Among other things, a first surface is configured to receive a sample and is to be used in a microscopy device. There is a second surface to be moved into a predefined position relative to the first surface to form a sample space that is between the first surface and the second surface and contains at least part of the sample. There is a mechanism configured to move the second surface from an initial position into the predefined position to form the sample space. When the sample is in place on the first surface, the motion of the second surface includes a trajectory that is not solely a linear motion of the second surface towards the first surface.

A method for counting blood cells in a sample of whole blood. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a sample of whole blood; (b) depositing the sample of whole blood onto a slide, e.g., a microscope slide; (c) employing a spreader to create a blood smear; (d) allowing the blood smear to dry on the slide; (e) measuring absorption or reflectance of light attributable to the hemoglobin in the red blood cells in the blood smear on the slide; (f) recording a magnified two-dimensional digital image of the area of analysis identified by the measurement in step (e) as being of suitable thickness for analysis; and (g) collecting, analyzing, and storing data from the magnified two-dimensional digital image.
Optionally, steps of fixing and staining of blood cells on the slide can be employed in the method.

Among other things, the present invention is related to devices/apparatus and methods of performing cellular, biological, and chemical assays and procedures.

The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for using terlipressin to treat a patient having impaired renal function associated with liver disease. A patient identified as suffering from HRS-1 is tested to determine if the patient meets at least two out of three criteria, wherein the three criteria include a WBC<4 or >12 cells/4; HR>90 bpm; and any one of HCO3<21 mmol/L or PaCO2<32 mmHg or >20 breaths per minute. If the patient meets at least two of the criteria, he or she is administered terlipressin in an amount effective to produce a reduction in serum creatinine of at least 1.0 mg/dL.

Techniques and technologies for automated microscopy scanning systems are disclosed wherein a microscopy system performs hunt mode operations at coarsely-spaced locations throughout a scanning window until an acceptable quality scan result is achieved. The system then performs detailed scans at all fields of view within a grid cell that includes the location having the acceptable scan result. The system performs another evaluation of the scan results for the entire grid cell, and if the scan results for the grid cell are collectively acceptable, then the system proceeds to perform scan mode operations. The scan mode operations include scanning and evaluating all of the fields of view within one or more grid cells adjacent to the acceptable grid cell from the hunt mode operations. The system may successively perform hunt mode operations and scan mode operations, compiling information regarding one or more aspects of the scanning process, until one or more termination criteria are satisfied.

The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for using terlipressin to treat a patient having impaired renal function associated with liver disease. A method of treating an adult patient with type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS-1) may include assessing a baseline serum creatinine level prior to administration of terlipressin to the patient, initiating dosing of about 0.5 mg to about 1 mg of terlipressin to the patient every 6 hours by IV for 1-3 days, assessing a serum creatinine level in the patient at day 41 day from initiating dosing, administering a modified dosage of terlipressin based on a comparison of the assessed serum creatinine level at day 41 day and the baseline serum creatinine level, and continuing administration until 24 hours after two consecutive serum creatinine levels of 1.5 mg/dL at least 2 hours apart for a maximum of 14 days. The treatment may result in verified reversal of the HRS-1.

A method for analyzing digital holographic microscopy (DHM) data for hematology applications includes receiving a DHM image acquired using a digital holographic microscopy system and identifying one or more erythrocytes in the DHM image. For each respective erythrocyte included in the one or more erythrocytes, a cell thickness value for the respective erythrocyte using a parametric model is estimated, and a cell volume value is calculated for the respective erythrocyte using the cell thickness value.

The present disclosure relates to the field of medical technology, which provides methods and apparatuses for identifying red blood cells infected by plasmodium. The methods may include: obtaining a forward-scattered light signal, a side-scattered light signal and an optional fluorescence signal from cells in a blood sample; obtaining a first two-dimensional scattergram according to the forward-scattered light signal and the side-scattered light signal, or obtaining a three-dimensional scattergram according to the forward-scattered light signal, the side-scattered light signal and the fluorescence signal; and identifying cells located in a predetermined area of the first two-dimensional scattergram or the three-dimensional scattergram as the red blood cells infected by plasmodium. The apparatuses perform the methods. The methods and apparatuses can have better identification accuracy.

According to the present invention, the therapeutic effect of an IL-6 inhibitor on MS was found to be predictable by using as indicators the amount of plasmablasts and/or the indicator of change in immature plasmablasts (amount of immature plasmablasts or amount of follicular helper T cells) in MS patients with a large amount of plasmablasts. Furthermore, IL-6 inhibitors were found to be effective against MS in which plasmablasts occur at high levels and in which the indicator of change in immature plasmablasts is high. The present invention provides methods for selecting MS cases for which treatment with an IL-6 inhibitor is effective, and also provides an effective therapeutic method for patients with MS in which plasmablast occur at high levels and in which the indicator of change in immature plasmablasts is high.

A method of treating a disease in a subject including: obtaining a blood sample from the subject, identifying and counting white blood cells in the blood sample, binding antibodies to cluster of differentiation (CD) markers on the white blood cells, capturing images of the white blood cells, detecting binding of the antibodies to the white blood cell based on labeling of the white blood cells in the images, and classifying the white blood cells into CD subgroups based on the CD markers, calculating a total number of white blood cells serving as immune cells in a body of the subject and a number of white blood cells in each immune cell CD subgroup based on the number of white blood cells counted and the CD classification, and determining an immune status of the subject based on a ratio of the immune cell subgroups and a number of cells in each of the immune cell subgroups by comparing to a corresponding ratio and corresponding numbers of cells in a normal subject, wherein a change compared to the normal subject indicates an increase or a decrease in the immune status; initiating or continuing treatment of the cancer in the subject, wherein the treatment is selected from the group consisting of medication and immunotherapy; and adjusting the treatment based on a change in the determined immune status.