Automatic cell sample classifying apparatus

An automatic cell sample classification apparatus comprising:

• loading means accommodating sample slides, each of which is randomly stained by one of plural different predetermined staining methods that differ from each other in at least the transmittance of light of a fixed wavelength;
• an examination station;
• means for extracting a given one of said sample slides sequentially from said loading means and transporting to said examination station along a predetermined path;
• light source means for transmitting light, including said fixed wavelength, through said given one of said sample slides;
• means disposed in a region located in the vicinity of said path, for producing a light intensity signal indicative of the luminous intensity of the light component at said fixed wavelengths that is transmitted through the given one of said sample slides;
• discriminating means for producing a discriminating signal based on said light intensity signal, said discriminating signal indicating the one of said plural staining methods by which the given one of said sample slides has been stained;
• means for obtaining a microscopic image of the cell sample of said given one of said sample slides;
• means for storing in a memory at least two different cell examination/classification programs associated respectively with two different ones of the plural predetermined staining methods;
• means for retrieving only one of said examination/classification programs from the memory in response to said discriminating signal indicating the staining method associated with said one of said examination/classification programs;
• and
• means for examining and classifying the cell sample of said given one of said sample slides by processing said microscopic image in accordance with said one of said examination/classification programs selected depending on said discriminating signal.