Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing – Biological cellular material tested
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-18
2004-04-06
Wallenhorst, Maureen M. (Department: 1743)
Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
Biological cellular material tested
C436S010000, C436S066000, C436S052000, C436S054000, C436S149000, C436S150000, C436S164000, C436S165000, C422S073000, C422S082010, C422S082020, C422S082050, C422S068100, C435S002000, C435S029000, C435S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06716633
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-282458 filed in Sep. 18, 2000 whose priority is claimed under 35 USC §119, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detector for blood analysis and to a blood analyzer and a blood analyzing method. More particularly, the invention relates to a detector for analyzing white blood cells and red blood cells in a blood sample by an electric resistance method and to a blood analyzer for determination of the numbers and particle size distributions of the white blood cells and the red blood cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional blood analyzer of electric resistance type having a flow circuit as shown in
FIG. 1
, white blood cells and red blood cells are analyzed in the following manner. The flow circuit includes a plurality of fluid devices such as values and pumps which make a network using tubes and nipples.
(1) A negative pressure is applied to a drain chamber
30
with valves V
6
, V
7
, V
13
being open to discharge residual liquid from a mixing chamber
12
, a white blood cell detector
10
and a red blood cell detector
11
.
(2) A quantitative sampling pump
3
is driven for suction with a valve V
1
being open to suck a predetermined amount of a blood sample into a pipette
1
from a sample container
2
.
(3) With valves V
2
, V
8
being open, a valve V
5
is switched for communication between an outlet P
1
and an inlet P
2
, and a negative pressure is applied to the drain chamber
30
to suck a diluent into the white blood cell detector
10
from a diluent supplying section
7
for cleaning the white blood cell detector
10
. Similarly, with valves V
3
, V
9
being open, the valve V
5
is switched for communication between the outlet P
1
and the inlet P
3
, and a negative pressure is applied to the drain chamber
30
for cleaning the red blood cell detector
11
.
(4) A diluent pump
4
is driven for suction with the valve V
8
being open to suck the diluent into a flow circuit from the diluent supplying section
7
. Then, the diluent pump
4
is driven for pressurization with the valve V
4
being open and with a valve V
8
being closed to inject a predetermined amount of the diluent into the mixing chamber
12
. Similarly, the dilution pump
4
is driven for suction with the valve V
8
being open and with the valve V
4
being closed to suck the diluent into the flow circuit from the diluent supplying section
7
. Then, the diluent pump
4
is driven for pressurization with a valve V
12
being open and with the valves V
8
, V
4
being closed to inject a predetermined amount of the diluent into the red blood cell detector
11
.
(5) The pipette
1
is moved to the mixing chamber
12
by a pipette driver (not shown). Then, the blood sample sucked into the pipette from the sample container
2
in Step (2) is discharged into the mixing chamber
12
by driving the quantitative sampling pump
3
for pressurization with the valve V
1
being open. Thus, a blood specimen is prepared in the mixing chamber
12
through first-stage dilution of the blood sample.
(6) The pipette
1
is moved to the mixing chamber
12
by the pipette driver (not shown), and a diluent pump
5
is driven for suction with the valves V
1
, V
45
being open to suck a predetermined amount of the blood specimen obtained through the first-stage dilution into the pipette from the mixing chamber
12
. Then, the pipette
1
is moved to the white blood cell detector
10
, and the diluent pump
5
is driven for pressurization with the valves V
1
, V
45
being open to discharge the blood specimen into the white blood cell detector
10
from the pipette. This blood specimen is employed for the analysis of the white blood cells.
(7) As in Step (6), the pipette
1
is moved to the mixing chamber
12
by the pipette driver (not shown), and a predetermined amount of the blood specimen obtained through the first-stage dilution is sucked into the pipette from the mixing chamber
12
. Then, the pipette
1
is moved to the red blood cell detector
11
by the pipette driver (not shown), and a predetermined amount of the blood specimen obtained through the first-stage dilution is discharged into the red blood cell chamber
11
. Thus, a blood specimen is prepared in the red blood cell detector
11
through second-stage dilution. The blood specimen thus prepared in the red blood cell detector
11
is employed for the analysis of the red blood cells.
(8) A valve V
10
is switched for communication between an outlet P
4
and an inlet P
6
, and a hemolyzation agent pump
6
is driven for suction to introduce a hemolyzation agent into the flow circuit from a hemolyzation agent supplying section
8
. Then, the valve V
10
is switched to open the outlet P
4
and the inlet P
5
, and the hemolyzation agent pump
6
is driven for pressurization to inject the hemolyzation agent into the white blood cell detector
10
. After a lapse of a predetermined period, hemolyzation is completed in the white blood cell specimen retained in the white blood cell detector
10
.
(9) The valve V
5
is switched for communication between the outlet P
1
and the inlet P
2
, and a negative pressure is applied to the discharge chamber
30
to suck the white blood cell specimen from the white blood cell detector
10
through an orifice
20
. A change in impedance occurring when the white blood cell specimen passes through the orifice
20
is detected by electrodes
13
,
14
for determination of the number and particle size distribution of the white blood cells. Similarly, the valve V
5
is switched to open the outlet P
1
and the inlet P
3
to suck the red blood cell specimen from the red blood cell detector
11
through an orifice
21
. A change in impedance occurring when the red blood cell specimen passes through the orifice
21
is detected by electrodes
15
,
16
for determination of the number and particle size distribution of the red blood cells.
(10) The diluent pump
4
is driven for suction with the valve V
8
being open to suck the diluent into the flow circuit from the diluent supplying section
7
. Then, the diluent pump
4
is driven for pressurization with the valves V
4
, V
11
, V
12
being open and with the valve V
8
being closed to inject the diluent into the mixing chamber
12
, the white blood cell detector
10
and the red blood cell detector
11
.
(11) The quantitative sampling pump
3
is driven for suction with a valve V
43
being open to suck the diluent into the flow circuit from a diluent supplying section
7
. Then, the quantitative sampling pump
3
is driven for pressurization with the valve V
1
being open and with the valve V
43
being closed to clean a flow path extending from the quantitative sampling pump
3
to the pipette
1
. At this time, the diluent flows out of a tip of the pipette
1
, and is sucked into the drain chamber
30
in a manner as described in Step (12). On the other hand, the diluent pump
4
is driven for suction with the valve V
8
being open to suck the diluent into the flow circuit from the diluent supplying section
7
. Then, the diluent pump
4
is driven for pressurization with a valve V
40
being open and with the valve V
8
being closed to supply the diluent into a cleaning spitz
17
. At this time, the diluent flows out of an outlet P
10
. Thus, the outer periphery of the pipette
1
is cleaned. Then, the diluent is sucked into the drain chamber
30
in the manner described in Step (12). The cleaning spitz
17
has a pipette receptor
27
into which the pipette
1
is inserted. A diluent inlet port
28
for supplying the diluent and a diluent suction port
29
for sucking the diluent are provided in a side wall of the pipette receptor
27
.
(12) The cleaning spitz
17
is vertically moved along the pipette
1
by a cleaning spitz driver (not shown). A negative pressure is applied to the drain chamber
30
with a valve V
41
being open, whereby the diluent f
Sysmex Corporation
Wallenhorst Maureen M.
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