Dynamic range splitter for an analyzer of particle-produced pulses

Claim 2

A dynamic range splitter for use with a pulse amplitude processor which has an amplitude acceptance range narrower than the range of pulse amplitudes which is to be processed, said range splitter effectively narrowing the amplitude range of the pulses to be within the acceptance range and comprising: an input terminal for receipt of all pulses to be processed, a plurality of parallel channels coupled to said input terminal so as to receive the pulses to be processed and having a common output terminal connectable to the pulse amplitude processor, each said channel including means for defining a pulse amplitude subrange such that each subrange is no wider than the acceptance range of the processor, said subrange defining means, in at least a first of said channels, being arranged to alter the amplitude of each pulse received in that channel to cause the resulting amplitudes to lie within the subrange of another of said channels, whereby the amplitudes of all pulses at the output terminal of said first and said another channel lie within the acceptance range of the pulse processor, and controlled means in each of said channels for selectively enabling one of the channels and inhibiting the remaining channels from passing a pulse to said output terminal, said controlled means being coupled to be responsive to the amplitude of each pulse to be processed.

Claim 3

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 1 wherein said subrange defining means includes an amplifier.

Claim 4

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 2 wherein said amplifier in said first channel has a gain proportional to the width of said another channel, and said width is determined by the ratio of the largest to the smallest pulse amplitude designated for that channel.

Claim 5

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 3 wherein all said channels have the same width, and the gain of said amplifier in said first channel is equal to said width.

Claim 6

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 1 wherein the subranges are contiguous, the subrange defining means in said first channel is arranged to alter the pulse amplitudes by a factor which is proportional to the width of the acceptance range of the pulse processor, and said width is determined by the ratio of the largest to the smallest pulse amplitude acceptable by the processor.

Claim 7

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 1 wherein there is provided control means coupled between said subrange defining means in at least said first channel and each of said controlled means, for exercising said enabling and inhibiting control.

Claim 8

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 6 wherein said control means comprises a saturation detector and said subrange defining means comprises an amplifier, at least in said first channel, whereby saturation of said amplifier in said first channel would be by a pulse amplitude above the subrange of that channel and would cause said saturation detector to inhibit said first channel and enable one of said another channels whose subrange encompasses that pulse amplitude.

Claim 9

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 1 wherein there is provided means for operating upon each amplitude-altered pulse to cause its original amplitude to be reoBtained, and said operating means have an input and an output coupled to the pulse processor so as to return each such operated upon pulse to the processor for further processing.

Claim 10

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 8 wherein said operating means includes controlling means coupled to be responsive to the original amplitude of each pulse to be processed for selectively enabling said operating means.

Claim 11

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 9 wherein said operating means comprises a pair of impedance elements arranged to be parallel connected by said controlling means.

Claim 12

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 10 wherein there is provided control means coupled between said subrange defining means in at least said first channel and said controlling means for control over said controlling means.

Claim 13

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 11 wherein said control means comprises a saturation detector and said subrange defining means comprises a saturable amplifier, at least in said first channel.

Claim 14

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 12 wherein said control means also is coupled to said controlled means for exercising said enabling and inhibiting control.

Claim 15

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 13 wherein the width of each subrange is determined by the ratio of the largest to the smallest pulse amplitude designated for each said subrange, all subranges have the same width, which is substantially that of the acceptance range of the pulse processor, and the gain of said amplifier in said first channel is equal to its subrange width.

Claim 16

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 14 and in combination therewith a generator for the pulses to be processed, said generator being connected to said input terminal and arranged to produce pulses the amplitude of each of which is proportional to the size of a particle in a particulate system which is to be analyzed by means of said generator and said dynamic range splitter.

Claim 17

A dynamic range splitter and pulse generator according to claim 15 wherein said particle size is its volume and said generator includes means for generating pulses according to the Coulter principle.

Claim 18

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 14 and in combination therewith a pulse amplitude processor connected to said output terminal and having an acceptance range substantially equal to the width of each of said subranges, said pulse amplitude processor being constructed and arranged to determine the median amplitude of the pulses to be processed.

Claim 19

A dynamic range splitter and pulse amplitude processor according to claim 17 and in combination therewith a pulse generator connected to said input terminal, said pulse generator including means for generating pulses according to the Coulter principle, whereby the combination is capable of determining the mass median of a particulate system.

