Method and apparatus for multichannel voting

Claim 2

A voting method for excluding data output from a malfunctioning electrical channel within a system having at least three parallel channels, each channel cumulatively carrying substantially the same electrical pulse data, comprising the steps of: producing cumulatively in each channel an indication representative of the mean size of the pulses carried in that channel, comparing the mean size indications of all of the channels, and excluding the pulse data output from any channel from which the mean size indication does not compare favorably with the remaining channels.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 in which said indication producing is accomplished by ascertaining electrically the amplitude of each data pulse and obtaining cumulatively the mean value thereof.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 2 in which said indication producing is accomplished by converting the pulse in each channel into monopolar sequels of generally histogrammic configuration.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 1 in which each electrical pulse represents the volume of a particle, and said step of indication producing is accomplished by electrically ascertaining cumulatively the mean volume of the particles in each channel.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 4 which further includes the step of generating the data pulses in a particle analyzer of the Coulter type, with each channel receiving its electrical pulse data from a separate particle analyzer of the Coulter type.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1 which further comprises the steps of averaging the outputs from the channels, and employing a small portion of such average for defining an acceptable limit for differences in the mean size indication between channels for said step of comparing.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 1 in which said comparing includes permutatively comparing the mean size indication of two channels, for all of the channels.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1 which includes the step of producing separately another indication representative of the data pulses from each channel, and employing said excluding for excluding as an output said another pulse data indication from at least one of the channels.

Claim 10

A voting structure for use in pulse Analysis apparatus, said voting structure comprising: a plurality of electrically parallel channels, means at the input of each channel for receiving substantially the same pulse data that are directed to all other of said channels, means for producing an indication representing the mean sizes of those pulses in each channel, pulse comparison and exclusion circuitry responsive to the mean size indication of each channel for comparing such mean size indications from said channels against each other and for excluding any pulse-derived output from at least one of said channels subsequent to an unfavorable mean size indication comparison for that channel.

Claim 11

A voting structure for use in pulse Analysis apparatus, said voting structure comprising: a plurality of electrically parallel channels, means at the input of each channel for receiving substantially the same pulse data that are directed to all other of said channels, means for producing an indication representing the mean sizes of those pulses in each channel, pulse comparison and exclusion circuitry responsive to the mean size indication of each channel for comparing such mean size indications from said channels against each other and for excluding any pulse-derived output from at least one of said channels subsequent to an unfavorable mean size indication comparison for that channel.

Claim 12

A voting structure according to claim 9 in which said mean size indication producing means comprises means for obtaining the mean amplitude of the pulses which have been directed into each respective channel.

Claim 13

A voting structure according to claim 9 which said mean size indication producing means comprises an MCV system in each of said channels.

Claim 14

A voting structure according to claim 11 in which each said MCV system has an input connected to receive pulses from a particle study apparatus of the type wherein a fluid sample containing particles is passed from one body of electrolyte through a particle scanning aperture to another body of electrolyte.

Claim 15

A voting structure according to claim 12 in which said particle study apparatus is of the Coulter type.

Claim 16

A voting structure according to claim 9 in which said comparison and exclusion circuitry comprises in each channel: an absolute differential amplifier permutatively coupled to receive the mean size indications for its channel and another of said channels, a threshold circuit coupled to the output of each said amplifier, and logic gate means permutatively connected to the outputs of all of said threshold circuits.

Claim 17

A voting structure according to 14 which further comprises; output signal averaging means coupled for receiving the mean size indications of all of said channels, and voltage dividing means coupled between the output of said averaging means and an input to said threshold circuit of each said channel, for establishing a limit of acceptance for the comparison by said comparison and exclusion circuitry.

Claim 18

A voting structure according to 14 which further comprises; output signal averaging means coupled for receiving the mean size indications of all of said channels, and voltage dividing means coupled between the output of said averaging means and an input to said threshold circuit of each said channel, for establishing a limit of acceptance for the comparison by said comparison and exclusion circuitry.

Claim 19

A voting structure according to claim 14 further comprising an analog signal gate coupled at the output end of each said channel, each said analog signal gate having one input coupled to the output of one of said logic gates and another input directly coupled to the output of said mean size indication producing means for that channel.

Claim 20

A voting structure according to claim 9 which further comprises an additional plurality of channels, each channel within said additional plurality of channels being connected in parallel to a specific one of the first mentioned plurality of parallel channels and having an input for receiving the pulses that are directed to such one channel, each channel of said additional plurality of channels comprising the series connection of: a threshold circuit, pulse accumulating means and an analog signal gate; each said analog signal gate having another input connected to the output of said pulse comparison and exclusion circuitry of its corresponding first mentioned channel; whereby, the pulse data which are applied to any excluded of said first mentioned channels will be excluded from defining an output from the corresponding associated additional channel.

Claim 21

A voting structure according to claim 17 wherein the output of each said threshold circuit also is coupled to an input of said indication producing means of its corresponding channel, for defining an amplitude limit to the pulses received by said first mentioned channels.