Sample analyzer and computer program product

• US 10,209,244 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Nagai, Takaaki, Narisada, Noriyuki, Fukuma, Daigo, Imazu, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Sines, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US14/595,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20150125900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 422 681, 422 73, 422 81, 422 8205, 422 8207, 422 8208, 436 43, 436 52, 436 63, 436164, 436171, 436172, 436 16, 436 66, 436 70, 436 10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/12 by observing changes in resistance or impedance across apertures when traversed by individual particles, e.g. by using the Coulter principle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/012 Red blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/014 Reticulocytes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/016 White blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1486 Counting the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5091 for testing the pathological state of an organism
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5094 for blood cell populations red blood cells G01N33/80
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/721 Haemoglobin
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/726 Devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack

Abstract

A sample analyzer prepares a measurement sample from a blood sample or a body fluid sample which differs from the blood sample; measures the prepared measurement sample; obtains characteristic information representing characteristics of the components in the measurement sample; sets either a blood measurement mode for measuring the blood sample, or a body fluid measurement mode for measuring the body fluid sample as an operating mode; and measures the measurement sample prepared from the blood sample by executing operations in the blood measurement mode when the blood measurement mode has been set, and measuring the measurement sample prepared from the body fluid sample by executing operations in the body fluid measurement mode that differs from the operations in the blood measurement mode when the body fluid measurement mode has been set, is disclosed. A computer program product is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for counting cells in a sample containing a body fluid other than blood, the method comprising:

at an automated cell counter comprising a flow cytometer,

displaying a screen providing options of measurement modes for measuring the sample including a body fluid measurement mode;

receiving a designation of the body fluid measurement mode from among the measurement modes at the screen;

aspirating the sample containing the body fluid;

preparing a measurement sample by mixing the sample containing the body fluid and a reagent;

measuring at least light scatter and fluorescence for particles contained in at least a part of the measurement sample by the flow cytometer;

generating a scattergram from the light scatter and fluorescence, wherein generating a scattergram comprises, on the basis of the measured light scatter and fluorescence, discernibly displaying a cluster of polymorphonuclear cells and a cluster of mononuclear cells in the scattergram; and

on the basis of the measured light scatter and fluorescence, counting at least one of the polymorphonuclear cells or the mononuclear cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymorphonuclear cells and mononuclear cells are discriminated from macrophages, mesothelial cells, and tumor cells.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying nucleated cells in the scattergram.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating the proportion of polymorphonuclear cells in white blood cells in the body fluid and the proportion of mononuclear cells in the white blood cells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow cytometer is configured to form a flow of the measurement sample in a flow cell and irradiate the flow with light to produce the light scatter and the fluorescence from each of the particles in the measurement sample.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the particles in the measurement sample are plotted on the scattergram at a position addressed by the light scatter and fluorescence, the scattergram defining regions LF, MF and HF that, respectively, cover low, middle and high ranges with respect to the fluorescence,

the particles in the MF is identified as white blood cells in the body fluid, and

the particles in the HF is identified as anomalous particles.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the particles in the region MF is classified into the polymorphonuclear cells and the mononuclear cells according to the light scatter.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising calculating a total number of nucleated cells in the body fluid, as sum of the number of cells in the region MF and the number of cells in the region HF.