Method for determining concentration of sample-containing liquid

Abstract

To provide a simple method for determining the concentration of a sample-containing liquid, which suppresses variations in concentration and is not affected by variations in transmittance of a container in which the sample-containing liquid is stored.SOLUTION: The method includes a step of centrifuging a sample-containing liquid, a step of acquiring a post-centrifugation color shade value for a supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, a step of stirring the sample-containing liquid, a step of acquiring a post-stirring color shade value for the sample-containing liquid by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, and a step of acquiring a concentration determination value that is a difference between the post-centrifugation color shade value and the post-stirring color shade value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for determining the concentration of a liquid containing a sample. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a cell suspension in which cells serving as a sample to be tested are suspended in a fixative, if the number of cells in the cell suspension is small, the number of subsequent tests will be reduced. Conversely, if the number of cells in the cell suspension is too large, there will be more overlapping areas between chromosomes and other cells when the cell suspension is spread on a glass slide, and this overlapping will reduce the number of chromosomes that can be observed.

[0003] Therefore, conventionally, for example, the number of cells in the cell suspension, in other words, the concentration of the cell suspension, has been adjusted as needed by a laboratory technician after visually checking the turbidity of the cell suspension. However, such an artificial procedure can result in variations in the concentration of the cell suspension after adjustment.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a cell count adjustment device that has an inlet for taking in a cell suspension containing cells at a high concentration and an outlet for discharging a cell suspension containing cells at a desired concentration lower than the concentration at the inlet, and a flow path that can hold the cell suspension between the inlet and outlet, and the flow path is equipped with a liquid delivery pump for moving the cell suspension inside, a cell count counter that collects data on the cell count concentration per unit amount of the cell suspension, and a diluent container that holds a diluent that is supplied to the flow path to dilute the cell suspension, and further includes a control unit that controls at least the liquid delivery pump based on data obtained by the cell count counter, and the control unit determines the amount of diluent required to adjust the cell count concentration to the desired concentration based on the data obtained from the cell count counter, and takes in the required amount of diluent into the flow path and drives the liquid delivery pump to mix the cell suspension with the diluent. Patent Document 1 uses a large-scale device, and obtains the cell concentration of a cell suspension by measuring the intensity of scattered or transmitted light irradiated onto the cell suspension using a cell counting instrument, but does not take into account variations in the transmittance of the container in which the cell suspension is stored. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 013394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method for determining the concentration of a sample-containing liquid, which reduces variations in concentration and is not affected by variations in the transmittance of a container containing the sample-containing liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A concentration determination method of a first aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising the steps of: placing a sample-containing liquid in a container; centrifuging the sample-containing liquid; acquiring a post-centrifugation color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after the centrifugation based on the transmittance when light is projected onto the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid using a sensor capable of measuring transmittance; stirring the sample-containing liquid; acquiring a post-stirring color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the sample-containing liquid after the stirring based on the transmittance when light is projected onto the sample-containing liquid after the stirring using a sensor capable of measuring transmittance; and acquiring a concentration determination value that is the difference between the post-centrifugation color shade value and the post-stirring color shade value.

[0008] A concentration determination method of a second aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising the steps of: placing a sample-containing liquid in a container; centrifuging the sample-containing liquid; acquiring a post-centrifugation color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after the centrifugation based on the transmittance when light is projected onto the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid using a sensor capable of measuring transmittance; stirring the sample-containing liquid; acquiring a post-stirring color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the sample-containing liquid after the stirring based on the transmittance when light is projected onto the sample-containing liquid after the stirring using a sensor capable of measuring transmittance; acquiring a concentration determination value that is the difference between the post-centrifugation color shade value and the post-stirring color shade value; and acquiring a visual evaluation classification value that visually evaluates the concentration of the sample-containing liquid;

[0009] The concentration determination method according to the third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the sample-containing liquid is a cell suspension. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is determined based on a value measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, thereby making it possible to suppress variations in the concentration of the sample-containing liquid caused by human work. Furthermore, the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is determined based on a concentration determination value, which is the difference between the post-centrifugation color density value, which is a numerical value obtained by quantifying the color density of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation, and the post-mixing color density value, which is a numerical value obtained by quantifying the color density of the sample-containing liquid after mixing.Therefore, even if there is variation in the transmittance of the container in which the sample-containing liquid is contained, the variation in the transmittance of the container can be eliminated, making it possible to more accurately determine the concentration of the sample-containing liquid.

