Rapid mobile screening and triage for infections and infection severity

A portable apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• a hematology analyzer in communication with the processor;
• and
• a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving from the hematology analyzer, a stack of serial focal plane images of a blood sample in a chamber from a plurality of fields of view of the chamber;
• creating a virtual three dimensional image of the blood sample from selected ones of the stacks of serial focal plane images;
• and
• analyzing the virtual three dimensional image to identify blood formed elements within the blood sample;
• wherein
• analyzing the virtual three dimensional image to identify blood formed elements within the blood sample comprises identifying a type and amount of white blood cells;
• and/or
• analyzing the virtual three dimensional image to identify blood formed elements within the blood sample comprises identifying an amount of red blood cells and/or hematocrit;
• and/or
• analyzing the virtual three dimensional image to identify blood formed elements within the blood sample comprises identifying an amount of platelets;
• and/or
• analyzing the virtual three dimensional image to identify blood formed elements within the blood sample comprises determining numbers and percentage by volume in the blood sample of one or more types of white blood cells.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a non-transitory, machine-readable memory having instructions recorded thereon that, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving from a hematology analyzer, a stack of serial focal plane images of a subject's blood sample in a chamber from a plurality of fields of view of the chamber;
• creating a virtual three dimensional image of the blood sample from selected ones of the stacks of serial focal plane images;
• and
• analyzing the virtual three dimensional image to identify blood formed elements within the blood sample;
• wherein:
• the machine readable memory has instructions recorded thereon that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to identify a type and amount of white blood cells;
• and/or
• the machine readable memory has instructions recorded thereon that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to identify an amount of red blood cells and/or hematocrit;
• and/or
• the machine readable memory has instructions recorded thereon that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to identify an amount of platelets;
• and/or
• the machine readable memory has instructions recorded thereon that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to determine numbers and percentage by volume in the blood sample of one or more types of white blood cells.