Combined electronic and optical method and apparatus for analyzing liquid samples

Claim 2

Apparatus for counting the white cells in a sample suspension of white cells in a diluent and also measuring the hemoglobin in the same sample, the suspension having been formed by lysing a blood dilution to provide only white cells and to release the hemoglobin from the red cells, which comprises: A. a particle counting device wherein particles are caused to move through an aperture whose effective impedance is changed with the passage of each particle therethrough, the change in impedance generating an electrical signal which can be counted, said device having means producing a sequence of events in the process of counting the white cells of said sample suspension, i. said counting device including an aperture tube having said aperture, ii. a vessel having a quantity of the suspension therein and the aperture tube immersed in said vessel with the aperture below the surface of said suspension, iii. said sequence of events including drawing suspension from the vessel into the interior of said aperture tube, starting the count of cells and stopping the count of cells, B. an optical hemoglobinmeter operable to measure the hemoglobin of the said suspension, C. fluid connection means for drawing a quantity of said suspension from said vessel into said hemoglobinometer, D. programming means for operating the hemoglobinometer, and E. a connection between said programming means and the means producing a sequence of events whereby the occurrence of one of said events will start the operation of said programming means.

Claim 3

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said one of said eventS comprises drawing suspension from said vessel into the interior of said aperture tube.

Claim 4

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said one of said events comprises starting the count of cells.

Claim 5

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said one of said events comprises stopping the count of cells.

Claim 6

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said means producing a sequence of events comprise a manometer-syphon system connected to the interior of the aperture tube and having a metering section with start and stop electrodes, a column of mercury adapted to be unbalanced and moved away from the start and stop electrodes, a connection from the interior of the aperture tube to a source of vacuum to apply suction to the interior of the aperture tube whereby to unbalance the column of mercury and including a valve for opening and closing said last-mentioned connection, said particle counting device having start and stop means for commencing and stopping the count of cells, said device being energized when said mercury column contacts said start and stop electrodes respectively during its return to its balanced condition.

Claim 7

The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which there is an electrical circuit operable when closed to energize the programming means including said connection between said programming means and the means producing a sequence of events, said last-named connection being connected to said start electrode.

Claim 8

The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which there is a second electrical circuit operable when closed to de-energize the programming means and including a second connection between said programming means and the means producing a sequence of events, said second connection being connected to said stop electrode.

Claim 9

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a liquid connection from the interior of the aperture tube connected to a source of vacuum and there being a valve in said connection, the valve having a mechanical connection with an electrical switch, and the connection between the programming means and means producing a sequence of events comprises an electrical circuit which is closed and opened by the operation of said switch.

Claim 10

Apparatus for counting a suspension of particles in a diluent and measuring the absorbance of the same suspension, which comprises: A. an electronic particle counting device including first and second vessels with the first immersed in the second and having an aperture in the first and the suspension in the second, the first vessel being filled with diluent, a manometer-syphon system having a liquid connection to the interior of the first vessel and having a column of mercury which is displaced from an equilibrium condition and returned to equilibrium condition while drawing a volume of suspension from the second vessel through the aperture, the manometer-syphon system including a metering section with start and stop electrodes at the beginning and end thereof, respectively, an electronic counter, operable to start operation when the mercury column reaches the start electrode and stop operation when the column reaches the stop electrode, including external connections from the electrodes extending to the counter and operating start and stop means in said counter, the manometer-syphon system including a connection to vacuum from the interior of the first vessel which connection is opened to cause the column of mercury to move to a non-equilibrium condition and closed to permit return of the column to equilibrium condition, B. a colorimeter including a chamber, a source of diluent, means for moving a quantity of diluent from the source into the chamber and means for measuring the absorbance of said diluent, means for displacing the diluent by a quantity of said suspension and measuring the absorbance of said suspension, means for comparing the two measurements and providing a read-out of the comparison and controlling means for programming the sequence of operation of the colorimeter, C. a fluid connection between the colorimeter and the second vessel to enable the colorimeter to draw suspension from said second vessel into said chamber, and D. an electrical circuit from the controlling means at least including said start electrode and means to initiate operation of said controlling means when the start electrode is contacted by the mercury column, whereby the operation of the colorimeter and the counting of the particle counting device are initiated by first moving the mercury column to its non-equilibrium condition and then permitting it to return to equilibrium condition.

Claim 11

Apparatus for counting a suspension of particles in a diluent and measuring the absorbance of the same suspension, which comprises: A. an electronic particle counting device including first and second vessels with the first immersed in the second and having an aperture in the first and the suspension in the second, the first vessel being filled with diluent, a manometer-syphon system having a liquid connection to the interior of the first vessel and having a column of mercury which is displaced from an equilibrium condition and returned to equilibrium condition while drawing a volume of suspension from the second vessel through the aperture, the manometer-syphon system including a metering section with start and stop electrodes at the beginning and end thereof, respectively, an electronic counter, operable to start operation when the mercury column reaches the start electrode and stop operation when the column reaches the stop electrode, including external connections from the electrodes extending to the counter and operating start and stop means in said counter, the manometer-syphon system including a connection to vacuum from the interior of the first vessel which connection is opened to cause the column of mercury to move to a non-equilibrium condition and closed to permit return of the column to equilibrium condition, B. a colorimeter including a chamber, a source of diluent, means for moving a quantity of diluent from the source into the chamber and means for measuring the absorbance of said diluent, means for displacing the diluent by a quantity of said suspension and measuring the absorbance of said suspension, means for comparing the two measurements and providing a read-out of the comparison and controlling means for programming the sequence of operation of the colorimeter, C. a fluid connection between the colorimeter and the second vessel to enable the colorimeter to draw suspension from said second vessel into said chamber, and D. an electrical circuit from the controlling means at least including said start electrode and means to initiate operation of said controlling means when the start electrode is contacted by the mercury column, whereby the operation of the colorimeter and the counting of the particle counting device are initiated by first moving the mercury column to its non-equilibrium condition and then permitting it to return to equilibrium condition.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which means are provided in the fluid connection between the colorimeter and second vessel to break any electrical connection which may also exist.

