Coherent optics blood cell classification system

• US 4,070,113 A
• Filed: 05/05/1976
• Issued: 01/24/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Frazer, Robert E., Ingram, Marylou
• Primary Examiner(s): Engle, Samuel W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Application Number:
  US05/683,267
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 356/102, 356/103, 356/104, 356/39, 250/211 R, 250/211 J
• US Class Current: 356/343
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1429 Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/147 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1402 Data analysis by thresholding or gating operations performed on the acquired signals or stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1486 Counting the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1497 Particle shape
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4716 Using a ring of sensors, or a combination of diaphragm and sensors; Annular sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/88 Image or video recognition using optical means, e.g. reference filters, holographic masks, frequency domain filters or spatial domain filters

Abstract

A system for classifying the various major types of blood cells is provided wherein blood cells are passed before a laser beam. The redirected light energy passing through the cell is applied to a detector array which provides a voltage spectrum representative of the spatial relationships of the object. This voltage spectrum is compared rapidly with different spectra representative of different blood cell classes. Whenever a best fit is detected by the comparing means, a count is scored in one of the cell classes. The same means is applicable to the analysis of other cell types such as cancer and exfoliated cells.

Claims

1. A system for identifying particulate matter, such as a cell, comprising

means for producing coherent light,

flow-through means for passing a supply of particulate matter therethrough,

means for focusing light from said coherent light means through said flow-through means to produce a diffraction pattern wherein the light is scattered by particles of said particulate matter at angles characteristic of said matter,

means positioned to receive said light scattered at characteristic angles for sensing light scattered at different angles and for producing a set of angle characteristic signal voltages in response thereto,

pulse generating means responsive to scattered light for detecting the presence of a scattering particle in said beam and for producing a delayed pulse,

peak sample and hold means responsive to said delayed pulse for sampling the peak output voltages of said light sensing means in response to the one scattering particle, wherein each peak output voltage is proportional to the peak intensity of light scattered at a different angle,

means establishing a set of reference voltages representative of the characteristic set of peak output voltages produced by particulate matter desired to be identified, and

means for comparing the set of characteristic peak output voltages produced by said sample and hold means with the set of reference voltages, and for producing an output when there is an identity between the set of characteristic peak voltages and the set of reference voltages.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said light sensing means comprises a plurality of spaced concentric partial rings of photovoltaic material, and

said means for comparing includes means for comparing the characteristic voltage output produced by each concentric partial ring with a reference voltage.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means establishing a set of reference voltages comprises means for establishing a set of reference voltage ranges, and

said means for comparing compares the set of characteristic peak voltages with said set of reference voltage ranges.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein there is included means for displaying the set of characteristic peak voltages.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said light means comprises a plurality of spaced concentric arcs of photovoltaic material, only predetermined ones of which are located to receive the light scattered at angles characteristic of said matter, and

said means for comparing includes means for selecting only the peak voltage output from each of said predetermined rings for comparison with said set of reference voltages.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said means establishing a set of reference voltages comprises

means for storing a plurality of reference sets of voltages, and

means for sequentially extracting each reference set of voltages from said means for storing for enabling a sequential comparison with a set of characteristic peak voltages.

7. A system for identifying a cell as recited in claim 1 wherein there is included oscilloscope means to which said plurality of characteristic peak voltages are applied for displaying said characteristic voltages as light images.

8. A method of identifying particulate matter, such as a cell, comprising

illuminating a particle of said matter with a beam of coherent light to produce a diffraction pattern wherein the light is scattered by said particle at angles characteristic of said matter,

generating a set of peak voltages representative of, and in response to, the light scattered at angles characteristic of said matter,

establishing a reference set of voltages representative of the light scattered by a particle of known matter, and

comparing the set of peak voltages representative of the light scattered at angles characteristic of said matter with said reference set of voltages and producing an output indicative of an identity.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein said step of establishing a reference set of voltages includes establishing a reference set of voltage tolerance ranges, and

said set of comparing compares the set of peak voltages with a reference set of voltage tolerance ranges.

10. A method of particle identification as recited in claim 8 wherein said step of generating a set of peak voltages representative of and in response to the light scattered at angles characteristic of a particle of said matter includes

placing a plurality of separate photovoltaic materials at locations where they will intercept the light scattered at angles, and

deriving a separate peak voltage from each of said plurality of separate photovoltaic materials.

11. A method of cell identification as recited in claim 8 including displaying said plurality of peak voltages representative of the light scattered at characteristic angles.

12. A method for identifying particulate matter as recited in claim 8 wherein said step of establishing a reference set of voltages includes

storing a plurality of reference sets of voltages,

sequentially establishing from said stored reference sets of voltages each different set of voltages for comparing with said generated set of voltages.