Patent ID: 6519033
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method for identifying unknown particles that are present in a fluid, which includes interrogating particles by directing a beam of light along a beam direction through the fluid and detecting light scattered in a plurality of different directions that are angularly spaced from said beam direction by a plurality of detectors as a result of an event, which is when a particle passes through a detection zone that lies along said beam, and recording the outputs of said detectors for an event to produce an eventvector, comprising:producing multiple events for particles that are of a known first specie, to produce multiple eventvectors for that known first specie, each eventvector for said known first species including a plurality of numbers that represent the outputs of a plurality of said detectors and at least the angular positions of said detectors; producing an event for an unknown particle of an unknown specie to produce a eventvector for the unknown particle, said eventvector for said unknown particle including a plurality of numbers that represent the outputs of a plurality of said detectors; comparing the multiple eventvectors for said known first specie to said eventvector for the unknown specie, to determine whether the unknown particle is of said known first specie.