Method of controlling a blood analyzer for measuring platelets

Abstract

A method of controlling a blood analyzer for measuring platelets is provided. The method comprises: determining a relationship between at least one first measurement value obtained by detecting platelets in at least one previous test by an electrical type detector of the blood analyzer and at least one second measurement value obtained by detecting the platelets in the at least one previous test by an optical type detector of the blood analyzer, and controlling the blood analyzer to prepare the first and/or second measurement sample for a current test according to the determined relationship.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling a blood analyzer comprising a plurality of measuring units for measuring platelets, comprising:
 retrieving a detection history of a patient, the detection history including a previous measurement value of platelets for the patient;   determining whether the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit among the plurality of measuring units or two or more measuring units among the plurality of measuring units to measure platelets for the patient based on the retrieved detection history; and   controlling the blood analyzer to measure platelets for the patient based on the determination.   
     
     
         2 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection history further comprises information on which measuring units have been used to measure platelets for the patient, and the determining comprises:
 identifying one or more measuring units having been used to measure platelets for the patient based on the retrieved detection history; and wherein   whether the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit among the plurality of measuring units or two or more measuring units among the plurality of measuring units is determined based on the identification.   
     
     
         3 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 2 , wherein the determining comprising determining the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit if it is identified that one measuring unit has been used based on the retrieved detection history. 
     
     
         4 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 2 , wherein, if it is identified that two or more measuring units have been used based on the retrieved detection history, the determining comprises determining whether the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit or two or more measuring units based on the previous measurement values for respective measuring units. 
     
     
         5 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 judging, if it is determined that the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit, whether a current measurement result obtained by the one measuring unit is reliable based on the current measurement result and a predetermined criterion.   
     
     
         6 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 controlling, if it is judged that the current measurement result obtained by the one measuring unit is not reliable, the blood analyzer to use another measuring unit.   
     
     
         7 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the previous measurement value to be retrieved is the latest measurement value among previous measurement values for the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the blood analyzer is connected to a computer storing a database including the detection history of the patient, and the detection history of a patient is retrieved from the computer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 transmitting a current measurement result of platelets for the patient obtained by controlling the blood analyzer to measure platelets for the patient based on the determination; and   storing the transmitted current measurement result in the computer as the previous measurement value of platelets for the patient.   
     
     
         10 . The method of controlling the blood analyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring units comprise an electrical type detector and an optical type detector. 
     
     
         11 . A blood analyzer comprising:
 a plurality of measuring units for measuring platelets; and   a controller configured to perform operations comprising:
 retrieving a detection history of a patient, the detection history including a previous measurement value of platelets for the patient; 
 determining whether the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit among the plurality of measuring units or two or more measuring units among the plurality of measuring units to measure platelets for the patient based on the retrieved detection history; and 
 controlling the blood analyzer to measure platelets for the patient based on the determination. 
   
     
     
         12 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 11 , wherein the detection history further comprises information on which measuring units have been used to measure platelets for the patient, and the determining comprises:
 identifying one or more measuring units having been used to measure platelets for the patient based on the retrieved detection history; and wherein   whether the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit among the plurality of measuring units or two or more measuring units among the plurality of measuring units is determined based on the identification.   
     
     
         13 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 12 , wherein the determining comprising determining the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit if it is identified that one measuring unit has been used based on the retrieved detection history. 
     
     
         14 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 12 , wherein, if it is identified that two or more measuring units have been used based on the retrieved detection history, the determining comprises determining whether the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit or two or more measuring units based on the previous measurement values for respective measuring units. 
     
     
         15 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprising:
 judging, if it is determined that the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit, whether a current measurement result obtained by the one measuring unit is reliable based on the current measurement result and a predetermined criterion.   
     
     
         16 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprising:
 controlling, if it is judged that the current measurement result obtained by the one measuring unit is not reliable, the blood analyzer to use another measuring unit.   
     
     
         17 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 11 , wherein the previous measurement value to be retrieved is the latest measurement value among previous measurement values for the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 11 , wherein the blood analyzer is connected to a computer storing a database including the detection history of the patient, and the detection history of a patient is retrieved from the computer. 
     
     
         19 . The blood analyzer according to  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprising:
 transmitting a current measurement result of platelets for the patient obtained by controlling the blood analyzer to measure platelets for the patient based on the determination; and   storing the transmitted current measurement result in the computer as the previous measurement value of platelets for the patient.   
     
     
         20 . A blood analyzer comprising:
 a plurality of measuring units for measuring platelets;   a memory device; storing a detection history including a previous measurement value of platelets for a patient; and   a controller configured to perform operations comprising:
 retrieving the detection history of the patient from the memory device; 
 determining whether the blood analyzer uses one measuring unit among the plurality of measuring units or two or more measuring units among the plurality of measuring units to measure platelets for the patient based on the retrieved detection history; and 
 controlling the blood analyzer to measure platelets for the patient based on the determination.