Abaxis, Inc.

Daniel M Bernstein

Robert E Nagle

Anne R Kopf-Sill

Steven N Buhl

Vladimir E Ostoich

Glenda L Choate

Paul J Lingane

Lloyd A Schick

Wayne A Britt

Jenq C Chang

Glenn Berman

Nathan Crouther

Erwin S Budiman

Timothy C Dunn

The present invention provides various methods for detecting errors in a blood analysis system. The system includes a blood analyzer and a molded plastic rotor with a series of chambers and capillary channels through which blood is processed and distributed to cuvettes which contain lyophilized reagents. The rotor is placed in the analyzer which spins the rotor, and an optical system reads the cuvettes as light is flashed through the cuvettes. The invention provides checks for: confirming the presence of a reagent in the cuvettes before a sample is applied to the cuvettes; determining whether a fluid sample has been properly distributed to the cuvettes of the rotor; determining whether an adequate amount of fluid sample was applied to the analytical rotor; determining whether a fluid sample has been properly distributed to a cuvette of an analytical rotor; determining whether a reaction chemistry in a cuvette has reached an end point; checking the noise level and non-linearity of a reaction rate in a cuvette; determining whether an adequate amount of diluent was delivered to the cuvettes of an analytical rotor; determining dilution systematic failure when measuring different reaction chemistries in the cuvettes of the rotor; determining whether a blood sample in a cuvette is hemolyzed, lipemic, or icteric; determining the degradation of a reagent in a cuvette; determining proper light source and light detector operation; and determining proper motor function and cuvette mark detection.

Error checking in blood analyzer

The present invention provides a compact, highly automated photometric analyzer for measuring the concentration of substances found in a fluid, typically a blood sample or other body fluid sample taken from a patient. The operator places a small quantity of the sample into a special rotor and then loads the rotor into the analyzer. The analyzer accepts the rotor, centrifuges and dilutes the sample, and distributes the sample into a plurality of cuvettes near the outer edge of the rotor. Some of these cuvettes hold reagents which react with the sample. The analyzer then measures light absorption within the sample at a number of preselected frequencies. According to the present invention, a pair of specially designed apertures direct light from the sample through a plurality of beam splitters, interference filters, and associated photodetectors. The system also includes means for performing automatic calibration and error checking functions. These means include a through hole through the rotor, and an opaque body carried by the rotor. Additionally, measurements may be repeated through a given cuvette and the results averaged to minimize the effect of random variations between measurements.

Methods for photometric analysis

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San Mateo, CA, United States of America

Daniel M Bernstein