[0011] According to the second aspect of the present invention, a centrifugation process, a post-centrifugation color density value acquisition process, a stirring process, a post-stirring color density value acquisition process, a concentration judgment value acquisition process, and a visual evaluation classification value acquisition process are each performed for a plurality of sample-containing liquids of the same type, and the concentration judgment values ​​and visual evaluation classification values ​​of each of the plurality of sample-containing liquids are matched, and the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is determined by comparing the concentration judgment values ​​and the visual evaluation classification values, thereby making it possible to improve the accuracy of concentration determination based on the concentration judgment values.

[0012] According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the sample-containing liquid is a cell suspension, it is possible to accurately and easily determine the concentration of the cell suspension, i.e., the number of cells in the cell suspension, and as a result, it is possible to effectively perform subsequent testing on the sample cells. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a post-centrifugation color shade value acquisition step of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a post-mixing color shade value acquisition step of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A concentration determination method of a first aspect of the present invention includes the steps of placing a sample-containing liquid in a container, centrifuging the sample-containing liquid, obtaining a post-centrifugation color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid based on the transmittance of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation when measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, stirring the sample-containing liquid, obtaining a post-stirring color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the sample-containing liquid after stirring based on the transmittance of the stirred sample-containing liquid when measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, and obtaining a concentration determination value that is the difference between the post-centrifugation color shade value and the post-stirring color shade value.

[0015] The sample-containing liquid of the present invention is a suspension in which solid particles of some sample substance are dispersed, and specifically, for example, a cell suspension in which cells are dispersed in a fixative such as Carnoy's solution.

[0016] Therefore, the sample of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, a cell. More specifically, the sample of the present invention is, for example, a cell obtained from peripheral blood or bone marrow fluid.

[0017] In the present invention, the container in which the sample-containing liquid is stored is not particularly limited, but is typically what is called a test tube or tube, made of resin such as transparent or translucent plastic, or glass.

[0018] In the concentration determination method of the present invention, a step of centrifuging the sample-containing liquid contained in a container is carried out. The centrifugal separator used here is not particularly limited, and a commercially available separator can be used. The conditions for centrifugation are also not particularly limited, and any conditions that allow the suspended sample and the solvent to be separated are sufficient, such as a gravitational acceleration of 322 m / s 2 Centrifuge at RT for 10 min.

[0019] Next, a process is carried out in which the color intensity value after centrifugation is obtained by quantifying the color intensity of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid based on the transmittance measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance. The sensor used here for measuring transmittance is not particularly limited, and commercially available fiber sensors such as optical fiber sensors, laser sensors, color sensors, photoelectric sensors, etc. can be used.

[0020] The following description will be given, as an example, focusing on the case where a fiber sensor is used as a sensor capable of measuring transmittance. The fiber sensor, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a light-projecting unit 5 and a light-receiving unit 6 arranged opposite each other, and light irradiated from the light-projecting unit 5 passes through the light-projecting side peripheral wall of the container 1, the supernatant 4 of the sample-containing liquid, and the light-receiving side peripheral wall of the container 1, and is received by the light-receiving unit 6. The fiber sensor measures the transmittance based on the intensity of the incident light irradiated by the light-projecting unit 5 and the intensity of the transmitted light received by the light-receiving unit 6. That is, for example, the transmittance is obtained by dividing the intensity of the transmitted light by the intensity of the incident light. Based on the measured transmittance, the fiber sensor obtains a post-centrifugation color shade value, which is a numerical value representing the color shade of the supernatant.

[0021] As the color density value after centrifugation, it is possible to use a numerical value that is uniquely presented by the fiber sensor used based on the transmittance, or it is also possible to use the transmittance value as is or a numerical value obtained by applying a predetermined calculation formula to the transmittance, such as a numerical value that takes into account the effect of refraction on the transmittance or a numerical value obtained by multiplying the transmittance by a predetermined constant.

[0022] The darker the color of the sample-containing liquid, the lower the transmittance of the incident light, and the lighter the color of the sample-containing liquid, the higher the transmittance of the incident light. Therefore, transmittance can be regarded as a measure of the color depth of the sample-containing liquid. Furthermore, the darker the color of the sample-containing liquid, the higher the sample content, i.e., the higher the concentration of the sample-containing liquid. The lighter the color of the sample-containing liquid, the lower the sample content, i.e., the lower the concentration of the sample-containing liquid. Therefore, transmittance can be regarded as a measure of the concentration of the sample-containing liquid.