Claim 20

A dynamic range splitter according to claim 1 and in combination therewith a pulse amplitude processor connected to said output terminal and having an acceptance range substantially equal to the width of each of said subranges, said pulse amplitude processor being constructed and arranged to determine the median amplitude of the pulses to be processed.

Claim 21

A dynamic range splitter and pulse amplitude processor according to claim 19 and in combination therewith a pulse generator connected to said input terminal, said pulse generator including means for generating pulses according to the Coulter principle, whereby the combination is capable of determining the mass median of a particulate system.

Claim 22

A dynamic range splitter interposed between a pulse generator and a pulse amplitude processor, said pulse generator being constructed and arranged to generate pulses each having an amplitude proportional to the size of a particle in a particulate system to be aNalyzed, said pulse amplitude processor having an acceptance range narrower than the range of pulse amplitudes capable of being generated by said pulse generator with respect to the particulate system, said dynamic range splitter having an input terminal connected to said pulse generator, an output terminal connected to said pulse amplitude processor and further comprising: a plurality of parallel channels coupled between said input and output terminals, each said channel including means for defining a pulse amplitude subrange such that each subrange is no wider than the acceptance range of said pulse processor, said subrange defining means, in at least a first of said channels, being arranged to alter the amplitude of each pulse received in that channel to cause the resulting amplitudes to lie within the subrange of another of said channels, whereby the amplitudes of all pulses at the output terminal of said first and said another channel lie within the acceptance range of said pulse processor, and controlled means in each of said channels for selectively enabling one of the channels and inhibiting the remaining channels from passing a pulse to said pulse processor, said controlled means being coupled to be responsive to the amplitude of each pulse from said pulse generator, whereby said dynamic range splitter is effective to narrow the amplitude range of the pulses from said generator so that they are within the acceptance range of said pulse processor.

Claim 23

A dynamic range splitter interposed between a pulse generator and a pulse amplitude processor, said pulse generator being constructed and arranged to generate pulses each having an amplitude proportional to the size of a particle in a particulate system to be aNalyzed, said pulse amplitude processor having an acceptance range narrower than the range of pulse amplitudes capable of being generated by said pulse generator with respect to the particulate system, said dynamic range splitter having an input terminal connected to said pulse generator, an output terminal connected to said pulse amplitude processor and further comprising: a plurality of parallel channels coupled between said input and output terminals, each said channel including means for defining a pulse amplitude subrange such that each subrange is no wider than the acceptance range of said pulse processor, said subrange defining means, in at least a first of said channels, being arranged to alter the amplitude of each pulse received in that channel to cause the resulting amplitudes to lie within the subrange of another of said channels, whereby the amplitudes of all pulses at the output terminal of said first and said another channel lie within the acceptance range of said pulse processor, and controlled means in each of said channels for selectively enabling one of the channels and inhibiting the remaining channels from passing a pulse to said pulse processor, said controlled means being coupled to be responsive to the amplitude of each pulse from said pulse generator, whereby said dynamic range splitter is effective to narrow the amplitude range of the pulses from said generator so that they are within the acceptance range of said pulse processor.

Claim 24

The combination according to claim 21 wherein said pulse amplitude processor is constructed and arranged to determine the median size of the particles in the particulate system.

Claim 25

The combination according to claim 22 wherein said pulse generator includes means for generating pulses according to the Coulter principle and thereby said median particle size is the mass median of the particulate system.

Claim 26

The combination according to claim 23 wherein the width of each subrange is determined by the ratio of the largest to the smallest pulse amplitude designated for each said subrange, all subranges have the same width, which is substantially that of the acceptance range of the pulse processor, said subrange defining means comprises an amplifier, and the gain of said amplifier in said first channel is equal to its subrange width.

Claim 27

The combination according to claim 24 wherein there is provided means for operating upon each amplitude-altered pulse to cause its original amplitude to be reobtained, said operating means have an input and an output coupled to the pulse processor so as to return each such operated upon pulse to the processor for further processing, and said operating means includes controlling means coupled to be responsive to the original amplitude of each pulse to be processed, for selectively enabling said operating means and a pair of impedance elements arranged to be parallel connected by said controlling means, the ratio of the impedance value of said impedance elements in parallel as compared with the impedance value of a selected one of them being the same as the gain of said amplifier in said first channel.

Claim 28

The combination according to claim 25 wherein there is provided control means in the form of a saturation detector coupled between said subrange defining means in at least said first channel and said controlling means, for control over said controlling means, and said control means also is coupled to said controlled means for exercising said enabling and inhibiting control.