Sample analyzer and computer program product

Abstract

A sample analyzer prepares a measurement sample from a blood sample or a body fluid sample which differs from the blood sample; measures the prepared measurement sample; obtains characteristic information representing characteristics of the components in the measurement sample; sets either a blood measurement mode for measuring the blood sample, or a body fluid measurement mode for measuring the body fluid sample as an operating mode; and measures the measurement sample prepared from the blood sample by executing operations in the blood measurement mode when the blood measurement mode has been set, and measuring the measurement sample prepared from the body fluid sample by executing operations in the body fluid measurement mode that differs from the operations in the blood measurement mode when the body fluid measurement mode has been set, is disclosed. A computer program product is also disclosed.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A sample analyzer comprising:
 a controller configured to operate the sample analyzer in one of a body fluid sample measurement mode or a blood sample measurement mode;   a display device having a display screen, the controller configured to receive, via the display device, a sample selection signal, the sample selection signal indicating receipt of a user selection of a body fluid sample or a blood sample for measurement, the body fluid sample and the blood sample being independently displayed and selectable by a user on the display screen;   a plurality of detectors in communication with the controller, the controller configured to control the detectors to sense cells in the body fluid sample during the body fluid sample measurement mode and to sense cells in the blood sample during the blood sample measurement mode;   a sample aspirator nozzle controlled by the controller to aspirate samples from sample containers for the body fluid sample measurement mode; and   a conveyor controlled by the controller to automatically transport a sample container to the sample aspirator nozzle for the body fluid sample measurement mode.   
     
     
         22 . The sample analyzer of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to automatically initiate a pre-wash of at least one of the detectors in response to receipt, by the controller, of user selection of the body fluid sample. 
     
     
         23 . The sample analyzer of  claim 21 , wherein the detectors include a multi-mode detector, the multi-mode detector controlled by the controller to sense cells in the body fluid sample measurement mode and in the blood sample measurement mode. 
     
     
         24 . The sample analyzer of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive, in addition to user selection of one of the body fluid sample and the blood sample, user selection of one of a plurality of test mode settings. 
     
     
         25 . The sample analyzer of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a sample sensing time for the respective blood sample measurement mode and body fluid sample measurement mode, the sample sensing time being independently determined for the body fluid sample measurement mode and for the blood sample measurement mode. 
     
     
         26 . The sample analyzer of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to perform five sub-classifications of white blood cells using at least one of the detectors in the blood sample measurement mode and two sub-classifications of white blood cells using at least one of the detectors in the body fluid sample measurement mode. 
     
     
         27 . The sample analyzer of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to drive the display device to include in the display screen with the body fluid sample and the blood sample a plurality of test mode settings that are settable by the user in addition to the body fluid sample and the blood sample being independently displayed and selectable by the user. 
     
     
         28 . The sample analyzer of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to control measurement and display of test results of the body fluid sample measurement mode and of the blood sample measurement mode, the body fluid sample measurement mode including measurement and display of mono nucleated cells, poly nucleated cells and total nucleated cells sensed by at least one detector. 
     
     
         29 . A sample analyzer comprising:
 a plurality of detectors configured to sense cells in a blood sample or a body fluid sample, or both;   a controller configured to control the detectors in a body fluid sample measurement mode and a blood sample measurement mode; and   a display screen controlled by the controller to simultaneously display on the display screen a blood sample selector and a body fluid sample selector, the blood sample selector for a user to select the blood sample to be measured in the blood sample measurement mode and the body fluid sample selector for the user to select the body fluid sample to be measured in the body fluid sample measurement mode;   the controller, in response to receipt of indication of selection by the user of the blood sample selector, configured to control measurement of cells in the blood sample and determine at least four sub-classifications of white blood cells using at least one of the detectors, and the controller, in response to receipt of indication of selection by the user of the body fluid sample selector, further configured to control measurement of cells in the body fluid sample and determine two sub-classifications of white blood cells; and   the controller further configured to display, on the display screen, test results of the blood sample measurement mode comprising values for each of the at least four sub-classifications of white blood cells, and display, on the display screen, test results of the body fluid measurement mode comprising the two sub-classifications of white blood cells.   
     
     
         30 . The sample analyzer of  claim 29 , wherein the test results of the body fluid measurement mode displayed on the display screen include a value of total nucleated cells, a value of mono-nucleated cells and a value of poly-nucleated cells. 
     
     
         31 . The sample analyzer of  claim 29 , wherein at least one of the detectors is a multi-mode detector, and the controller is configured to control the multi-mode detector to sense cells in the body fluid sample and the blood sample. 
     
     
         32 . The sample analyzer of  claim 29 , wherein the controller is configured to display with the display screen a list of stored samples for an identified patient that includes test results of the body fluid sample measurement mode and the blood sample measurement mode. 
     
     
         33 . The sample analyzer of  claim 29 , wherein the controller is configured to display flags indicating sample anomalies or disease suspicions as part of the test results of the body fluid measurement mode. 
     
     
         34 . The sample analyzer of  claim 29 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a number of cells in each of the at least four sub-classifications using a DIFF scattergram, and determine a number of cells in each of the two sub-classifications using a white blood cells (WBC) histogram. 
     
     
         35 . The sample analyzer of  claim 34 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify a red blood cell ghost cluster in the DIFF scattergram and the WBC histogram, which is not included in the number of cells determined in each of the four sub-classifications and each of the two sub-classifications. 
     
     
         36 . A non-transitory memory configured to store a plurality of instructions executable by a processor to perform sample analysis comprising:
 instructions executable by the processor to receive and process a sample, the sample being, a blood sample or a body fluid sample;   instructions executable by the processor to simultaneously display on a display screen a blood sample selector and a body fluid sample selector;   instructions executable by the processor to test the blood sample in a blood sample measurement mode in response to receipt of an indication that the blood sample selector has been selected by a user;   instructions executable by the processor to control a detector to measure cells in the blood sample during the blood sample measurement mode and output corresponding blood test results to a display screen;   instructions executable by the processor to receive, after the corresponding blood test results are output to the display screen, an indication that the body fluid sample selector has been selected by the user;   instructions executable by the processor, in response to receipt of the indication that the body fluid sample selector has been selected by the user, to test the body fluid sample in a body fluid sample measurement mode and, perform a pre-wash to rinse residual cells from the blood sample measured during the blood sample measurement mode; and   instructions executable by the processor, only after the pre-wash is complete, to control the detector to sense cells in the body fluid sample during the body fluid sample measurement mode and output corresponding body fluid test results to the display screen.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory memory of claim  16 , further comprising instructions executable by the processor to transition from the body fluid sample measurement mode to the blood sample measurement mode without performing a pre-sequence to confirm no carry over effect in the detector from residual cells of the body fluid sample measured during the body fluid sample measurement mode. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory memory of claim  16 , wherein the instructions to control the detector in the blood sample measurement mode control the detector to sense cells in the blood sample differently from the instructions to control the detector to sense cells in the body fluid sample in the body fluid sample measurement mode. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory memory of claim  16 , wherein the instructions to perform the pre-wash comprises instructions executable by the processor to pre-wash the detector with a washing solution. 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory memory of claim  16 , further comprising instructions executable by the processor to control a conveyor to transport the sample during the body fluid sample measurement mode. 
     
     
         41 . The non-transitory memory of claim  16 , further comprising instructions executable by the processor following the pre-wash to perform a pre-sequence to confirm no carry over effect in the detector from residual cells of the blood sample measured during the blood sample measurement mode.