Patent ID: 7405082

Claim:
A method for measuring a reticulocyte comprising: (a) preparing a measurement sample by mixing a reticulocyte measurement reagent and a whole blood sample from a subject; (b) introducing the measurement sample into a flow cell of a flow cytometer; (c) irradiating cells in the measurement sample flowing in the flow cell with an excitation light; (d) detecting scattering light and fluorescent light emitted from the cells; (e) making a two-dimensional distribution diagram having two axes corresponding to forward scattering light intensity and fluorescent light intensity, respectively; (f) specifying a mature red blood cell region and a reticulocyte region in the two-dimensional distribution diagram; (g) calculating a first mean forward scattering light intensity in the reticulocyte region; (h) calculating a second mean forward scattering light intensity by performing (a) through (g) using a whole blood sample taken from the subject after a period of time and after administration of a therapeutic agent for anemia to the subject; (i) detecting a difference between the first and the second mean forward scattering light intensities; and (j) outputting monitoring information of a therapeutic effect of the agent on anemia based on the difference.