SAMPLE ANALYZING APPARATUS, DISEASE MONITORING SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR MANAGING DATA OF SAMPLE ANALYZING APPARATUS

• US 20150029508A1
• Filed: 07/15/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: TOYODA, Akio, AKAMATSU, Shinjirou
• Granted Patent: US 10,073,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/337
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/01 specially adapted for biological cells, e.g. blood cells investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions in blood G01N15/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/05 in blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1434 Optical arrangements
• 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 2015/016 White blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/018 Platelets
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/055 for hematocrite determination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/009 alarms, e.g. audible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0091 GUI [graphical user interfaces]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/53 within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4915 using flow cells flow cytometry G01N15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/492 Determining multiple analytes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A sample analyzing apparatus comprising a measurement unit configured to measure samples obtained from subjects, an obtaining unit configured to obtain the presence or absence of a disease regarding each sample, a memory in which a measurement result obtained by the measurement unit and the presence or absence of the disease obtained by the obtaining unit are stored in association with the sample, and a communication unit configured to transmit disease information based on the presence or absence of the disease stored in the memory to a receiving apparatus installed in an external facility.

Claims

1. A sample analyzing apparatus comprising:

a measurement unit configured to measure samples obtained from subjects;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain the presence or absence of a disease regarding each sample;

a memory in which a measurement result obtained by the measurement unit and the presence or absence of the disease obtained by the obtaining unit are stored in association with the sample; and

a communication unit configured to transmit disease information based on the presence or absence of the disease stored in the memory to a receiving apparatus installed in an external facility.

2. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the obtaining unit comprises an input unit for inputting the presence or absence of the disease.

3. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the obtaining unit comprises a determining unit configured to determine the presence or absence of the disease regarding the sample, based on the measurement result obtained by the measurement unit.

4. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the obtaining unit comprises an input unit for inputting the presence or absence of another disease different from the disease.

5. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the communication unit transmits the disease information to the receiving apparatus, every time a predetermined period has elapsed.

6. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

when the number of pieces of the disease information that have not yet been transmitted to the receiving apparatus has reached a predetermined number, the communication unit transmits, to the receiving apparatus, the pieces of the disease information that have not yet been transmitted.

7. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the communication unit transmits, along with the disease information, location information regarding a location where the sample analyzing apparatus is installed, to the receiving apparatus.

8. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the disease is HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, or malaria.

9. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the another disease is malaria.

10. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the communication unit is capable of performing wireless communication with a communication network to which the receiving apparatus is connected.

11. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the determining unit determines appropriateness of the presence or absence of the disease inputted by the input unit based on the measurement result obtained by the measurement unit, and when having determined that the inputted presence or absence of the disease is not appropriate, the determining unit provides a predetermined alarm.

12. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a display unit, wherein

the display unit displays the measurement result along with the presence or absence of the disease.

13. The sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the measurement unit counts blood cells in blood, and

the communication unit transmits a count result of the blood cells along with the disease information, to the receiving apparatus installed in the external facility.

14. A disease monitoring system comprising:

the sample analyzing apparatus of claim 1; and

the receiving apparatus.

15. The disease monitoring system of claim 14, wherein

the receiving apparatus comprises a display, and

the receiving apparatus totals the number of positive samples or calculates a positive rate regarding the disease based on the disease information received from the sample analyzing apparatus, and displays the number of positive samples or the positive rate on the display.

16. The disease monitoring system of claim 15, wherein

when the number of positive samples or the positive rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the receiving apparatus provides a predetermined alarm.

17. The disease monitoring system of claim 15, wherein

when the number of positive samples is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and the positive rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the receiving apparatus provides a predetermined alarm.

18. The disease monitoring system of claim 15, wherein

the receiving apparatus totals the number of positive samples or calculates the positive rate, for each district.

19. The disease monitoring system of claim 18, wherein

the receiving apparatus displays the number of positive samples or the positive rate in combination with a map on the display.

20. The disease monitoring system of claim 14, wherein

not only when determination of the disease regarding the sample is positive, but also when determination of the disease regarding the sample is negative, the sample analyzing apparatus transmits the disease information to the receiving apparatus.

21. The disease monitoring system of claim 14, wherein

the sample analyzing apparatus transmits the disease information and information indicating both or either one of a sex or an age of each subject from whom a sample has been obtained, to the receiving apparatus.

22. A method for managing data of a sample analyzing apparatus which comprises a measurement unit configured to measure a sample, and a memory, the method comprising:

measuring, by use of the measurement unit, a sample obtained from a subject;

obtaining the presence or absence of a disease regarding the sample;

storing, in the memory, an obtained measurement result and the presence or absence of the disease, in association with the sample; and

transmitting disease information based on the presence or absence of the disease to a receiving apparatus installed in an external facility.