Patent ID: 9217695
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: G01N,G06K,G06T,H04N

Abstract:
1. An automated process for analyzing a sample of fluid containing blood cells, the process comprising: filling an applicator tip with a volume of the fluid containing blood cells; positioning the applicator tip at a height above a slide, wherein the height is measured along a direction perpendicular to a surface of the slide; dispensing a known volume of the fluid containing blood cells out of the applicator tip and while ejection of the fluid onto the slide is occurring, maintaining relative movement between the tip and the slide to lay down the entire known volume of fluid in two or more rows over a defined area of the slide, wherein the applicator tip height above the slide, a flow rate of the fluid out of the applicator tip, and a speed of the relative movement are selected such that the cells in the fluid settle onto the slide in a layer that is about one cell thick and such that morphology of the blood cells is sufficiently preserved to enable image-based cell analysis and calculation of a total cell count per microliter in the sample; fixing and staining the blood cells on the slide; illuminating the blood cells on the slide with a light source; capturing at least one image of the blood cells corresponding to light in a first wavelength range of about 400 to 470 nm transmitted or reflected by the cells, and at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in a second wavelength range of about 470 to 750 nm transmitted or reflected by the cells; automatically analyzing the images of the cells and calculating a total cell count per microliter in the sample of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets and determining a complete blood count (“CBC”) and a white blood cell (“WBC”) differential for the sample; and displaying the images of the cells, the results of the CBC, and the results of the WBC differential in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a display, wherein the GUI is configured to allow an operator to interact with the images and sign off on the CBC results and the WBC differential results.