Transport method, control method, and analysis system
Disclosed is a transport method to be performed in an analysis system configured to transport a specimen to an analyzer configured to analyze an analyte contained in the specimen, the transport method comprising: cooling and preserving, in a cooling-and-preserving part, a quality control specimen containing an analyte having a known concentration; and controlling transport of the quality control specimen between the cooling-and-preserving part and the analyzer on the basis of a status of the analyzer.
1 . A blood analysis system comprising:
a plurality of blood cell analyzers configured to perform the blood sample measurement on a blood sample;
a supply device including a storage configured to store a quality control sample in a controlled temperature environment, wherein the quality control sample contains a known red blood cell concentration, a known leukocyte concentration and a known platelet concentration, and wherein the supply device is configured to supply the blood sample to the plurality of blood cell analyzers and to retrieve the quality control sample from the storage;
a transporter configured to transport the blood sample and the quality control sample between the supply device and the plurality of blood cell analyzers; and
a controller configured to control the transporter,
wherein the controller is programmed to perform a quality control operation according to a schedule by:
(i) controlling the supply device to retrieve the quality control sample from the storage;
(ii) controlling the transporter to transport the retrieved quality control sample from the supply device to the plurality of blood cell analyzers; and
(iii) controlling the transporter and the supply device to return the quality control sample to the storage after the quality control sample is transported to the plurality of blood cell analyzers, wherein the controller is further programmed to receive information regarding a deficiency occurring during the quality control operation and to execute, in response to the deficiency, a recovery operation of returning the quality control sample to the storage, thereby preventing the quality control sample from being left outside the storage without being returned due to the deficiency,
wherein the deficiency is at least one of:
(a) an insufficiency of a reagent to be used in at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers;
(b) an error in reading of identification information provided on the quality control sample;
(c) a measurement value abnormality of the quality control sample;
(d) an error in a pressure of a pump for suctioning samples or reagents of at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers;
(e) an error in a temperature of a reaction chamber of at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers; and
(f) an error in an operation of a mechanism in at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers.
2 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to cancel the quality control measurement by the at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers in response to the deficiency occurring in the at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers.
3 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to, in response to a deficiency occurring in a blood cell analyzer of the plurality of blood cell analyzers, control the transporter to transport the quality control sample to another blood cell analyzer of the blood cell analyzers scheduled to perform the quality control measurement, before returning the quality control sample to the storage.
4 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to, in response to a deficiency occurring in a blood cell analyzer of the plurality of blood cell analyzers:
determine whether the quality control measurement has been performed by the plurality of blood cell analyzers according to the schedule;
control the transporter to transport the quality control sample to another blood cell analyzer of the blood cell analyzers scheduled to perform the quality control measurement, before returning the quality control sample to the storage, upon determining that the quality control measurement by the another blood cell analyzer of the blood cell analyzers has not been performed; and
control the transporter and the supply device to return the quality control sample to the storage upon determining that the quality control measurement has been performed for the plurality of blood cell analyzers.
5 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , further comprising a monitor configured to display the deficiency.
6 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to control the at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers to automatically turn on based on the schedule.
7 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store the schedule.
8 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the supply device further comprises a temperature adjustment section configured to heat the quality control sample by holding the retrieved quality control sample for a predetermined time.
9 . The blood analysis system according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
control the supply device to retrieve the quality control sample from the storage based on the schedule;
control the supply device to transfer the quality control sample to the temperature adjustment section;
control the supply device to retrieve the quality control sample from the temperature adjustment section after the predetermined time; and
control the supply device to transfer the quality control sample to a rack.
10 . The blood analysis system according to according to claim 8 ,
wherein the storage is configured to hold a container, the container containing the quality control sample and having a cap, in a first upright position with the cap of the container disposed above the container; and
wherein the temperature adjustment section is configured to hold the container in a second upright position with the cap of the container disposed above the container.
11 . The blood analysis system according to claim 8 , wherein the temperature adjustment section comprises a heating part body defining an upward-facing hole formed to a depth such that an upper portion of a container containing the quality control sample protrudes from the upward-facing hole when the container is positioned in the temperature adjustment section.
12 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the storage is configured to cool and preserve the quality control sample at a temperature between 2° C. and 8° C.
13 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the supply device further comprises a transferring unit configured to grip and retrieve the quality control sample from the storage.
14 . The blood analysis system according to claim 13 , wherein the storage comprises a cooling chamber and a cover enclosing the cooling chamber, wherein the cooling chamber is configured to hold the quality control sample, and wherein the cover is configured to open and close to provide access to the quality control sample.
15 . The blood analysis system according to claim 14 , wherein the cover is configured to open from a closed state, the transferring unit is configured to retrieve the quality control sample from the cooling chamber, and the cover is controlled to close after the quality control sample is retrieved from the cooling chamber.
16 . The blood analysis system according to claim 15 , wherein the cover constitutes an upper portion of the cooling chamber, wherein the cover in an opened state is configured to provide access to the quality control sample held in the cooling chamber, and wherein the transferring unit is positioned above the cooling chamber.
17 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling chamber comprises a housing portion defining an upward-facing hole configured to hold a container containing the quality control sample in an upright position.
18 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blood cell analyzers is configured to measure at least one of WBC (white blood cell count), RBC (red blood cell count), HGB (hemoglobin content), HCT (hematocrit value), MCV (mean corpuscular volume), MCH (mean corpuscular hemoglobin), MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), PLT (platelet count), NEUT #(neutrophil count), LYMPH #(lymphocyte count), MONO #(monocyte count), EO #(eosinophil count), and BASO #(basophil count).
19 . The blood analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to control the transporter to transport a rack holding a blood sample to at least one of the plurality of blood cell analyzers for blood sample measurement.