Patent ID: 9103759
Filing Date: 2015-08-11
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of performing a nucleated red blood cell (nRBC) analysis with an automated hematology analyzer, the method comprising: (a) diluting a sample of whole blood containing a plurality of nRBCs and lymphocytes with a reagent, wherein the reagent includes a red blood cell (RBC) lysing agent and a cell membrane permeable, nucleic acid binding fluorescent dye; (b) incubating the diluted blood sample of step (a) for an incubation period of time; (c) delivering the incubated sample from step (b) to a flow cell in the hematology analyzer; (d) exciting the incubated sample from step (c) with an excitation source as the incubated sample traverses the flow cell; (e) collecting a plurality of light scatter signals and a fluorescence emission signal from the excited sample; (f) prior to performing an nRBC differential analysis, excluding nuclei-free particles and retaining nuclei-containing particles using only a fluorescence trigger configured in the hematology analyzer and that is limited to fluorescence emission signals and is set to a fluorescence magnitude that is greater than fluorescence emission signals from RBCs, including RBC fragments, and is less than fluorescence emission signals from white blood cells (WBCs) and nRBCs; and (g) performing the nRBC analysis on the nuclei-containing particles collected in step (f).