Method and device for analyzing particles

In an analyzing device, a method of analyzing a mixture of particles belonging to a plurality of categories to count a number of particles belonging to each of the categories, each particle being individually characterized by a corresponding measured data vector, each measured data vector including a plurality of characteristic parameters, each characteristic parameter being representative of a physical characteristic of a corresponding particle, the method comprising steps of:

• converting a plurality of measured data vectors representative of a specimen of particles into a spatial distribution of the plurality of measured data vectors based on spatial dimensions corresponding to the plurality of characteristic parameters, a predetermined number of domains having been predefined in a space of the spatial distribution, the domains including fixed domains and one other domain, each domain defining a respective subspace;
• calculating presumed information for each of said plurality of categories from part of the plurality of measured data vectors, the presumed information including a plurality of presumed centers-of-gravity;
• determining a corrected center-of-gravity for each category based on the presumed center-of-gravity being used as an initial center-of-gravity, the step of determining a corrected center-of-gravity including initially dividing said particles into said plurality of categories based on the spatial distribution of the measured dam vectors and then determining a membership value set for each measured dam vector, each membership value set including a membership value corresponding to each domain and being a weight of membership of the measured data vector in the category corresponding to the domain;
• and
• clustering said mixture of particles into said plurality of categories based on the spatial distribution of said measured data vectors and based on said corrected center-of-gravity and counting a number of particles belonging to each of the categories of particles based on the membership value sets, wherein the step of determining a corrected center-of-gravity further includes:
• calculating the corrected center-of-gravity for each category based on the membership value sets;
• determining a difference between the corrected center-of-gravity and the initial center-of-gravity for each category;
• and
• judging that the number of particles belonging to each of the categories of particles is not yet ascertained when the difference determined for any of the categories is greater than a predetermined difference threshold.

An analyzing device for analyzing a mixture of particles belonging to a plurality of categories to count a number of particles belonging to each of the categories, each particle being individually characterized by a corresponding measured data vector, each measured data vector including a plurality of characteristic parameters, each characteristic parameter being representative of a physical characteristic of a corresponding particle, the device comprising;

• means for converting a plurality of measured data vectors representative of a specimen of particles into a spatial distribution of the plurality of measured data vectors based on spatial dimensions corresponding to the plurality of characteristic parameters, a predetermined number of domains having been predefined in a space of the spatial distribution, the domains including fixed domains and one other domain, each domain defining a respective subspace;
• means for calculating presumed information for each of said plurality of categories from part of the plurality of measured data vectors, the presumed information including a plurality of presumed centers-of-gravity;
• means for determining a corrected center-of-gravity for each category based on the presumed center-of-gravity being used as an initial center-of-gravity, the means for determining a corrected center-of-gravity including means for determining a membership value set for each measured data vector, each membership value set including a membership value corresponding to each domain and being a weight of membership of the measured data vector in the category corresponding to the domain;
• and
• means for clustering said mixture of particles into said plurality of categories based on the spatial distribution of said measured data vectors and based on said corrected center-of-gravity and for counting a number of particles belonging to each of the categories of particles based on the membership value sets, wherein the means for determining a membership value set for each measured data vector includes:
• means, operable when a measured data vector is located in the subspace of said one other domain, for calculating the membership value set for each measured data vector based on a distance defined between the measured data vector and the initial center-of-gravity of each category;
• and
• means, operable when the measured data vector is located in the subspace of a particular domain of the fixed domains, for assigning a first value to the membership value corresponding to the particular domain and for assigning a second value to the membership value corresponding to another fixed domain different than the particular domain.

An analyzing device for analyzing a mixture of particles belonging to a plurality of categories to count a number of particles belonging to each of the categories, each particle being individually characterized by a corresponding measured data vector, each measured data vector including a plurality of characteristic parameters, each characteristic parameter being representative of a physical characteristic of a corresponding particle, the device comprising:

• means for converting a plurality of measured data vectors representative of a specimen particles into a spatial distribution of the plurality of measured data vectors based on spatial dimensions corresponding to the plurality of characteristic parameters, a predetermined number of domains having been predefined in a space of the spatial distribution, the domains including fixed domains and one other domain, each domain defining a restrictive subspace;
• means for calculating presumed information for each of said plurality of categories from part of the plurality of measured data vectors, the presumed information including a plurality of presumed centers-of-gravity;
• means for determining a corrected center-of-gravity for each category based on the presumed center-of-gravity being used as an initial center-of-gravity, the means for determining a corrected center-of-gravity including means for determining a membership value set for each measured data vector, each membership value set including a membership value corresponding to each domain and being a weight of membership of the measured data vector in the category corresponding to the domain;
• and
• means for clustering said mixture of particles into said plurality of categories based on the spatial distribution of said measured data vectors and based on said corrected center-of-gravity and for counting a number of particles belonging to each of the categories of particles based on the membership value sets, wherein the means for determining a corrected center-of-gravity includes:
• means for calculating the corrected center-of-gravity for each category based on the membership value sets;
• means for determining a difference between the corrected center-of-gravity and the initial center-of-gravity for each category;
• and
• means for judging that the number of particles belonging to each of the categories of particles is not yet ascertained when the difference determined for any of the categories is greater than a predetermined difference threshold.