Patent ID: 8823943

Claim:
A method for identifying within a single record the location of each of a plurality of samples suspected of containing particles of interest wherein the single record is obtained from a flowing stream of the plurality of samples passing through a particle analyzer, the method comprising: introducing into a conduit the plurality of samples suspected of containing particles of interest wherein each ones of the plurality of samples are separated by fluid gaps to produce a plurality of samples separated by fluid gaps; introducing aliquots of marker particles into the conduit between the ones of the plurality of samples separated by fluid gaps wherein the aliquots of marker particles do not contain particles of interest and the marker particles have a different known optical and/or physical characteristic as compared to the s articles of interest within the plurality of samples; flowing the plurality of samples separated by fluid gaps and further separated by aliquots of marker particles through the conduit as a flowing sample stream to a detector of a particle analyzer; detecting particles of interest when present and/or marker particles as the plurality of samples and the marker particle aliquots pass the detector of the particle analyzer; obtaining in the single record a profile over time for the detected particles of interest when present and/or marker particles once the flowing stream passes an incident beam of light of the particle analyzer; identifying a time position in the single record where particles of interest within any one of the plurality of samples would be located if present based upon the location of the marker particles within the single record.