The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 10, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 20, 1998
Harry Yang, Rockville, MD (US);
Daniel L. Schwarz, Abingdon, MD (US);
Christopher M. Embres, Bel Air, MD (US);
Richard L. Moore, Catonsville, MD (US);
Perry D. Haaland, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Paula V. Johnson, Baltimore, MD (US);
Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US);
Abstract
A computerized method and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing numerical data pertaining to a sample assay comprising at least one biological or chemical sample. The data include a set of data pertaining to each respective sample, with each set of data including a plurality of values each representing a condition of the sample at a given time. The method and apparatus assign a respective numerical value to each of the data values, mathematically combine the numerical values to generate a total value, compare the total value to a threshold value, and control the system to indicate whether the sample has a predetermined characteristic based on a result of the comparison. Prior to calculation of the sample value, filtering, normalizing and other correcting operations can be performed on the data to correct anomalous values in the data which could adversely affect the accuracy of the results. The method and apparatus perform the described functions by representing the data values as points on a graph having a vertical axis representing the magnitudes of the values and a horizontal axis representing a period of time during which readings of the sample were taken to obtain the data values, identifying points on the graph having an anomalous characteristic, and correcting the anomalous points to produce a corrected plot of points on the graph, with each of the points of the corrected plot representing a magnitude of a corresponding one of the values. An area value is then calculated which represents an approximate area between at least a portion of the corrected plot of points on the graph and the horizontal axis. The area value is compared to a threshold value to determine whether a certain condition exists in the sample to which the set of data pertains.