Patent ID: 8158439

Claim:
A blood analyzer comprising: a sample preparation section for preparing a measurement sample from an undiluted blood in a sample container and a reagent; a detector comprising a flow cell for passing the measurement sample prepared by the sample preparation section and detecting blood components contained in the measurement sample passing through the flow cell; a process control system having a command mode input configured to specify a first operating mode or a second operating mode; and a controller in communication with the sample preparation section and configured to carry out the first operating mode or the second operating mode, where 1) in the first operating mode, the controller controls the sample preparation section so as to obtain a first amount of the undiluted blood from the sample container, and prepare a first measurement sample of a first dilution ratio, and the detector detects blood components contained in a first amount of the first measurement sample; and 2) in the second operating mode, the controller controls the sample preparation section so as to obtain a second amount of the undiluted blood from a sample container, the second amount of the undiluted blood being less than the first amount of the undiluted sample, and prepare a second measurement sample of a second dilution ratio higher than the first dilution ratio, and the detector detects blood components contained in a second amount of the second measurement sample larger than the first amount of the first measurement sample.