A sample measuring apparatus of an embodiment includes: a laser diode that applies laser light to a measurement specimen prepared from a sample; a detection unit that acquires optical information from a particle in the measurement specimen to which the laser light is applied; a drive circuit that supplies a direct-current drive signal to the laser diode; and a high-frequency conversion circuit that generates a potential that switches between a high level and a low level in a predetermined cycle to guide the drive signal outputted from the drive circuit to a second signal path which is different from a first signal path connected to the laser diode in the predetermined cycle, thereby converting the drive signal to be supplied to the laser diode into a high-frequency signal.

The invention, provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

A method for analyzing a blood sample is provided that includes the steps of: providing a blood sample having one or more of each first and second constituents; admixing a colorant with the sample, which colorant is operative to cause the first constituents and second constituents to fluoresce and absorb light; illuminating at least a portion of the sample; e) imaging a portion of the sample; determining a fluorescence value for each the first constituents and second constituents; determining an optical density value for each of the first constituents and second constituents; and identifying the first constituents and the second constituents using the determined fluorescence and optical density values.

A particle separating and measuring device of the present disclosure includes: a first flow path device including a post-separation flow outlet through which a first fluid containing specific particles to be separated flows out; and a second flow path device on which the first flow path device is placed and including a first flow inlet through which the first fluid flows in, the first flow path device in which the post-separation flow outlet is arranged in a lower surface is placed on the second flow path device in which the first flow inlet is arranged in an upper surface of a first region, the post-separation flow outlet and the first flow inlet are connected so as to face each other, and a size of an opening of the first flow inlet is larger than a size of an opening of the post-separation flow outlet.

A sample imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging section for imaging a stained sample including a stained cell to generate a cell image relating to the stained cell included in the stained sample; and a staining abnormality detector for detecting an abnormality relating to staining of the stained sample on the basis of the cell image generated by the imaging section, is disclosed. A sample imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging section for imaging a stained sample to generate a cell image relating to a cell included in the stained sample; and an imaging abnormality detector for detecting an abnormality relating to the imaging section on the basis of the cell image generated by the imaging section, is also disclosed.

A method and apparatus for identifying one or more target constituents (e.g., white blood cells) within a biological sample is provided. The method includes the steps of: a) adding at least one colorant to the sample; b) disposing the sample into a chamber defined by at least one transparent panel; c) creating at least one image of the sample quiescently residing within the chamber; d) identifying target constituents within the sample image; e) quantitatively analyzing at least some of the identified target constituents within the image relative to one or more predetermined quantitatively determinable features; and f) identifying at least one type of target constituent within the identified target constituents using the quantitatively determinable features.

Disclosed is a hemolytic reagent comprising a nonionic surfactant represented by formula (I) below:

R.sub.1—R.sub.2—(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O).sub.n—H   (I) where R.sub.1 represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, or an alkynyl group having 8 or more and 25 or less carbon atoms, R.sub.2 represents an oxygen atom, (COO) or a group represented by formula (II) below:

##STR00001## where n is 23 or larger and 25 or smaller, or 30, with n of 23 or larger and 25 or smaller, a concentration of the nonionic surfactant is 1700 ppm or higher and 2300 ppm or lower, and with n of 30, the concentration of the nonionic surfactant is 1900 ppm or higher and 2300 ppm or lower.

Provided is a treatment method for damaging an erythrocyte and a leukocyte while suppressing damage to cells other than blood cells present in blood. In an embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for treating a sample containing blood components, the method including mixing a sample containing blood components with a surfactant A, where the surfactant A is a nonionic surfactant represented by General formula R.sup.1—O—(EO)n-R.sup.2 (I).

A method for measuring concentrations of blood cell components is provided. The method comprises: obtaining a blood sample from a subject, the blood sample comprising red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets (PLTs); mixing the blood sample with a non-lysing aqueous solution to form a sample mixture comprising a predetermined tonicity; passing the sample mixture through a flow cell; emitting light towards the flow cell; measuring an amount of light absorbed by the RBCs; measuring an amount of light scattered by WBCs, and PLTs; determining a concentration of each of the RBCs, WBCs, and PLTs present in the sample mixture from the measured amount of light absorbed by the RBCs and scattered by the WBCs and PLTs.

Provided herein are systems and methods for analyzing blood samples, and more specifically for performing a basophil analysis. In one embodiment, the systems and methods include: (a) staining a blood sample with an exclusive cell membrane permeable fluorescent dye; and then (b) using measurements of light scatter and fluorescence emission to distinguish basophils from other WBC sub-populations. In one embodiment, the systems and methods include performing a basophil cluster analysis of the blood sample, based on the combination of light scatter and fluorescence measurements.