Particle counters have gone a long way since the original inception of the device, and like with most other technologies, the changes have lead to the devices shrinking in size while expanding in efficiency. The idea of a particle counter is simple and should be self-explanatory from the name of the device – they’re used to count the number of particles of a specific type passing through, and they may be used to filter both liquids as well as gases.
Handheld particle counters have been becoming more and more popular in small laboratories lately. They provide the same benefits as their larger counterparts, but they have a bit more limited sensitivity and flow rates (which is understandable considering the size of the device).
The most major drawback that comes with a handheld particle counter is that you typically need to sample your material for longer before you’ve got an accurate reading – a measurement which may take you several seconds with a regular particle counter may very well require minutes of sampling when using a handheld device, especially in certification procedures. The type of sampling probe used in handheld particle counters is also very specific and isn’t generally interchangeable with regular particle counters.