Method for analyzing blood specimen, and analyzer

An analyzing method for analyzing a blood specimen, the analyzing method comprising:

• mixing a blood specimen and a thrombin-containing reagent to coagulate the blood specimen, and obtaining a coagulation waveform comprised of values of an optical parameter versus time measured on the blood specimen as the blood specimen coagulates after the blood specimen and the thrombin-containing reagent are mixed;
• obtaining, based on the coagulation waveform, a value of a parameter concerning differentiation of the coagulation waveform or a total reaction time that is a length of time beginning from when the blood specimen and the thrombin-containing reagent are mixed and up to a time when a measurement value of the coagulation waveform no longer changes, and a coagulation time, wherein the parameter concerning the differentiation of the coagulation waveform is at least one selected from a maximum coagulation speed (|min 1|) or a maximum coagulation deceleration (|max 2|);
• and
• obtaining an estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen in the blood specimen based on the obtained value of the parameter or the total reaction time, using a calibration curve or a regression equation of the calibration curve, wherein the estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen correlates to an amount of antigen of fibrinogen in the blood specimen obtained by immunological measurement using an anti-fibrinogen antibody, and wherein the calibration curve is created based on plots of the differentiation parameter or total reaction time vs. an amount of antigen of fibrinogen determined by the immunological measurement for a plurality of normal specimens;
• obtaining an active concentration of fibrinogen in the blood specimen based on the coagulation time, using one of a calibration curve, a conversion table or a conversion equation defining a correlation of the active concentration of fibrinogen and a coagulation time;
• and
• obtaining a quantitative or qualitative information concerning a function of fibrinogen that represents coagulability of fibrinogen in the blood specimen in response to an addition of thrombin, by comparing the estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen and the active concentration of fibrinogen in the blood specimen.

A blood specimen analyzer comprising:

• a measurement unit configured to obtain a coagulation waveform from a prepared measurement sample that contains a blood specimen and a thrombin-containing reagent, wherein the coagulation waveform is comprised of values of an optical parameter versus time measured on the blood specimen as the blood specimen coagulates after the blood specimen and the thrombin-containing reagent are mixed;
• and
• an information obtaining unit configured to obtain a quantitative or qualitative information concerning an estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen in the blood specimen based on the coagulation waveform, wherein the estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen correlates to an amount of antigen of fibrinogen in the blood specimen obtained by immunological measurement using an anti-fibrinogen antibody, wherein the information obtaining unit is further configured to:
• obtain a value of a parameter concerning differentiation of the coagulation waveform or a total reaction time that is a length of time beginning from when the blood specimen and the thrombin-containing reagent are mixed and up to a time when a measurement value of the coagulation waveform no longer changes based on the coagulation waveform obtained by the measurement unit, wherein the parameter concerning the differentiation of the coagulation waveform is at least one selected from a maximum coagulation speed |min 1| or a maximum coagulation deceleration |max 2|, and
• obtain the information concerning the estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen in the blood specimen based on the obtained value of the parameter or the total reaction time using a calibration curve or a regression equation of the calibration curve, wherein the calibration curve is created based on plots of the differentiation parameter or total reaction time vs. an amount of antigen of fibrinogen determined by the immunological measurement for a plurality of normal specimens.

A blood specimen analyzer comprising:

• a measurement unit configured to obtain a coagulation waveform from a prepared measurement sample that contains a blood specimen and a thrombin-containing reagent, wherein the coagulation waveform is comprised of values of an optical parameter versus time measured on the blood specimen as the blood specimen coagulates after the blood specimen and the thrombin-containing reagent are mixed;
• and
• an information obtaining unit configured to obtain a quantitative or qualitative information concerning a function of fibrinogen that represents coagulability of fibrinogen in the blood specimen in response to an addition of thrombin by comparing an estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen and an active concentration of fibrinogen in the blood specimen, wherein the estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen correlates to an amount of antigen of fibrinogen in the blood specimen obtained by immunological measurement using an anti-fibrinogen antibody, wherein the information obtaining unit is further configured to:
• obtain a value of a parameter concerning differentiation of the coagulation waveform or a total reaction time that is a length of time beginning from when the blood specimen and the thrombin-containing reagent are mixed and up to a time when a measurement value of the coagulation waveform no longer changes, and a coagulation time, based on the coagulation waveform obtained by the measurement unit, wherein the parameter concerning the differentiation of the coagulation waveform is at least one selected from a maximum coagulation speed |min 1| or a maximum coagulation deceleration (|max 2|),
• obtain the estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen in the blood specimen based on the obtained value of the parameter or the total reaction time, using a calibration curve or a regression equation of the calibration curve, wherein the calibration curve is created based on plots of the differentiation parameter or total reaction time vs. an amount of antigen of fibrinogen determined by the immunological measurement for a plurality of normal specimens,
• obtain the active concentration of fibrinogen in the blood specimen based on the coagulation time, using one of a calibration curve, a conversion table or a conversion equation defining a correlation of an active concentration of fibrinogen and a coagulation time, and
• obtain the information concerning the function of fibrinogen by comparing the estimated amount of antigen of fibrinogen and the active concentration of fibrinogen in the blood specimen.