method and apparatus for providing a correction of coincidence before and during a detailed analysis using techniques of extension of time

摘要

A method and apparatus for correcting a particle pulse count subject to coincidence error is disclosed wherein particle pulses, developed in response to passage of particles in a particulate system through a sensing zone, are counted for a predetermined period of time. The predetermined period of time is increased or extended in response to each pulse counted by a time increment that is a function of a characteristic of the counted pulse, such as the pulse width, duration, or amplitude. The total additional time period allows the counting of additional particle pulses such that the total count at the end of the extended time period is an error corrected count for the number of particles detected in the predetermined time period.