Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring multiple optical properties of biological specimens

US5107422A · kind A · utility

103Cited by
26References
13Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 14, 1990
Grant dateApr 21, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 14, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06V20/69
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and methods for generating multiparameter optical data that characterize a population of cells. The invention includes the steps of scanning the cell population with a beam to produce sets of digital data samples, each sample set of digital data representing multiparameter optical interactions from a specific location within the cell population; storing the digital data, e.g., in a computer memory; locating a cell within the population, e.g., by comparing the digital data to a preselected threshold value; defining a neighborhood around the digital data representing the located cell; estimating a background level for the neighborhood based upon digital data corresponding to locations outside the neighborhood; and correcting each of the samples corresponding to the neighborhood with the estimated neighborhood background level to generate the optical data. The invention further relates to specific methods of background correction and data calibration as well as specific sampling features to enable precise estimates of multiple cellular constituents or other cell properties at high rates of speed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.