Hycel, Inc.

Nova Celltrak, Inc.

Other

General Science Corporation

Angel Engineering Corporation

Henry R Angel

James W Hennessy

Bernard O Bachenheimer

William J Casey

Samuel Philip Baron

Arthur R Oefinger

Richard A Carlson

A device for rapidly obtaining data related to destination points in the form of a navigational chart that supports a slide to move in a defined path relative to and beneath the display. A window is provided in the chart or along an edge thereof to enable a pointer on the slide to be visible through the useful range of movement of the slide. On the slide is provided at least one column of data, the individual lines of data being viewed sequentially through another window through the chart. Destination points are displayed on the navigational chart in their appropriate analog positions and connected by lines to the edge of the slot along which the pointer moves. The data is so coordinated with the pointer than when the point is opposite a line connected to a desired destination point, the proper data such as latitude and longitude and time delay codes for that destination point appear in the window as required in Loran and Global Position Satellite (GPS) systems.

Analog slide display

A blood analyzer is provided with means to automatically pierce the sealed closure of a vacuum container or to aspirate through an aspirator tip blood samples to be analyzed. The samples are drawn serially through a repositionable valve structure, preferably of rotary form, and having three members in layers with aligned ports in one position to receive the blood that is drawn through the valve by a syringe type aspirator. Another position of the valve connects diluent supplies providing measured amounts of diluent to wash out the bores of the middle member of the valve containing amounts of blood measured by the size of the bores. In the case of the red blood cell measurement, where the bore is extremely small, a larger by-pass port is provided in parallel with the sample containing bore to allow more rapid flow simultaneously through both. Blood analysis is performed by separate conventional cell counter arrangements for each of the red and white counts. A novel configuration involves a bore through a block generally tangential to a bore which engages a cylindrical chamber in the sidewall of which is a jewel orifice. A foil electrode is used in the tangential passage and a larger tapered electrode with the smaller end near the orifice in the cylindrical output chamber. A discontinuity in the form of an air bubble in a passage feeding the counter apparatus enables the position of the bubble to be sensed at one place to turn on the counter and in another place in the passage to turn off the counter. The three-layer valve structure has various special indexing features and cleaning features, and the intake devices have features associated with cleaning as well.

Blood analysis system

An apparatus for making blood counts is provided with computer and instrument control to optimize performance of the apparatus. Means for counting blood cells such as platelets, white blood and red blood cells enables a plot of the number of particles counted in each of the adjacent bands or channels inclusive within a selected range of particle size so that a plot of count against particle size may be made. The computer enables analyses of plots thus obtained by system algorithms in order to correct errors of various types which may occur in the plot. For example, by calculating the logarithms of the counts of particles and of mean particle size for each particle size channel, a further plot of log count against log of blood particle size of generally symmetrical bell shape may be generated. The computer further calculates change of logarithm (.DELTA. log) of counts in adjacent channels. A straight line of fixed slope is then plotted representing the change of logarithm counts against the logarithm of blood particle size, giving more weight to those points near the peak. The calculation steps are reversed using the points on the straight line for ultimately calculating counts in the various channels from .DELTA. log and taking the anti-log of the log particle size to regenerate a new curve showing more accurately distribution of the selected blood particles against particle size.

Count accuracy control means for a blood analyses system

In particle counting apparatus such as a hematology parameter measurement apparatus for performing multiple measurements on one blood sample, first and second impedance transducers, each including inner and outer electrodes, are provided for selective hydraulic connection to a probe head including one set of pressure ports and a further inner electrode. The first and second transducers are respectively immersed in first and second dilutions of the sample. Measurements on each dilution are made in a conventional manner. The inner electrodes are connected in parallel as are the outer electrodes so that small liquid passageways may be provided between the transducers and the probe head while maintaining a low impedance in the liquid path. Means are provided for selecting the sequence of operations and are provided to increase the throughput of samples for which multiple measurements are made.

Hematology cell counting apparatus incorporating multiple transducers

In a hematology measurement apparatus, a hematocrit value is generated by incrementing a value in accumulation means in accordance with measured sizes of red blood cells. The hematocrit value is corrected for coincidence by incrementing the value additionally in response to the production of red blood cell count coincidence corrections pulses.

Coincidence correction of hematocrit in a hematology measurement

An apparatus and method are provided for measuring hematocrit. A diluted blood sample is passed through a well-known conductivity sensor providing a sensor pulse for each sensed blood cell. Each pulse has a peak amplitude corresponding to the size of a blood cell passing through the sensor. During a first time period initiated by passing of the sensor pulse above a threshold level, the sensor pulse is coupled to peak detecting means, and a signal indicative of the level of the peak is generated and stored. The value of each stored signal is added to an integrator for a fixed period of time. The value stored by the integrator is thus indicative of hematocrit level for a known sample volume.

Method and apparatus for determining hematocrit

A method and apparatus for correcting the output count of an electronic particle counting system in which additional correction pulses are added to the pulses generated by the electronic counting system as a result of detecting particles flowing through an orifice. The correction pulses are added in accordance with a curve which is generated by statistical computation determined by the size of the orifice and the character of the particles being detected therein and their quantity per unit volume. The improved apparatus comprises the addition of a second counter chain to the system which includes digital counters having outputs at various frequencies which are dividends of the frequency of the input pulses. The various-frequency outputs are combined through logic circuitry to generate individual correction pulses at frequencies such that when the pulses are added to the detected pulses, the total of the pulses corresponds to the actual number of particles flowing through the orifice.

Particle count correction

A system for counting electrical pulses representing red and white blood cells and for determining hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume and hemoglobin in association with the blood cell counts. The system includes a blood cell transducer through which a blood sample is caused to flow and operative to produce electrical pulses in response to the passage of cells through a metering aperture. Red and white blood cell counts are electronically accumulated during respective analytical runs and logic circuitry is provided for determining, during a red blood cell counting run, mean corpuscular volume and hematocrit. The system can also include correction circuitry to correct for the coincident passage of cells through the metering aperture.

Growing community of inventors

Fairfield, CT, United States of America

Henry R Angel