Particle analyzing system for coulter particle device and method

Claim 3

Apparatus for entering data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a computer directly for further data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to a respective particle producing same, instantaneous valve pulse detecting means coupled to receive said pulses, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, a computer for receiving the output of said A/D converter, an address-assigning interface coupled between said computer and said A/D converter, gate means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, an inhibit device having an inhibit output coupled to control said gate for effecting the closing of said gate for the length of an inhibit output signal, said inhibit device being coupled to be separately responsive to each pulse directly from said Coulter analyzing device and also to one of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means and said A/D converter for generating an inhibit output signal until such time that said apparatus is ready to process a subsequent complete pulse from the Coulter particle analyzing device.

Claim 4

Apparatus for entering data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a computer directly for further data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to a respective particle producing same, instantaneous valve pulse detecting means coupled to receive said pulses, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, a computer for receiving the output of said A/D converter, an address-assigning interface coupled between said computer and said A/D converter, gate means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, an inhibit device having an inhibit output coupled to control said gate for effecting the closing of said gate for the length of an inhibit output signal, said inhibit device being coupled to be separately responsive to each pulse directly from said Coulter analyzing device and also to one of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means and said A/D converter for generating an inhibit output signal until such time that said apparatus is ready to process a subsequent complete pulse from the Coulter particle analyzing device.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said interface has an output connected to said inhibit device for effecting the opening of said gate in the absence of said inhibit output signal.

Claim 6

Apparatus for entering data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a computer directly for further data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to a respective particle producing same, instantaneous valve pulse detecting means coupled to receive said pulses, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, gate means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, an inhibit device which includes a one-shot multivibrator, said inhibit device coupled to be responsive to one of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means and said A/D converter and having an output coupled to control said gate for effecting the closing of said gate for the length of the output signal of said multivibrator, a computer for receiving the output of said A/D converter, and an address-assigning interface coupled between said computer and said A/D converter.

Claim 7

Apparatus for entering data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a computer directly for further data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to a respective particle producing same, instantaneous valve pulse detecting means coupled to receive said pulses, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, gate means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, an inhibit device which includes a one-shot multivibrator, said inhibit device coupled to be responsive to one of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means and said A/D converter and having an output coupled to control said gate for effecting the closing of said gate for the length of the output signal of said multivibrator, a computer for receiving the output of said A/D converter, and an address-assigning interface coupled between said computer and said A/D converter.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means comprises peak detecting means and a sample-and-hold means both connected to receive said pulses, said A/D converter being coupled to the output of said sample-and-hold means, and both said A/D converter and sample-and-hold means being rendered operative by the output of said peak detector.

Claim 9

Apparatus for entering data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a computer directly for further data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to a respective particle producing same, instantaneous value pulse detecting meanS coupled to receive said pulses, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, gate means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, an inhibit device which includes a R.S. flip-flop coupled to be set by one of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means and said A/D converter and having an output coupled to control said gate for effecting the closing of said gate for the length of time that said flip-flop is set, a computer for receiving the output of said A/D converter, and an address-assigning interface coupled between said computer and said A/D converter.

Claim 10

Apparatus for entering data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a computer directly for further data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to a respective particle producing same, instantaneous value pulse detecting meanS coupled to receive said pulses, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, gate means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, an inhibit device which includes a R.S. flip-flop coupled to be set by one of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means and said A/D converter and having an output coupled to control said gate for effecting the closing of said gate for the length of time that said flip-flop is set, a computer for receiving the output of said A/D converter, and an address-assigning interface coupled between said computer and said A/D converter.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said R.S. flip-flop is coupled to said interface to be reset thereby for the opening of said gate.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said inhibit device has an inhibit input coupled to the output of said Coulter particle analyzing device, and said inhibit device is constructed so that said gate cannot be opened during the time that a pulse is at the output of said Coulter particle analyzing device.

Claim 13

Apparatus for entering analog data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a plurality of different locations in the memory of a digital computer for data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of analog pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to the volume of a respective particle producing same, instantaneous valve pulse detecting means connected to receive said analog pulse, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means for providing at its output a digitized volume valve for each particle, an interface coupled to the output of said A/D converter, said, interface constructed to assign to each digitized valve one of a plurality of computer memory location addresses based upon a corresponding plurality of different particle volume ranges, a digital computer for receiving the addressed output from the interface, said computer including an addressable plural location memory and means for cumulatively entering into each memory location the number of detected pulses lying within its corresponding particle volume range, and pulse gating and inhibit means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, said pulse gating inhibit means being constructed and arranged to be responsive at least to each analog pulse which appears at the output of said Coulter particle analyzing device at the time that said interface is addressing said computer with respect to a prior pulse, for inhibiting the gating of any partial pulse to said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means at the end of said addressing time, the output of said Coulter particle analyzing device at the time that said interface is addressing said computer with respect to a prior pulse, for inhibiting the gating of any partial pulse to said instantaneous value pulse detecting means at the end of said addressing time.

Claim 14

Apparatus for entering analog data from a Coulter particle analyzing device into a plurality of different locations in the memory of a digital computer for data analysis which comprises: a Coulter particle analyzing device having an output comprising a string of analog pulses each having an amplitude substantially proportional to the volume of a respective particle producing same, instantaneous valve pulse detecting means connected to receive said analog pulse, an A/D converter coupled to the output of said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means for providing at its output a digitized volume valve for each particle, an interface coupled to the output of said A/D converter, said, interface constructed to assign to each digitized valve one of a plurality of computer memory location addresses based upon a corresponding plurality of different particle volume ranges, a digital computer for receiving the addressed output from the interface, said computer including an addressable plural location memory and means for cumulatively entering into each memory location the number of detected pulses lying within its corresponding particle volume range, and pulse gating and inhibit means coupled between said Coulter particle analyzing device and said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means, said pulse gating inhibit means being constructed and arranged to be responsive at least to each analog pulse which appears at the output of said Coulter particle analyzing device at the time that said interface is addressing said computer with respect to a prior pulse, for inhibiting the gating of any partial pulse to said instantaneous valve pulse detecting means at the end of said addressing time, the output of said Coulter particle analyzing device at the time that said interface is addressing said computer with respect to a prior pulse, for inhibiting the gating of any partial pulse to said instantaneous value pulse detecting means at the end of said addressing time.