Apparatus for measuring lymphocyte subclasses

Claim 1

An apparatus for measuring lymphocyte subclasses comprising: (a) automatic staining means for mixing and reacting a fluorescently tagged monoclonal antibody with a blood sample; (b) a sensing station of a flow cytometer including a flow cell through which the stained sample is passed; a laser light source for irradiating with laser light the stained sample as it is passed through the flow cell of said sensing station; a single photosensor for sensing first scattered light scattered by each cell of the sample in a direction substantially parallel to the optical axis of the laser light, and second scattered light scattered by each cell of the sample in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser light, said photosensor being located downstream of the irradiation of the cells passing through the flow cell; a single fluorescent light sensor for sensing fluorescent light in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser light, said fluorescent light sensor being located downstream of the irradiation of the cells passing through the flow cell; (c) data processing means for receiving and processing output signals from said scattered light photosensor and fluorescent light sensor to discriminate lymphocytes based on a distribution of signals indicative of the intensities of the first scattered light and the second scattered light; and (d) display means for displaying data indicative of a lymphocyte subclass identified by said data processing means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for measuring lymphocyte subclasses comprising: (a) automatic staining means for mixing and reacting a fluorescently tagged monoclonal antibody with a blood sample; (b) a sensing station of a flow cytometer including a flow cell through which the stained sample is passed; a laser light source for irradiating with laser light the stained sample as it is passed through the flow cell of said sensing station; a single photosensor for sensing first scattered light scattered by each cell of the sample in a direction substantially parallel to the optical axis of the laser light, and second scattered light scattered by each cell of the sample in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser light, said photosensor being located downstream of the irradiation of the cells passing through the flow cell; a single fluorescent light sensor for sensing fluorescent light in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser light, said fluorescent light sensor being located downstream of the irradiation of the cells passing through the flow cell; (c) data processing means for receiving and processing output signals from said scattered light photosensor and fluorescent light sensor to discriminate lymphocytes based on a distribution of signals indicative of the intensities of the first scattered light and the second scattered light; and (d) display means for displaying data indicative of a lymphocyte subclass identified by said data processing means.