Methods and apparatuses relating to measuring sample parameters and cell parameters (e.g., cell size, cell shape) are provided herein. The present disclosure provides additional methods, systems and techniques for improving osmotic gradient generating systems for vise in technologies to accurately determine red blood cell volume and the osmolality at which cells achieve a maximum volume.

Methods and apparatuses relating to measuring sample parameters and cell parameters (e.g., cell size, cell shape) are provided herein. The present disclosure provides additional methods, systems and techniques for improving osmotic gradient generating systems for vise in technologies to accurately determine red blood cell volume and the osmolality at which cells achieve a maximum volume.

A method of predicting whether an MDS patient has a good or poor prognosis uses a general purpose computer configured as a classifier and mass-spectrometry data obtained from a blood-based sample. The classifier assigns a classification label of either Early or Late (or the equivalent) to the patient's sample. Patients classified as Early are predicted to have a poor prognosis or worse survival whereas those patients classified as Late are predicted to have a relatively better prognosis and longer survival time. The groupings demonstrated a large effect size between groups in Kaplan-Meier analysis of survival. Most importantly, while the classifications generated were correlated with other prognostic factors, such as IPSS score and genetic category, multivariate and subgroup analysis showed that they had significant independent prognostic power complementary to the existing prognostic factors.

A method of predicting whether an MDS patient has a good or poor prognosis uses a general purpose computer configured as a classifier and mass-spectrometry data obtained from a blood-based sample. The classifier assigns a classification label of either Early or Late (or the equivalent) to the patient's sample. Patients classified as Early are predicted to have a poor prognosis or worse survival whereas those patients classified as Late are predicted to have a relatively better prognosis and longer survival time. The groupings demonstrated a large effect size between groups in Kaplan-Meier analysis of survival. Most importantly, while the classifications generated were correlated with other prognostic factors, such as IPSS score and genetic category, multivariate and subgroup analysis showed that they had significant independent prognostic power complementary to the existing prognostic factors.

This disclosure describes single-use test cartridges, cell analyzer apparatus, and methods for automatically performing microscopic cell analysis tasks, such as counting and analyzing blood cells in biological samples. A small measured quantity of a biological sample, such as whole blood, is placed in a mixing bowl on the disposable test cartridge after being inserted into the cell analyzer. The analayzer also deposits a known amount of diluent/stain in the mixing bowl and mixes it with the blood. The analyzer takes a measured amount of the mixture and dispenses in a sample cup on the cartridge in fluid communication with an imaging chamber. The geometry of the imaging chamber is chosen to maintain the uniformity of the mixture, and to prevent cells from crowding or clumping as it is transferred into the imaging chamber by the analyzer. Images of all of the cellular components within the imaging chamber are counted and analyzed to obtain a complete blood count.

This disclosure describes single-use test cartridges, cell analyzer apparatus, and methods for automatically performing microscopic cell analysis tasks, such as counting and analyzing blood cells in biological samples. A small measured quantity of a biological sample, such as whole blood, is placed in a mixing bowl on the disposable test cartridge after being inserted into the cell analyzer. The analayzer also deposits a known amount of diluent/stain in the mixing bowl and mixes it with the blood. The analyzer takes a measured amount of the mixture and dispenses in a sample cup on the cartridge in fluid communication with an imaging chamber. The geometry of the imaging chamber is chosen to maintain the uniformity of the mixture, and to prevent cells from crowding or clumping as it is transferred into the imaging chamber by the analyzer. Images of all of the cellular components within the imaging chamber are counted and analyzed to obtain a complete blood count.

A system and method for analyzing bodily fluid include a sample holder holding a bodily fluid sample, an image capture device generating an image of the bodily fluid sample comprising a plurality of fields of view. An image processor is programmed to determine a biofilm in the bodily fluid sample from the image, determine a biofilm area or volume within each of the plurality of fields of view to form a plurality of biofilm areas, determine a total biofilm area or total biofilm volume by adding the plurality of biofilm areas, determine a first value corresponding to a comparison of the total biofilm area or the total biofilm volume and a total volume of the bodily fluid sample, and classify the first value into a classification. An analyzer, using the classification, displays an indicator on a display for indicating the classification of the biofilm within the bodily fluid sample.

A system and method for analyzing bodily fluid include a sample holder holding a bodily fluid sample, an image capture device generating an image of the bodily fluid sample comprising a plurality of fields of view. An image processor is programmed to determine a biofilm in the bodily fluid sample from the image, determine a biofilm area or volume within each of the plurality of fields of view to form a plurality of biofilm areas, determine a total biofilm area or total biofilm volume by adding the plurality of biofilm areas, determine a first value corresponding to a comparison of the total biofilm area or the total biofilm volume and a total volume of the bodily fluid sample, and classify the first value into a classification. An analyzer, using the classification, displays an indicator on a display for indicating the classification of the biofilm within the bodily fluid sample.

Identification of urokinase-type plasminogen, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and β-2-microglobulin as novel biomarkers associated with liver fibrosis and uses thereof in diagnosing and staging liver fibrosis.

Identification of urokinase-type plasminogen, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and β-2-microglobulin as novel biomarkers associated with liver fibrosis and uses thereof in diagnosing and staging liver fibrosis.