Method of discriminating particle groups and particle analyzer

• US 7,493,219 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tong, Wenjun, Qi, Huan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau; Tung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kundu; Sujoy K
• Application Number:
  US11/965,642
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19, 702 21- 27, 356/39, 600462-468, 250573-576
• US Class Current: 702/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/12 by observing changes in resistance or impedance across apertures when traversed by individual particles, e.g. by using the Coulter principle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/012 Red blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/016 White blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/018 Platelets
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1024 Counting particles by non-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/698 Matching; Classification

Abstract

A method for discriminating particle groups comprises generating, by a particle analyzer, a particle characteristic distribution histogram in which the abscissa indicates respective channels for representing the characteristics of the particles, and the ordinate indicates the particle count; setting a valid area selection height in the particle characteristics distribution histogram; and generating an equivalent negative histogram based on the set height and the particle characteristic distribution histogram.

Claims

1. A method adapted to a particle analyzer for discriminating particle groups, the method comprising:

generating, based on characteristics of particles and particle count within a sample to be measured, a particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a first direction coordinate of the particle characteristic distribution histogram indicates channels for representing the characteristics of the particles, and a second direction coordinate indicates the particle count;

setting a valid area selection height in the particle characteristics distribution histogram, and generating an equivalent negative histogram based on the set height and the particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a height value of a bar in the equivalent negative histogram for a certain channel equals the valid area selection height minus a height value of a bar in the particle characteristic histogram for said channel;

processing the equivalent negative histogram by using an equation

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the particles is the volume size of the particles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the valid area selection height is lower than a maximum of the particle count for a particle group having fewer particles.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the equivalent negative histogram has the same number of channels as the particle characteristic distribution histogram, and each of the channels in the equivalent negative histogram has the same meaning as that in the particle characteristic distribution histogram.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the equivalent negative histogram only has valid values in a dividing area between two particle groups, and has zeros for other channels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample to be measured is a blood sample, the particle analyzer is a hematology analyzer, and the particle groups to be discriminated includes a group of platelets and a group of red blood cells, or includes a group of lymphocytes and a group of granulocytes.

7. The method claim 1, further comprising the initial steps of:

driving a mixture of the sample to be measured and a diluent through an aperture by a driving power source;

using the particle analyzer to capture a voltage pulse generated when each particle is passing through the aperture;

calculating, by the particle analyzer, the volume of each particle and calculating the particle count corresponding to the same volume based on the captured voltage pulses.

8. A particle analyzer for discriminating particle groups, comprising:

a histogram generating unit, for generating, based on characteristics of particles and particle count within a sample to be measured, a particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a first direction coordinate of the particle characteristic distribution histogram indicates channels for representing the characteristics of the particles, and a second direction coordinate indicates the particle count;

a valid area selection height generation unit, for setting a valid area selection height in the particle characteristic distribution histogram, and

an equivalent negative histogram generation unit, for generating an equivalent negative histogram based on the valid area selection height and the particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a height value of a bar in the equivalent negative histogram for a certain channel equals the valid area selection height minus a height value of a bar in the particle characteristic histogram for said channel;

a dividing line determination unit, for processing the equivalent negative histogram by using an equation

9. The particle analyzer of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the particles is the volume size of the particles, and the valid area selection height is lower than a maximum of the particle count for a particle group having fewer particles.

10. A particle analyzer for discriminating particle groups, comprising:

an aperture structure, through which a mixture of a sample to be measured and an electrically conductive diluent is driven to pass by a driving power source;

a data capturing unit, for capturing a voltage pulse generated when each particle is passing through the aperture;

a data statistic calculation unit, for calculating, based on the captured voltage pulses, the volume of each particle and particle count corresponding to the same volume;

a histogram generating unit, for generating, based on the characteristics of particles and particle count within a sample to be measured, a particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a first direction coordinate of the particle characteristic distribution histogram indicates channels for representing the characteristics of the particles, and a second direction coordinate indicates the particle count;

a valid area selection height generation unit, for setting a valid area selection height in the particle characteristic distribution histogram; and

an equivalent negative histogram generation unit, for generating an equivalent negative histogram based on the valid area selection height and the particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a height value of a bar in the equivalent negative histogram for a certain channel equals the valid area selection height minus a height value of a bar in the particle characteristic histogram for said channel;

a dividing line determination unit, for processing the equivalent negative histogram by using an equation

11. A computer-readable medium comprising program code for performing a method for discriminating particle groups, the method comprising:

generating, based on characteristics of particles and particle count within a sample to be measured, a particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a first direction coordinate of the particle characteristic distribution histogram indicates channels for representing the characteristics of the particles, and a second direction coordinate indicates the particle count;

setting a valid area selection height in the particle characteristics distribution histogram, and generating an equivalent negative histogram based on the set height and the particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a height value of a bar in the equivalent negative histogram for a certain channel equals the valid area selection height minus a height value of a bar in the particle characteristic histogram for said channel;

processing the equivalent negative histogram by using an equation

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the characteristic of the particles is the volume size of the particles.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the valid area selection height is lower than a maximum of the particle count for a particle group having fewer particles.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the equivalent negative histogram has the same number of channels as the particle characteristic distribution histogram, and each of the channels in the equivalent negative histogram has the same meaning as that in the particle characteristic distribution histogram.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the equivalent negative histogram only has valid values in a dividing area between two particle groups, and has zeros for other channels.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the sample to be measured is a blood sample and the particle groups to be discriminated includes a group of platelets and a group of red blood cells, or includes a group of lymphocytes and a group of granulocytes.

17. The computer-readable medium claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the initial steps of:

driving a mixture of the sample to be measured and a diluent through an aperture by a driving power source;

capturing a voltage pulse generated when each particle is passing through the aperture;

calculating the volume of each particle and calculating the particle count corresponding to the same volume based on the captured voltage pulses.

18. An apparatus for discriminating particle groups comprising:

means for generating, based on characteristics of particles and particle count within a sample to be measured, a particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a first direction coordinate of the particle characteristic distribution histogram indicates channels for representing the characteristics of the particles, and a second direction coordinate indicates the particle count;

means for setting a valid area selection height in the particle characteristics distribution histogram, and generating an equivalent negative histogram based on the set height and the particle characteristic distribution histogram, wherein a height value of a bar in the equivalent negative histogram for a certain channel equals the valid area selection height minus a height value of a bar in the particle characteristic histogram for said channel;

means for processing the equivalent negative histogram by using an equation

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the characteristic of the particles is the volume size of the particles.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the valid area selection height is lower than a maximum of the particle count for a particle group having fewer particles.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the equivalent negative histogram has the same number of channels as the particle characteristic distribution histogram, and each of the channels in the equivalent negative histogram has the same meaning as that in the particle characteristic distribution histogram.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the equivalent negative histogram only has valid values in a dividing area between two particle groups, and has zeros for other channels.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sample to be measured is a blood sample, the particle analyzer is a hematology analyzer, and the particle groups to be discriminated includes a group of platelets and a group of red blood cells, or includes a group of lymphocytes and a group of granulocytes.

24. The apparatus claim 18, wherein the method further comprises the initial steps of:

means for driving a mixture of the sample to be measured and a diluent through an aperture by a driving power source;

means for capturing a voltage pulse generated when each particle is passing through the aperture;

means for calculating the volume of each particle and calculating the particle count corresponding to the same volume based on the captured voltage pulses.