Sample analyzer

• US 8,790,577 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Mizumoto, Toru, Ebi, Ryuichiro, Tsutsumida, Keisuke, Tanaka, Yousuke, Inoue, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Sines, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US12/283,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20090074618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 422/50, 422/63, 422/64, 422/65, 422/66, 422/67, 422/81, 422/82.01, 422/82.05, 422/68.1, 436/43, 436/54, 436/47, 436/63, 436/66, 436/67, 436/68, 436/69, 436/70, 436/71, 436/174, 436/180
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/14 Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1006 for cytology
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1402 Data analysis by thresholding or gating operations performed on the acquired signals or stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0091 GUI [graphical user interfaces]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00663 of consumables
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/119163 with aspirator of claimed structure

Abstract

A sample analyzer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the sample analyzer includes an analysis section for analyzing a sample by using a reagent to obtain numerical data and distribution diagram of particles contained in the sample; a display device; an information receiver for receiving an input of reagent information assigned to the reagent; a determination section configured for determining whether or not the reagent satisfies a condition to determine that the reagent is a genuine product based on the reagent information; and a controller that controls the display device to display both the numerical data and the distribution diagram if the reagent satisfies the condition by the determination section and to display the numerical data without displaying the distribution diagram if the reagent does not satisfy the condition by the determination section.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer comprising:

an analysis section configured for analyzing a sample containing particles by using a reagent and obtaining numerical data and distribution diagram of the particles contained in the sample;

a display device for displaying an analysis result by the analysis section;

an information receiver for receiving an input of reagent information assigned to the reagent;

a determination section configured for determining whether or not the reagent satisfies a condition to determine that the reagent is a genuine product based on the reagent information received by the information receiver; and

a controller configured for controlling an operation of the sample analyzer based on a result of the determination by the determination section,

wherein the controller controls the display device to display both the numerical data and the distribution diagram as the analysis result if determined that the reagent satisfies the condition by the determination section and to display the numerical data without displaying the distribution diagram as the analysis result if determined that the reagent does not satisfy the condition by the determination section.

2. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein if determined that the reagent does not satisfy the condition by the determination section, the controller controls the display device to display low reliability of the analysis result by the analysis section with the analysis result.

3. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the display device to display a warning that the reliability of the analysis result is low if determined that the reagent does not satisfy the condition by the determination section.

4. The sample analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the controller controls the display device so as to display the warning at least in start up of the sample analyzer.

5. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the controller prohibits the analyzing operation by the analysis section if determined that the reagent does not satisfy the condition by the determination section.

6. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the controller automatically validates the analysis result by the analysis section if determined that the reagent satisfies the condition by the determination section, and does not automatically validate the analysis result if determined that the reagent does not satisfy the condition by the determination section.

7. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the distribution diagram is a scattergram or histogram.

8. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the analysis section comprises:

a light emitter to emit a light;

a flow cell in which the sample flows, the flow cell being arranged to be irradiated with the light; and

one or more light receivers to detect light emitted from the flow cell.

9. The sample analyzer according to claim 8, wherein the one or more light receivers are arranged to receive forward scattered light emitted from the flow cell and/or lateral scattered light emitted from the flow cell and/or fluorescent light emitted from the flow cell.

10. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the sample is urine.

11. The sample analyzer according to claim 10, wherein the numerical data includes at least one of:

number of red blood cells;

number of white blood cells;

number of epidermal cells;

number of casts; and

number of bacteria.

12. The sample analyzer according to claim 10, wherein when the controller controls the display device to display the distribution diagram, the distribution diagram is displayed to show distribution of one of red blood cells;

white blood cells;

epidermal cells;

casts; and

bacteria.

13. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the reagent is contained in a container to which the reagent information is assigned.

14. The sample analyzer according to claim 13, wherein the reagent information is assigned to the reagent container in the form of a bar code.

15. The sample analyzer according to claim 14, further comprising a bar code reader, wherein the information receiver is configured to receive the input of reagent information read by the bar code reader.

16. The sample analyzer according to claim 13, wherein the reagent information is assigned to the reagent container in the form of alpha-numerical characters.

17. The sample analyzer according to claim 16, further comprising an input device through which a user inputs alpha-numerical characters, wherein the information receiver is configured to receive the input of reagent information input by the user through the input device.