDW spectroscopy is strongly correlated with the biomass concentration in suspension and is thus suitable for process understanding. The reactor in combination with the fiber-optical measurement approach will lead to a better process management.
Electronic intensity and frequency modulation of diode lasers enables new perspectives for highly sensitive analytical in-situ techniques. For analyis of "heterogeneous" media, which may consist of coexisting gaseous, liquid, and solid phases and often show multiple light scattering, non-invasive techniques with outstanding performance characteristics can be developed. Analysis of photon density waves launched by intensity-modulated lasers provide an elegant way for the determination of absorption and scattering coefficients of multiple scattering media. The absorption coefficient can be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents (which absorb in the range of the laser wavelengths). The scattering coefficient allows characterization of physical and morphological properties of the sample. In the current work, applicability of appropriate radiation transport models was investigated with simple light scattering solutions and compared with results obtained from the treatment according to the theory of Kubelka and Munk. Measurements of human blood samples are discussed. A new method for determination of water vapor partial pressure in a polyurethane foam with a frequency-modulated external cavity diode laser is discussed.
Diffuse reflectance measurements and photon migration studies with near infrared (NIR) diode lasers were employed to elucidate experimental methods for determining absorption and scattering coefficients and species concentrations in highly scattering solutions. Applicability of theoretical approaches were established by investigating model systems with absorbing (e.g. ink, malachite green) and scattering (e.g. milk powder, caolinit) species in aqueous solution. While diffuse reflectance measurements practically requires calibration procedures, photon migration studies allow quantitative determination of absorption and scattering coefficients of turbid solutions consistent with absorptions coefficients obtained from Lambert-Beer's law. Furthermore, NIR absorption spectra of water, chlorinated hydrocarbons (chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethene) and of various sugars ($alpha$-D-glucose, sucrose, maltose) are discussed. Spectral variations of NIR water absorption with temperature and solvents are exammined. Exemplary, NIR diode laser detection of water in acetone/water mixtures is performed.
The coil-to-globule transition of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel particles suspended in water has been investigated in situ as a function of heating and cooling rate with four optical process analytical technologies (PAT), sensitive to structural changes of the polymer. Photon Density Wave (PDW) spectroscopy, Focused Beam Reflectance Measurements (FBRM), turbidity measurements, and Particle Vision Microscope (PVM) measurements are found to be powerful tools for the monitoring of the temperature-dependent transition of such thermo-responsive polymers. These in-line technologies allow for monitoring of either the reduced scattering coefficient and the absorption coefficient, the chord length distribution, the reflected intensities, or the relative backscatter index via in-process imaging, respectively. Varying heating and cooling rates result in rate-dependent lower critical solution temperatures (LCST), with different impact of cooling and heating. Particularly, the data obtained by PDW spectroscopy can be used to estimate the thermodynamic transition temperature of PNIPAM for infinitesimal heating or cooling rates. In addition, an inverse hysteresis and a reversible building of micrometer-sized agglomerates are observed for the PNIPAM transition process.