Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining whether a temperature of a sample has reached a predetermined temperature. The method comprises the steps of: mixing an albumin-containing sample with a peptide reagent comprising a peptide for temperature determination; heating the mixture; detecting an optical change of the mixture; and determining whether the temperature of the mixture has reached the predetermined temperature based on the detection result of the optical change. In the method, a dissociation constant (Kd) of binding of the peptide for temperature determination to albumin is 500 ?M or more, and the peptide for temperature determination comprises a first labeling substance and a second labeling substance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for assisting the diagnosis of the condition of myelofibrosis (MF), a method for assisting the prognostic prediction of MF, and a method for monitoring the therapeutic effect on MF. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for executing these methods. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a marker for determining the condition of myelofibrosis.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sample analyzer comprising: a sample measuring section including a detecting section for detecting a component contained in a sample and a flow path for feeding the sample to the detecting section; and a control section. The control section is programmed to automatically control the sample measuring section to flow a sample blank free of particles to the detecting section and detect a component contained in the sample blank to check a background of the detection after the sample measuring section performs washing of the flow path.

Abstract: A specimen transport apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a holder including first and second trenches and configured to hold a specimen; a first transporter including a first protrusion to engage with the first trench and configured to transport the holder by transferring the first protrusion engaged with the first trench in an extension direction of the second trench; a second transporter including a second protrusion to engage with the second trench and configured to transport the holder by transferring the second protrusion engaged with the second trench in an extension direction of the first trench. The first trench is formed in at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the holder. The second trench is formed in at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the holder, and is formed to extend to a lateral surface of the holder.

Abstract: An embodiment may provide a tip rack for detachably supporting a nozzle tip to be attached to a distal end portion of a nozzle. The tip rack includes: a support member that is provided with first holes each to support the nozzle tip; and a rack body that supports the support member such that the support member is movable in a direction intersecting with center axes of the first holes, and that is provided with second holes corresponding to the first holes, the second holes each having a depth enough to accommodate a lower portion of the nozzle tip, including a distal end of the nozzle tip, supported by the corresponding first hole.

Abstract: A blood coagulation analysis method according to an embodiment includes: calculating blood coagulation time based on data which represents a coagulation curve indicating a temporal change in an optical detection value of a blood specimen added with a measurement reagent; and determining an early reaction error by using a result of determination of conformity between a shape of the coagulation curve represented by the data and a shape of a reference coagulation curve.

Abstract: Disclosed is a monoclonal antibody reactive with a glycopeptide shown in (a), and not reactive with a glycopeptide shown in (b)

Abstract: A cell information acquisition method may include: binding a binding substance to a receptor on a cell membrane surface of a cell, the binding substance being bindable to the receptor; permeabilizing a cell membrane of the cell after the binding; labeling a receptor in an intracellular area of the cell with a binding substance labeled with a first labeling substance after the permeabilizing; causing a specimen including the cell to flow through a flow path after the labeling; irradiating the cell included in the specimen flowing through the flow path with light; and acquiring a signal based on light generated from the first labeling substance in the cell irradiated with light.

