Particle analyzer for analyzing particles

• US 9,207,159 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Inventors: Guo, Wenheng, Teng, Jin, Zhan, Yingjian, Zhou, Shuang, Shi, Huilin
• Primary Examiner(s): KWAK, DEAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/326,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20120171659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 422/73, 422/930
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/14 Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1486 Counting the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor

Abstract

A particle analyzer may include a sampling unit configured to collect samples containing particles; a sample preparing unit configured to prepare different sub-samples; a reaction unit configured to incubate the sub-samples and one or more corresponding reagents respectively and provide them to the injecting unit; an injecting unit configured to inject the sub-samples to the optical unit; an optical unit configured to irradiate the sub-samples to obtain particle information; a processing unit configured to process and output the particle information; and a threshold value unit configured to compare a total number of particles with a pre-determined threshold value and to output a result of the comparison to the injecting unit to control subsequent injection of one or more sub-samples.

Claims

1. A particle analyzer comprising:

a sampling unit;

a sample preparing unit;

an optical unit configured;

an injecting unit;

a reaction unit;

a processing unit; and

a computer readable medium with encoded computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform operations for outputting the particle information for an injection cycle, the operations comprising;

instructing the sampling unit to collect samples containing particles;

instructing the sample preparing unit to prepare a plurality of sub-samples;

instructing the reaction unit to incubate the particles and one or more corresponding reagents;

instructing the injecting unit to inject a first sub-sample having a first preset volume and a first number of particles to the optical unit;

instructing the optical unit to irradiate the injected particles to obtain particle information associated with the particles;

comparing the first number of particles with a pre-determined threshold value;

outputting a result of the comparison to the injecting unit; and

controlling a volume of a subsequent, second injection of at least a second sub-sample based on the result of the comparison, wherein the volume of the second injection is different than a second preset volume of the second sub-sample.

2. The particle analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the sample preparing unit of the particle analyzer is configured to prepare sub-samples for total particle counting and particle classification.

3. The particle analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the injecting unit injects a sub-sample for total particle counting in a pre-determined volume and injects a sub-sample for particle classification according to a result of comparing the number of particles of the sub-sample with a threshold value, and when a number of the particles is not less than the threshold value, the injecting unit injects the sub-sample in a first injecting volume, and when a number of the particles is less than the threshold value, the injecting unit injects the sub-sample in a second injecting volume, the first injecting volume being less than the second injecting volume.

4. The particle analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the injecting unit employs a motor to drive the injecting unit to inject the sub-sample in the first injecting volume or the second injecting volume by controlling a speed and/or driving time of the motor.

5. The particle analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the samples are blood samples and the particles are white blood cells.

6. The particle analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit outputs scatter diagrams.