Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi High-tech Corporation

Satoshi Mitsuyama

Chihiro Manri

Tomonori Mimura

Kumiko Kamihara

Hitoshi Matsuo

Jun Motoike

Hideyuki Ban

Norio Oowada

Yasuaki Kojima

Norio Owada

Masahito Ito

Kazuyuki Shimada

Takaaki Suzuki

Akihisa Makino

Chie Yabutani

Satoshi Hirata

Shinichi Fukuzono

Sadamitsu Aso

Hitoshi Otake

Akihide Hashizume

Shinji Tarumi

Toshimichi Aota

Yuki Fukuyama

Chihiro Yoshioka

Hidekatsu Takada

Hiroyuki Suzuki

An automatic analyzer includes sample vessels containing samples to be measured and; reaction vessels in which to mix a sample and a reagent. A sample dispenserdispenses a sample from any of the sample vessels to any of the reaction vessels. A reagent dispenser dispenses a reagent from a reagent vessel to a reaction vessel, and a stirrer stirs the sample-reagent mix contained in the reaction vessel. A photometric measurement unit is provided for obtaining multiple measurement data points during the progress of reaction of a mixed solution. At least one approximation formula is performed and an approximation curve from the measurement data points is generated. A shape descriptor is calculated from the approximation curve and abnormalities based on the shape descriptor are determined. This not only allows abnormalities to be detected accurately from each measurement result, but also allows the causes of the abnormalities to be identified.

Automatic analyzer for identifying a cause of abnormalities of measurement results

In the present invention, differences in liquid feed properties between liquid chromatographic devices are determined, a liquid feed time table that takes these differences into account is acquired by way of system changes, and flow control is performed by a pump. Furthermore, the liquid feed time table after the system changes is divided into a plurality of intervals, and instructions are sent to the pump after approximate calculations are performed. Thus, by efficiently performing system change processes, the same measurement results can be obtained in a plurality of different liquid chromatograph devices, regardless of the differences in liquid feed properties.

Method of transmitting control data for system conversion among liquid chromatographs

There is provided a technique for automatically determining or predicting a line range specific to a sample that appears in a reaction curve in an automated analyzer for mixing a specimen and a reagent and measuring a change in a mixture of the specimen and the reagent with time. This invention approximates reaction curve data by a function and automatically determines a curve part at an early stage or a second stage of a reaction. The invention determines a line range not including a curve part for each sample and calculates a laboratory test value using absorbance data within the determined line range. This invention also automatically determines a start time of line at the early stage of the reaction on the basis of absorbance data obtained up to a point halfway through the reaction curve, predicts a line range on the basis of the end time of line and a planned end time of line, and calculates a predictive value on the basis of a result of the prediction.

Automatic analysis device and automatic analysis method

Accuracy control of an automatic analysis device that mixes a sample and a reagent to measure temporal change of a mixed solution is realized. A plurality of measurement point data is acquired from a reaction process of the sample and the reagent. Parameters and test values of approximate equations for approximating the plurality of measurement point data are accumulated in a storage unit. A distribution map of reference data corresponding to the parameters or the test values is created based on predetermined numbers of the parameters or the test values accumulated in the storage unit. Next, a plurality of screens for individually superimposing, on the distribution map, curved lines corresponding to a plurality of regression function candidates obtained by applying a plurality of regression functions are arranged and presented on a display screen, so as to approximate the data to the distribution map of the reference data.

Automatic analysis device and automatic analysis program

Provided is technology for blood clotting reactions capable of analyzing a blood clotting reaction with a high degree of precision, by precisely detecting and removing noise, regardless of the location where the noise is generated in the light intensity data. This automated analyzer approximates, with an approximation curve, time series data for transmitted light intensity or scattered light intensity of light emitted onto a sample, and, in this process, removes abnormal data points that deviate from the approximation curve (see FIG.).

Automated analyzer and automated analysis method

To change a photometric time for each item or to change a measurement time for each specimen so that time required for biochemical measurement can be reduced, an index that indicates an end of a reaction is required. Unfortunately, however, no methods have been available for determining the end of the reaction. In measuring a substance to be measured contained in a sample, a parameter in an approximate expression is calculated using a measured value that changes with time, a degree of convergence of a reaction is determined according to a degree of convergence of the parameter, and a measured value at the end of the reaction is calculated using the parameter at a point in time at which it is determined that the reaction has converged.

Automatic analyzer

Provided are an automated analyzer and an automatic analysis method for highly accurately determining presence or absence of abnormality based on reaction process data obtained when concentration of a chemical component or an activity level of an enzyme is measured. The reaction process data is approximated by a function, and shape feature quantities indicating features of a shape of a curve section at an early stage of reaction are calculated. The obtained shape feature quantities are used to determine the presence or absence of abnormality.

Automatic analysis device and analysis method

In known automatic analyzers for detecting an abnormality by approximating reaction process data using a function, accuracy of detecting a reaction abnormality is degraded because of poor approximation accuracy depending on test items. Data processing means stores the absorbance and time of day at which the absorbance is measured as time-series data. Letting x denote absorbance, t denote time, and * denote a symbol representing multiplication, we have a function x=a0+a1*exp(&#x2212;k1*t)+a2*exp(&#x2212;k2*t). Values of parameters a0, a1, a2, ai, k1, and k2 are calculated so that a difference between the absorbance at the measured time calculated using the above expression and the time-series data is minimal, and presence of an abnormality is determined based on the parameter values.

