Abstract: Provided is a medical care support system for the sharing and reusing of medical information on the basis of a workflow which is a flow of medical-related services. A workflow step that was executed prior to an ongoing workflow step is selected by using a medical information database which has registered a workflow and information of each workflow step in association with medical information; and information is inputted by medical staff in the ongoing workflow step while the medical information registered in the selected workflow step being referred to; and the medical information being referred to and the inputted information are registered in the medical information database in association with the ongoing workflow step.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The particle analysis apparatus includes means that perform processes upon image processing of images (110) acquired in a measurement of the sample, simultaneously with a normal image processing for classifying target particles. The means included are: image processing means (110a) for calculating information of RGB density distributions of each whole image; abnormal state determination processing means (110c) for determining whether or not the acquired images are in an abnormal state according to tendencies of the RGB density distributions; and an abnormality judgment process means for making final determination of the existence of an abnormality by calculating an appearance frequency of abnormal images after all measurements for the one sample is completed. These means allow diagnosis of abnormalities to be conducted simultaneously with normal analysis without changing the configuration of the conventional apparatus.

Abstract: 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(?k1*t)+a2*exp(?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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A data analysis apparatus has a first storage for storing information, a second storage for storing association between information, a unit for setting a condition to divide the information into a plurality of groups on the basis of association between the information stored in the second storage, a unit for setting an item to compare information divided into a plurality of groups, a unit for setting a condition to extract information to be compared, and an evaluation unit for extracting information that satisfies the condition for extracting information from the first storage, dividing information extracted on the basis of the condition for dividing the information into groups into a plurality of groups, and calculating evaluation values to conduct comparison as to a comparison item for each group.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: There is provided a system performing high-accuracy diagnostic decision support in consideration of the influence of a haplotype block and a genetic structure. Haplotype block inference means 13 infers the positions of haplotype blocks, and analyzes each of the haplotype blocks to infer a haplotype pattern of individuals with high accuracy. Genetic structure inference means 15 performs clustering the individuals on the basis of the haplotype pattern to divide a population into some subpopulations, and removes the influence of a genetic structure existing in the population. A genetic structure information database 16 and a clinical information database 11 are used to analyze association of clinical information with genetic information for providing high-accuracy diagnostic decision support knowledge.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a medical data analytic system which can efficiently generate relationships between data forming the evidence from large volumes of medical data, and support a doctor's diagnosis. The system includes a calculating device comprising a medical data analysis unit, a database comprising a medical data storage unit, and an input/output device comprising a condition input unit for inputting n diagnosis-related conditions. Depending on the aforesaid n conditions, the ratio of 2n groups of medical data for analysis corresponding to all combinations of conditions is calculated for the case when the conditions are satisfied and the case when they are not satisfied, and displayed on an output unit of the input/output device.

Abstract: When determining the nucleic-acid base sequence of A, C, G, and T (or U) 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.

Abstract: An item pattern straddling over two or more databases with different structure and/or attributes is extracted from the databases based on a comparison of partial data. The support count for the item pattern is counted by communicating a list of identifiers for records, the number of the identifiers, or a subset of the item pattern between the databases. For an item pattern with a known support count, an upper-bound value of the support counts for subsets of that item pattern is calculated on the basis of a difference in the support counts for the subsets, thereby limiting the item patterns for which the support counts are to be counted.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: In a pattern recognition system provided with a pattern recognition processing unit having a network structure constructed of an input layer for inputting a feature parameter of a subject under recognition as input information an intermediate layer for processing the input information and an output layer for outputting a processed result output values of respective output nodes for constituting the output layer, corresponding to the input information, are compared with each other by the pattern recognition processing unit, and a classification item corresponding to the output node whose output value is maximum is stored into a storage unit as a recognized result with respect to the input information. The pattern recognition system is also provided with a reliability evaluating unit for setting a threshold with respect to an output value of each of the output nodes and for evaluating reliability of the recognized result based upon the output values of the respective output nodes.

Abstract: In a region segmentation method for particle images, which photographs stained and non-stained object particles supplied through an image input optical system and which uses at least two of the red-colored image, green-colored image and blue-colored image to discriminate between a background region and an object region where the object particles exist, the region segmentation method includes the processes of: a first process of setting a first group of thresholds in density value for a first group of at least two images selected from the red-colored image, green-colored image and blue-colored image to extract regions greatly differing in density from the background region, and producing a first binary image from the first group of images; a second process of calculating for each pixel a quantity representing the magnitude of change of density in an area neighboring each of the pixels making up each of one or more second group images selected from the red-colored image, green-colored image and blue-colored ima