A hematology data-logging terminal

Intended as a link between a central analysis facility and remote microscope analyzers at international sites, a data-logging terminal has been developed which exploits basic analyzer control and data acquisition capabilities. The terminal depends on the analyzer's ability to assimilate, interpret, and respond to external commands transferred through its standard communications interface. Within the limits of the analyzer's high-level control language, the data-logging terminal is able to direct microscope operation and data acquisition as well as to initiate algorithms. Internal instrument algorithms can then establish and maintain focus, acquire specified objects, direct various scene segmentation sequences, and execute feature extractions. The data-logging terminal can thus command the analyzer to find scenes of interest and extract data from them. User access to a limited instrument operating interface is provided through its keyboard and alphanumeric display. The terminal can also request and receive image, feature, or count data over the communications interface. Such data are recorded, together with identifiers entered through the keyboard, onto diskettes which may be transferred by mail or telecommunications for processing with the image analysis and pattern recognition techniques available at the central analysis facility. Anticipated applications include evaluation of sample-preparation techniques, correlation of image data with sampling conditions, training of special classifiers, and analysis of instrument performance.