Method and apparatus for performing platelet measurement

A method of discriminating and quantifying platelets from non-platelet particles in a blood sample comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing a blood sample through an aperture of a blood sample transport path;
• (b) directing a light beam through said aperture;
• (c) analyzing said blood sample in said aperture by measuring axial light loss and lower median angle light scatter signals;
• and
• (d) reporting platelets in said blood sample on the basis of said signal obtained in step (c).

A method of discriminating and quantifying platelets from non-platelet particles in a blood sample comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing a blood sample through an aperture of a blood sample transport path;
• (b) directing a light beam through said aperture;
• (c) detecting axial light loss from said blood sample passing through said aperture;
• (d) measuring at least one parameter of said light beam in response to an axial light loss trigger signal obtained from detecting said axial light loss in step (c);
• (e) reporting platelets in said blood sample on the basis of said measured parameter obtained in step (d).

A method of discriminating platelets from non-platelet particles or cells in a blood sample by way of an analyzer comprising the steps of:

• (a) directing a light beam through an aperture of a flow cell within a blood sample transport path in said analyzer as a blood sample flows through said blood sample transport path;
• (b) detecting light in a predetermined direction relative to the beam axis direction along which said light beam is incident upon said aperture of said flow cell;
• (c) triggering on the detection of light in step (b) and measuring axial light loss of said light beam and at least one other parameter selected from the group of parameters consisting of side scatter of said light beam, mini median angle light scatter, and lower median angle light scatter of said light beam through said flow cell along the axis of said light beam;
• (d) identifying platelets in said blood sample on the basis of said measured parameter of said light detected in step (c).