Method and apparatus for analyzing stained particles

• US 5,449,622 A
• Filed: 02/16/1994
• Issued: 09/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Union Espanola de Explosivos SA
• Original Assignee: Union Espanola de Explosivos SA
• Inventors: Kojima, Yasuaki, Yabe, Ryohei, Sakuraba, Shinichi, Kurimura, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David A.
• Application Number:
  US08/197,515
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 422/73, 422/82.05, 422/82.09, 436/47, 436/63, 436/164, 436/171, 436/909, 250/461.2, 356/38, 356/425, 356/436, 356/39, 356/442, 356/73, 356/23, 356/417, 356/335, 356/407, 356/442, 364/413.1, 364/413.11, 364/413.08, 364/555, 382/6
• US Class Current: 436/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0446 Combinations of the above
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/909 Nephelometry

Abstract

In a stained particle analyzing method and apparatus for staining a test sample containing suspended particles, shooting an image of the stained sample, and classifying the particles and computing the density from the shot image of the sample, the sample, which may not be analyzed precisely, is detected before the start of an image analyzing process. Only the sample, which will be analyzed precisely, is stained and subjected to the image analysis. Color information of the sample before the staining is detected and stored. Color information of an image of the sample shot after the staining is compensated based on the color information of the sample detected before the staining. The sort and density of the particles are classified and computed on the basis of the image after the color compensation.

Claims

1. A stained particle analyzing method for staining a test sample of urine taken from a living body and containing suspended particles, shooting an image of said sample after staining, and classifying said particles and computing the concentration of said particles from the shot image of said sample, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a light having a plurality of wavelengths through a test sample of urine before staining, and detecting the transmitted light;

computing analysis enable/unable decision data, including at least a turbidity of said sample, on the basis of said transmitted light;

computing first color information of said sample prior to staining on the basis of said transmitted light;

comparing said analysis enable/unable decision data with a predetermined decision reference value, and determining whether said sample is capable of analysis or not;

staining said sample and shooting an image of said sample only when said sample has been determined to be capable of analysis;

computing color compensating information for said image based upon said first color information; and

classifying particles and computing the concentration of said particles on the basis of the area, length and the shape of said image of said sample and said color compensating information.

2. A stained particle analyzing method according to claim 1, wherein said analysis enable/unable decision data is data indicating a turbidity, an occult blood amount and a bilirubin content.

3. A stained particle analyzing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the serial number of a sample being incapable of analysis and a notice informing an incapability of the analysis on display means when said sample is determined to be incapable of analysis.

4. A stained particle analyzing method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined decision reference value to be compared with said analysis enable/unable decision data is stored in memory means and alterable.

5. A stained particle analyzing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying said analysis enable/unable decision data on display means with the classification of the particles and the computed concentration of said particles.

6. A stained particle analyzing method according to claim 1, wherein said step of computing analysis enable/unable decision data computes absorptivity of said sample on the basis of said transmitted light, computing the turbidity, the occult blood amount and the bilirubin content of said sample, as said analysis enable/unable decision data, on the basis of the computed absorptivity.

7. A stained particle analyzing apparatus for staining a test sample of urine taken from a living body and containing suspended particles, classifying said particles in said sample, and computing the concentration of said particles, said apparatus comprising:

a light source for emitting a light having a plurality of wavelengths to said sample;

light detecting means for receiving said light passed through said sample, and detecting said sample information from the detected light;

a flow cell through which said sample is passed;

liquid feeding means for staining said sample and introducing said sample to pass through said flow cell;

image shooting means for shooting an image of said sample in said flow cell;

data analyzing means for computing analysis enable/unable decision data for said sample, for computing first color information of said sample prior to staining based on said sample information from said light detecting means, for computing color compensation information after staining based upon said first color information, and for classifying particles and computing the concentration based on the area, length and the shape of the image of said sample and said color compensation information;

means for determining whether said sample is capable of analysis on the basis of the analysis enable/unable decision data computed by said data analyzing means; and

controlling means for controlling operation of said liquid feeding means so that only test samples of urine determined to be capable of analysis by said means for determining is stained and passed through said flow cell.

8. A stained particle analyzing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said analysis enable/unable decision data is data indicating a turbidity, an occult blood amount and a bilirubin content.

9. A stained particle analyzing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising display means, wherein when said sample has been determined to be incapable of analysis by said determining means, said controlling means controls said display means to display the serial number of said sample being incapable of analysis and a notice informing an incapability of the analysis.

10. A stained particle analyzing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising memory means for storing a decision reference value used for determining whether said sample is capable of analysis or not, wherein said determining means compares the decision reference value stored in said memory means with the analysis enable/unable decision data computed by said data analyzing means, and determines whether said sample is capable of analysis or not.

11. A stained particle analyzing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said decision reference value stored in said memory means is alterable.

12. A stained particle analyzing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising display means, wherein said controlling means controls said display means to display said analysis enable/unable decision data along with the classification of the particles and the computed concentration of said particles.

13. A stained particle analyzing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said data analyzing means computes absorptivity of said sample based on the sample information from said light detecting means, and computes the turbidity, the occult blood amount and the bilirubin content of said sample, as said analysis enable/unable decision data, on the basis of the computed absorptivity.