1458883 Voltage measuring TECHNICON INSTRUMENTS CORP 6 June 1974 [11 June 1973] 25238/74 Heading G1U The output signals from an automatic analysis apparatus are checked for validity by comparing various values derived from the signals with pre-set upper and lower limit values. As described successive output signals from the analysis apparatus, for example the digitized ordinates of successive data points 40, 38, 36, 34,...., Fig. 1, on a waveform 10 produced by the automatic analysis of a sequence of blood samples, each sample being expected to produce a generally flat topped pulse, are applied to a dedicated computing system together with various tolerance values relating, for example, to the expected degree of flatness of the pulse top and to the acceptable amount of noise, and as a result the computer, by comparing each data point with both the immediately preceding data point and the average of the immediately preceding four data points, and by evaluating various functions of the results of these comparisons and of the pre-set tolerance parameters, decides whether each pulse conforms sufficiently closely to its expected form, and, if it does, evaluates an estimate of the peak height, the form of the estimator being pre-set in accordance with the particular property under examination by the analysis apparatus. The calculations performed are given in full in the Specification but are too extensive to list. However, the general approach can be seen from the following summary of the calculations performed during the "rise" phase, this being the first phase of the five phases, shown on the "current sample" in Fig. 1, into which the calculations notionally divide. As each data point arrives it is subtracted from the average of the preceding four. If the difference is numerically less than a pre-set number N a "flat" counter is incremented. If the flat count rises to a pre-set number M, then, if it has not already been concluded for some other reason, the "rise" phase stops and the "suggested value" phase begins. If, alternatively, a pre-set time after the aspiration of the current sample expires before the flat count equals M, the "rise" phase is terminated and the number of times that the data point just arrived exceeds the average of the preceding four by more than N is stored for subsequent comparison with a pre-set number L.
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