Patent ID: 7127356
Filing Date: 2006-10-24
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of deconvoluting a pulse height distribution derived from particles of unknown size flowing along different trajectories through a non-uniform light field of a single-particle optical sizing device for sizing particles in a fluid suspension, comprising: setting up a matrix having a plurality of columns, each containing a basis vector comprising a pulse height distribution of particles of a known size corresponding to the response of a photo-detector of said device to said particles of known size, each successive column containing a basis vector for particles of successively larger sizes, said matrix also having a like plurality of rows, each corresponding to a successive pulse height channel, each channel including a range of pulse heights, successive rows corresponding to successively larger pulse heights, each column having a maximum count pulse height value at a location for a row which relates to a pulse height corresponding to said particle of known size associated with said column, said maximum count pulse height values for successive columns being arranged on a diagonal of said matrix: modifying said matrix by setting all terms corresponding to pulse height values greater than said maximum count pulse height value in a column to zero, and using a deconvolution algorithm to perform matrix inversion and vector multiplication of said pulse height distribution of said matrix as modified.