Abstract: A method for detecting adrenocorticotropic hormone comprising: bringing a liquid sample containing adrenocorticotropic hormone into contact with gelled casein to adsorb adrenocorticotropic hormone to the gelled casein; and detecting the adrenocorticotropic hormone adsorbed to the gelled casein is disclosed. An adsorbent of adrenocorticotropic hormone comprising gelled casein is also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided is a canceration information providing method capable of presenting the information related to canceration of the cells with high reliability. A cell in which the amount of DNA is greater than or equal to the amount of DNA of the normal cell in the S period is extracted from a cell group of V11?N/C ratio?V12 (first counting step). If the number of cells obtained in the first counting step is greater than or equal to the threshold value S1 (S107: YES), “Cancer” is set to a flag 1. A cell in which the amount of DNA is 2C is extracted from a cell group of V13?N/C ratio?V11 (second counting step). A ratio of the number of cells obtained in the second counting step and number of cells obtained in the first counting step is calculated, and “Cancer” is set to a flag 2 if the ratio is greater than or equal to a threshold value S2 (S111: YES). If one of the flags 1, 2 is “Cancer” (S113: YES), the display of retest necessary is performed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a blood sample determination method including: preparing a mixed plasma by mixing a subject plasma and a normal plasma; emitting light to a measurement specimen obtained by mixing the mixed plasma and a clotting time measuring reagent, to obtain optical information regarding an amount of light from the measurement specimen; and determining whether the subject plasma is suspected to be a coagulation-factor-deficient plasma, on the basis of optical information obtained from one measurement specimen.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for measuring urinary apolipoprotein E (ApoE) concentration of a diabetic patient with stage 1 diabetic nephropathy, decreased value of urinary ApoE concentration indicating the patient has a high risk of progressing to stage 2 or higher diabetic nephropathy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for assisting diagnosis of risk of progression of diabetic nephropathy, comprising measuring the urinary apolipoprotein E (ApoE) concentration of a patient with diabetic nephropathy showing a urinary albumin/Cr ratio of 30 mg/gCr or more, and determining that the patient has a high risk of progressing diabetic nephropathy when the value of urinary ApoE concentration is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A blood sample testing apparatus may include: a blood-cell-count measurement unit that performs measurement of a blood sample stored in a sample container positioned in a first position; a smear preparation unit that prepares a smear of the blood sample stored in the sample container positioned in a second position; and a transport unit that transports the sample container from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position.

Abstract: Herewith disclosed is a sample analyzer comprising: a measurement section configured to perform a measurement on a sample and generate a measurement value according to the concentration of an analyte in the sample; a memory storing a calibration curve; an analysis section; an output section; and an instruction receiver. When the instruction receiver receives an instruction to perform a diluting measurement on a calibration sample, the measurement section dilutes the calibration sample by a predetermined ratio and performs a measurement on the diluted calibration sample, and the analysis section determines the concentration of the analyte in the diluted calibration sample by applying a measurement value obtained from the diluted calibration sample to the calibration curve. Information generated based on the determined concentration and the known concentration is output.

Abstract: A smear preparing apparatus includes: a smear unit that prepares a smear slide by smearing a sample on a slide; a buffer solution preparation unit that prepares diluted buffer solution by diluting a highly-concentrated buffer solution; a diluted staining solution preparation unit that prepares diluted staining solution by diluting a highly-concentrated staining solution with the diluted buffer solution; and a stain unit that stains the smear slide prepared by the smear unit with the diluted staining solution.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining presence of a disease, comprising steps of; measuring the levels of expression of transcription products of genes in a biological sample obtained from a subject suspected of having a target disease, wherein the genes comprise at least one gene belonging to each of at least two disease-determining gene families related to the target disease; obtaining values representing deviations by standardizing the levels of the expression based on the levels of expression of transcription products of the corresponding genes in a plurality of healthy subjects; obtaining the average of values representing deviations with respect to the gene belonging to each of the disease-determining gene families; and determining whether or not the subject has the target disease by using the average; as well as a computer program product for determining presence of a disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for evaluating coagulability of a blood specimen obtained from a subject to whom a substance having a coagulation factor VIII-substituting activity is administered. The present invention also relates to a reagent for blood coagulation analysis, a reagent kit for blood coagulation analysis, and an apparatus for blood coagulation analysis. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an apparatus and computer program for evaluating coagulability of a blood specimen.

Abstract: A sample analyzer including a reagent reservoir configured to store a plurality of reagent containers; a first reagent dispenser configured to aspirate reagent of a first type from the reagent reservoir and dispense the aspirated reagent into a reaction container disposed at a first dispensing position; a second reagent dispenser configured to aspirate reagent of a second type from the reagent reservoir and dispense the aspirated reagent into a reaction container disposed at a second dispensing position; and a support member configured to support the first and the second reagent dispensers; wherein the first and the second reagent dispensers are supported by the support member so as to be movable independently of each other between each dispensing position and the reagent reservoir is disclosed. A sample analyzing method executed by a sample analyzer is also disclosed.