Biological sample analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085913-B2
Application number	US-201716465597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2017
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A biological sample analyzer includes: a camera 201a imaging a blood collection tube 209 containing a biological sample; an image processing section 201b and a comparative analysis section 206 that analyze the image imaged by the camera in order to extract an existence region of the biological sample; a light source 203a1, a photo sensor 203a2 and a liquid-level position detection section 203b that detect the amount of transmitted light in the blood collection tube 209 in order to detect a liquid-level position of the biological sample; and the comparative analysis section 206 that, based on the extracted existence region of the biological sample and the detected liquid-level position of the biological sample, identifies a determination target portion for a category of the biological sample, and acquires color information on the identified portion, in order to determine a category of the biological sample contained in the blood collection tube 209.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A biological sample analyzer, comprising:
an imaging device that images a biological sample tube containing contents that includes a biological sample to obtain an image;
a liquid-level position detector that emits light toward the biological sample tube and detects emitted light having passed through the biological sample tube; and
one or more processors that are coupled to the imaging device and the liquid-level position detector that are programmed to:
determine a category of the biological sample contained in the biological sample tube based on the following process and in the following order:
determine whether there are two or more regions of the contents in the biological sample tube above a predetermined threshold value based on a comparison between the light detected by the liquid-level position detector and the predetermined threshold value,
determine whether an amount of the light detected by the liquid-level position detector in a bottom of the biological sample tube is greater than the predetermined threshold level,
determine whether a first hue value of a first pixel at the bottom of the biological sample tube obtained from the image is within a first predetermined range, and
determine whether a second hue value of a second pixel, which is an area of the image above the first pixel, is within a second predetermined range,
wherein upon determining there are two or more regions of the contents in the biological sample tube that are above the predetermined threshold level, the category of the biological sample is after centrifugation with a separating agent,
wherein upon determining the amount of the light detected by the liquid-level position detector in the bottom of the biological sample tube is greater than the predetermined threshold level, the category of the biological sample is before centrifugation with a separating agent,
wherein upon determining the first hue value of the first pixel at the bottom of the biological sample tube obtained from the image is within the first predetermined range, the category of the biological sample is serum,
wherein upon determining the second hue value of the second pixel is within the second predetermined range, the category of the biological sample is after centrifugation and without a separating agent, and
wherein upon determining the second hue value of the second pixel is not within the second predetermined range, the category of the biological sample is before centrifugation and without a separating agent or after centrifugation with a separating agent and without serum.

2. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are programmed to: determine an existence region of the biological sample based on the image and a liquid-level position of the biological sample detected by the liquid-level position detector in order to identify a portion as a determination target for a category of the biological sample.

3. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the biological sample includes at least blood cell components, and
wherein the liquid-level position detector emits light with a wavelength ranging from 0.7 μm or greater to 2.5 μm or less toward the biological sample tube, and
wherein the one or more processors are programmed to: perform a comparison between the amount of transmitted light from the biological sample tube and the predetermined threshold value to detect a liquid-level position of the biological sample.

4. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 3 , further comprising a label position detector that detects an affixation position of a label affixed to the biological sample tube,
wherein the one or more processors are programmed to:
change the predetermined threshold value according to the affixation position of the label detected by the label position detector.

5. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising a biological sample tube moving device that moves the biological sample tube in up-down directions,
wherein the liquid-level position detector is secured to the biological sample analyzer, and
wherein the one or more processors are programmed to: control the biological sample tube moving device to move the biological sample tube in at least one of the up-down directions, in order to allow the liquid-level position detector thus secured to detect a change in the amount of transmitted light from the biological sample tube, and based on the change, the liquid-level position detector detects a liquid level position of the biological sample.

6. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising a label position detector that detects an affixation position of a label affixed to the biological sample tube,
wherein the label position detector emits visible light toward the biological sample tube from outside the biological sample tube, and measures the amount of light reflected in the biological sample tube, and
wherein the one or more processors are programmed to: determine an existence or absence of affixation of the label and to detect an affixation position of the label based on the amount of light reflected in the biological sample tube.

7. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a label position detector that detects an affixation position of a label affixed to the biological sample tube, and
a biological sample tube moving device that moves the biological sample tube in up-down directions,
wherein the label position detector is secured to the biological sample analyzer, and
wherein the one or more processors are programmed to:
control the biological sample tube moving device to move the biological sample tube in at least one of the up-down directions, in order to allow the label position detector thus secured to detect a change in the amount of light reflected in the biological sample tube, and detects an affixation position of the label.

8. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are programmed to calculate a liquid volume of the biological sample on the basis of the liquid-level position of the biological sample which has been detected.

9. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising a biological sample tube rotating device that rotates the biological sample tube in a circumferential direction,
wherein the liquid-level position detector is secured to the biological sample analyzer, and
wherein the imaging device secured continuously images the biological sample tube rotated by the biological sample tube rotating device.

10. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the biological sample tube contains therein at least serum as the biological sample, and
wherein the one or more processors are programmed to acquire color information on the serum, and based on the color information acquired, determines to which of normal, hemolysis, jaundice and chyle the serum applies.

11. The biological sample analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising a centrifuge that centrifuges the biological sample contained in the biological sample tube,
wherein, depending on a category of the biological sample determined based on the color information acquired by the comparative analysis device, centrifugation is performed on the biological sample by the centrifuge.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Sugiyama Kiyotaka
• Nakagawa Tatsuo
• Suzuki Iwao
• SUENARI Tsukasa

Classifications

• G01N2035/00495

  Centrifuges · CPC title

• G01N35/00

  Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor · CPC title

• G01N2035/0493

  Locating samples; identifying different tube sizes · CPC title

• G01N2035/1025

  Fluid level sensing · CPC title

• G01N35/00732 Primary

  Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers · CPC title