An Artificial Neural Network Assisted Dynamic Light Scattering Procedure for Assessing Living Cells Size in Suspension

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is an essential technique used for assessing the size of the particles in suspension, covering the range from nanometers to microns. Although it has been very well established for quite some time, improvement can still be brought in simplifying the experimental setup and in employing an easier to use data processing procedure for the acquired time-series. A DLS time series processing procedure based on an artificial neural network is presented with details regarding the design, training procedure and error analysis, working over an extended particle size range. The procedure proved to be much faster regarding time-series processing and easier to use than fitting a function to the experimental data using a minimization algorithm. Results of monitoring the long-time variation of the size of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae during fermentation are presented, including the 10 h between dissolving from the solid form and the start of multiplication, as an application of the proposed procedure. The results indicate that the procedure can be used to identify the presence of bigger particles and to assess their size, in aqueous suspensions used in the food industry.