Blood coagulation analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9395298-B2
Application number	US-201013509661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2010
Priority date	Dec 4, 2009
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A blood coagulation analyzer that realizes both securement of a wide dynamic range and enhancement of sensitivity in blood coagulation analysis by selecting an appropriate angle of detection depending on the intensity of scattered light from each specimen without causing complexity of the analyzer. The analyzer has a reaction container. A storage unit is provided which takes in and stores multiple pieces of chronological light intensity variation data acquired from detectors arranged around a reaction container. A judgment unit selects light intensity variation data to be used for calculation of a blood coagulation time from the multiple pieces of light intensity variation data stored in the storage unit based on the amount of light intensity variation. A calculation unit calculates the blood coagulation time from the light intensity variation data selected by the judgment unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blood coagulation analyzer comprising:
a reaction container in which a sample and a reagent mix and react with each other;
a single-wavelength light source configured to irradiate the reaction container with light;
a plurality of detectors arranged around the reaction container at different angles with respect to an optical axis of the light source that are configured to detect scattered light emitted from the liquid mixture of the sample and the reagent;
an analog to digital converter coupled to the plurality of detectors configured to obtain signals on the basis of the scattered light detected by the plurality of detectors;
a storage unit storing a previously assigned priority with respect to each of the plurality of detectors, and data output from the analog to digital converter including a plurality of chronological light intensity variation data corresponding to each of the plurality of detectors;
a judgment unit coupled to the analog to digital converter and coupled to the storage unit, programmed to:
select light intensity variation data corresponding to one of the plurality of detectors to be used for calculation of a blood coagulation time from the plurality of chronological light intensity variation data corresponding to each of the plurality of detectors stored in the storage unit based on the amount of light intensity variation,
determine whether the amount of variation of the light intensity variation data from a detector of a high priority order amongst the plurality of detectors is less than a preset threshold value, and if the amount of variation of the light intensity variation data corresponding to a detector of the high priority order amongst the plurality of detectors is less than the preset threshold value, and select the light intensity variation data corresponding to a detector of a next priority order amongst the plurality of detectors for the calculation of the blood coagulation time; and
a calculation unit coupled to the judgment unit, programmed to calculate a blood coagulation time on the basis of the light intensity variation data selected by the judgment unit.

2. The blood coagulation analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein the judgment unit is further programmed to select the data corresponding to the detector of the next priority order for the calculation of the blood coagulation time when the light intensity variation data corresponding to the detector of the high priority order is less than the preset threshold value due to a factor affecting the light intensity variation data corresponding to the detector of the high priority order,
wherein the factor is at least one of signal noise, partial blockage of an optical path of the detector of the high priority order, and complete blockage of the optical path of the detector of the high priority order.

3. The blood coagulation analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising
an amplifier coupled to each of the plurality of detectors and configured to amplify photocurrents transduced from the scattered light detected by the plurality of detectors,
wherein the analog to digital converter is coupled to the amplifier and is configured to convert the amplified photocurrents from analog signals into digital signals.

4. A blood coagulation analyzer comprising:
a reaction container in which a liquid mixture of a sample and a reagent react;
a light source which irradiates the reaction container with single-wavelength light;
a plurality of detectors arranged at different angles with respect to an optical axis of the light source, the detectors detecting scattered light emitted from the irradiated reaction container;
an analog to digital converter coupled to the plurality of detectors configured to obtain signals on the basis of the scattered light detected by the plurality of detectors;
a storage unit storing a previously assigned priority order with respect to each of the plurality of detectors and data output from the analog to digital converter including multiple pieces of light intensity variation data corresponding to each of the plurality of detectors;
a judgment unit coupled to the analog to digital converter and coupled to the storage unit, programmed to:
select a piece of light intensity variation data corresponding to one of the plurality of detectors suitable for securing a wide dynamic range and enhance the sensitivity in the blood coagulation analysis from the multiple pieces of light intensity variation data stored in the storage unit based on the amount of light intensity variation,
determine whether the amount of variation of the light intensity variation data from a detector of a high priority order amongst the plurality of detectors is less than a preset threshold value, and if the amount of variation of the light intensity variation data from a detector of a high priority order amongst the plurality of detectors is less than a preset threshold value, and select the light intensity variation data corresponding to a detector of a next priority order amongst the plurality of detectors for the calculation of the blood coagulation time; and
a calculation unit coupled to the judgment unit, programmed to calculate a blood coagulation time on the basis of the light intensity variation data selected by the judgment unit.

5. The blood coagulation analyzer according to claim 4 ,
wherein the judgment unit is further programmed to select the data corresponding to the detector of the next priority order for the calculation of the blood coagulation time when the light intensity variation data corresponding to the detector of the high priority order is less than the preset threshold value due to a factor affecting the light intensity variation data corresponding to the detector of the high priority order, and
wherein the factor is at least one of signal noise, partial blockage of an optical path of the detector of the high priority order, and complete blockage of the optical path of the detector of the high priority order.

6. The blood coagulation analyzer according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an amplifier coupled to each of the plurality of detectors and configured to amplify photocurrents transduced from the scattered light detected by the plurality of detectors,
wherein the analog to digital converter is coupled to the amplifier and is configured to convert the amplified photocurrents from analog signals into digital signals.

Assignees

• Makino Akihisa
• Mimura Tomonori
• Tamura Terumi
• Adachi Sakuichiro
• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Makino Akihisa
• Mimura Tomonori
• Tamura Terumi
• Adachi Sakuichiro

Classifications

• G01N33/86

  involving blood coagulating time {or factors, or their receptors} · CPC title

• G01N21/532

  with measurement of scattering and transmission · CPC title

• G01N33/4905

  Determining clotting time of blood (by chemical methods G01N33/86, C12Q1/56) · CPC title

• G01N33/18

  Water · CPC title

• G01N33/1826

  Organic contamination in water · CPC title