Automatic analyzer and analysis method

An objective is to provide a method and an apparatus for accurately extracting a region of an object particle from a urine particle image obtained by taking an image of urine particles in a urine specimen having varying properties. First, a first object region is extracted using one or more of an R image, a G image, and a B image of a urine particle image taken by an image input optical system configured to input particle images. Then, a density distribution and a size of the first object region of one or more of the R image, the G image, and the B image are calculated. Based on these feature parameters, the first object region is classified into a predetermined number of groups. A second object region is extracted from a local region including the first object region, by using one or more of the R image, the G image, and the B image, depending on each of the groups. This configuration allows stable region segmentation for each particle image even for a urine specimen in which urine particles having different sizes and tones coexist.

Method and device for dividing area of image of particle in urine

In the event of a suspected abnormality in the device, sample or reagent, a laboratory technician had to examine the abnormal reaction process data item by item, and infer the cause of the abnormality, which took effort and time in some cases. Abnormality judgment is assisted using: indicator computation means that computes an indicator indicating a feature parameter of a given waveform by applying a pre-defined evaluation formula to time series data of photometric values; relative indicator computation means that computes a value indicating a relationship of the indicator of target data to the indicator computed in the past; and indicator display means that simultaneously displays a value computed by the indicator computation means and the value computed by the relative indicator computation means. According to the present method, which is a method for assisting judgment of abnormality wherein a feature parameter of a given absorbance change is computed, it can be made easier to find certain abnormalities, and it becomes possible to attain more efficient device maintenance and improved device reliability without the addition of any new parts.

Method for assisting judgment of abnormality of reaction process data and automatic analyzer

Disclosed is a flow cytometer using a spectral device and a multi-detector, in which setting of an optimum wavelength band prior to measuring fluorescence intensity in real time is supported. A signal processing unit stores the intensities in multiple wavelength bands, the intensities being obtained by measuring a calibration sample, and the distribution of the intensities is calculated and displayed by each of the wavelength bands.

Analytical apparatus and analytical method

At each of mutually different multiple focal positions, focal adjustment parameter values are obtained from images of standard particles made of the same substance. Each focal adjustment parameter value is figured out as any one of the ratio between the density value around the center of the standard particle image and the density value around the outline, the difference therebetween, and the density value around the center. The in-focus position is adjusted on the basis of the relationship between the obtained focal adjustment parameter values and the focal positions. Moreover, on the basis of the relationship between the focal adjustment parameter values and the focal positions, the parameter values are converted into focal positions, and the focal positions and dispersion thereof are used to check the displacement of the in-focus position and the thickness of the sample liquid.

Flow type particle image analysis method and device

When the nucleic-acid base sequence of A, C, G, and T (or U) is determined by interpreting fluorescent-light intensity waveform data acquired by measuring nucleic-acid fragments, it is desirable to determine, with a high-accuracy, the base sequence at a location at which the data interpretation is difficult. In order to accomplish this object, the data interpretation is performed by making reference to information acquired by performing the statistical processing to plural pieces of fluorescent-light intensity waveform data corresponding to already-known base sequences. This method allows the determination of the nucleic-acid base sequence at the above-described location.

Nucleic acid base sequence determining method and inspecting system

In a bacteriological examination system, an expected range of drug sensitivity is calculated from the results of statistics of data acquired at past drug sensitivity tests. Testing panels accommodating drugs of different densities (ex. increasing by increments) covers the calculated expected range are selected for testing. An average-per-sample value of drug sensitivities of bacteria that reside in a hospital and an average-per-sample value of drug sensitivities of bacteria that reside in a limited region are preserved separately in a results-of-test database. A difference between statistical values of drug sensitivities of one bacterial species in a bacterial classification group residing in a hospital to an object drug and statistical values of drug sensitivities of the bacterial species residing in a limited region is calculated. The difference then is divided by the average-per-same value in the limited region. An average-per-bacterial species value is then obtained by averaging the difference-division values of the involved species to obtain a drug fastness index relative to the object drug.

Bacteriological examination system

Recognizable data storage apparatus stores an image feature parameter of an object and its classification result for those objects for which said classification results are evaluated as having high reliability and recognizable and for which a classification result is outputted by first pattern recognition apparatus, and recognition suspension data storage apparatus stores an image feature parameter for those objects for which said classification results are evaluated as having low reliability and as being suspended from recognition. Pattern recognition method constitution apparatus constructs second pattern recognition apparatus on the basis of the classification result stored in the recognizable data storage apparatus, and re-classification is conducted for those objects recognition of which is to be suspended. A neural network, for example, is used for the second pattern recognition apparatus. Wrong classification of objects due to an individual difference can be reduced and automated pattern recognition having high accuracy without depending on an individual difference can be accomplished.

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Tokyo, Japan

Satoshi Mitsuyama