Claim 13

In combination, A. an electronic counting device comprising: i. an aperture tube having an aperture in a wall thereof, and being filled with diluent, immersed in a sample suspension contained in a second vessel, ii. a source of vacuum connected to the interior of the aperture tube for drawing suspension from the second vessel into the interior of the aperture tube and there being a valve in the connection operable to open or close said connection, iii. electronic counting means electrically connected to the liquid in the aperture tube and vessel to respond to the signals produced when particles pass through the aperture into the interior of the aperture tube, with B. an optical hemoglobinometer including i. a measuring chamber, ii. first means for introducing a standard into the chamber and measuring the absorbance thereof, iii. second means for introducing a sample of suspension into the chamber and measuring the absorbance thereof, iv. means comprising the absorbances and providing a read-out related to said comparison, and v. controlling means for programming the operation of said hemoglobinometer, C. there being a fluid connection between the second introducing means of the hemoglobinometer and the second vessel, and an electrical circuit for energizing the controlling means, said circuit being closed by the operation of said valve, whereby the operation of the valve will start particles passing through said aperture while also initiating the operation of said controlling means to draw suspension from said second vessel into said chamber.

Claim 14

In combination, A. an electronic counting device comprising: i. an aperture tube having an aperture in a wall thereof, and being filled with diluent, immersed in a sample suspension contained in a second vessel, ii. a source of vacuum connected to the interior of the aperture tube for drawing suspension from the second vessel into the interior of the aperture tube and there being a valve in the connection operable to open or close said connection, iii. electronic counting means electrically connected to the liquid in the aperture tube and vessel to respond to the signals produced when particles pass through the aperture into the interior of the aperture tube, with B. an optical hemoglobinometer including i. a measuring chamber, ii. first means for introducing a standard into the chamber and measuring the absorbance thereof, iii. second means for introducing a sample of suspension into the chamber and measuring the absorbance thereof, iv. means comprising the absorbances and providing a read-out related to said comparison, and v. controlling means for programming the operation of said hemoglobinometer, C. there being a fluid connection between the second introducing means of the hemoglobinometer and the second vessel, and an electrical circuit for energizing the controlling means, said circuit being closed by the operation of said valve, whereby the operation of the valve will start particles passing through said aperture while also initiating the operation of said controlling means to draw suspension from said second vessel into said chamber.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 11 with a manometer-syphon system connected to the interior of said aperture tube and having a metering section with start and stop electrodes and a column of mercury which is displaced when said valve is opened and return to an equilibrium condition when the valve is closed, said metering section being in the path of movement of said column and serving during such movement to contact first the start and then the stop electrodes there being circuitry in the electronic counting means energizing and de-energizing the same, respectively when the electrodes are contacted so that a volume equal to that of the metering section will be drawn through the aperture and the particles therein counted as the mercury column moves between electrodes, the said electrical circuit for energizing the controlling means being connected to be closed when the mercury column contacts one of said electrodes.

Claim 16

Apparatus for counting the white cells in a sample suspension of white cells in a diluent, the red blood cells having been lysed in the suspension to color the suspension with the hemoglobin from the red cells, the suspension having a hemoglobin reagent therein, and measuring the hemoglobin of the same sample suspension, which comprises: A. an electric particle counting device wherein particles are caused to move through an aperture whose effective impedance is changed with the passage of each particle therethrough, the change in impedance generating an electrical signal which can be counted, said device includIng means for moving a metered amount of said sample suspension through said aperture and including means for turning the counting device on and off during the moving to obtain a count of the number of white cells in said metered amount, B. an optical hemoglobinometer operable to measure the hemoglobin content of the sample suspension, C. fluid connection means for drawing a portion of said sample suspension into the hemoglobinometer, and D. programming means for operating the hemoglobinometer arranged to be energized by said means for turning the counting device off and on.

Claim 17

Apparatus for counting the white cells in a sample suspension of white cells in a diluent, the red blood cells having been lysed in the suspension to color the suspension with the hemoglobin from the red cells, the suspension having a hemoglobin reagent therein, and measuring the hemoglobin of the same sample suspension, which comprises: A. an electric particle counting device wherein particles are caused to move through an aperture whose effective impedance is changed with the passage of each particle therethrough, the change in impedance generating an electrical signal which can be counted, said device includIng means for moving a metered amount of said sample suspension through said aperture and including means for turning the counting device on and off during the moving to obtain a count of the number of white cells in said metered amount, B. an optical hemoglobinometer operable to measure the hemoglobin content of the sample suspension, C. fluid connection means for drawing a portion of said sample suspension into the hemoglobinometer, and D. programming means for operating the hemoglobinometer arranged to be energized by said means for turning the counting device off and on.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 in which the means for moving includes a manometer-syphon arrangement, there is a body of sample suspension and the movement comprises sucking said metered amount from said body through said aperture, and in which said drawing means is connected to draw said portion from said body.