[0023] Generally, if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high, the transmittance will be low, and if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low, the transmittance will be high. Therefore, the color density value after centrifugation may also be low if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high, and high if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low. However, since the fiber sensor used as an example of the present invention presents a numerical value that takes into account the effects of refraction, etc., the color density value after centrifugation differs from the general values ​​described above in that the higher the concentration of the sample-containing liquid, the higher the value, and the lower the value if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low. Note that, depending on the sensor capable of measuring transmittance used, as described above, the color density value after centrifugation may be low if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high, and high if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low.

[0024] In the process of acquiring the post-centrifugation color density value, the transmittance and post-centrifugation color density value of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation are acquired. The supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation is a low-concentration portion in which substantially no sample is present, so the transmittance generally has a high value. However, with the fiber sensor used as an example of the present invention, the post-centrifugation color density value is a relatively low numerical value.

[0025] Furthermore, in the present invention, a step of stirring the sample-containing liquid contained in the container is carried out. The stirring device used here is not particularly limited, and a commercially available device can be used. The stirring conditions are also not particularly limited, and stirring can be performed, for example, by vortex stirring at 1800 rpm for 5 seconds with an eccentricity of 3 mm.

[0026] Next, a process is carried out in which a post-stirring color intensity value is obtained by quantifying the color intensity of the post-stirring sample-containing liquid based on the transmittance of the post-stirring sample-containing liquid measured using a sensor capable of measuring transmittance. The sensor used here for measuring transmittance is not particularly limited, and commercially available fiber sensors such as optical fiber sensors, laser sensors, color sensors, photoelectric sensors, etc. can be used.

[0027] The following description will be given, as an example, focusing on the case where a fiber sensor is used as a sensor capable of measuring transmittance. The fiber sensor may be, and preferably is, the same as the fiber sensor used in the process of acquiring the post-centrifugation color density value. The fiber sensor includes a light-emitting unit 5 and a light-receiving unit 6 arranged opposite each other, as shown in FIG. 2, for example. Light emitted from the light-emitting unit 5 passes through the light-emitting side peripheral wall of the container 1, the sample-containing liquid 2, and the light-receiving side peripheral wall of the container 1, and is received by the light-receiving unit 6. The fiber sensor measures the transmittance based on the intensity of the incident light emitted by the light-emitting unit 5 and the intensity of the transmitted light received by the light-receiving unit 6. That is, for example, the transmittance is obtained by dividing the transmitted light intensity by the incident light intensity. Based on the measured transmittance, the fiber sensor acquires a post-mixing color density value, which is a numerical representation of the color density of the sample-containing liquid.

[0028] As the color intensity value after mixing, it is possible to use a numerical value that is uniquely presented by the fiber sensor used based on the transmittance, or it is possible to use the transmittance value as is or a numerical value obtained by applying a predetermined calculation formula to the transmittance, such as a numerical value that takes into account the effect of refraction on the transmittance or a numerical value obtained by multiplying the transmittance by a predetermined constant.

[0029] The darker the color of the sample-containing liquid, the lower the transmittance of the incident light, and the lighter the color of the sample-containing liquid, the higher the transmittance of the incident light. Therefore, transmittance can be regarded as a measure of the color depth of the sample-containing liquid. Furthermore, the darker the color of the sample-containing liquid, the higher the sample content, i.e., the higher the concentration of the sample-containing liquid. The lighter the color of the sample-containing liquid, the lower the sample content, i.e., the lower the concentration of the sample-containing liquid. Therefore, transmittance can be regarded as a measure of the concentration of the sample-containing liquid.

[0030] Generally, if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high, the transmittance will be low, and if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low, the transmittance will be high. Therefore, the color intensity value after stirring may also be low if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high, and high if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low. However, since the fiber sensor used as an example of the present invention presents a numerical value that takes into account the effects of refraction, etc., the color density value after mixing differs from the general values ​​described above in that the higher the concentration of the sample-containing liquid, the higher the value, and the lower the value if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low. Note that, depending on the sensor capable of measuring transmittance used, as described above, the color density value after mixing may be low if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high and high if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low.

[0031] In the process of acquiring the post-mixing color density value, the transmittance and post-mixing color density value of the sample-containing liquid after mixing are acquired. Since the sample is present in the sample-containing liquid after mixing, the concentration is relatively high, and therefore the transmittance generally has a low value. However, with the fiber sensor used as an example of the present invention, the post-mixing color density value is a relatively high numerical value.

[0032] In the present invention, the order of the step of centrifuging the sample-containing liquid and the step of acquiring a post-centrifugation color shade value, which quantifies the color shade of the supernatant portion based on the transmittance of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation, measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, and the step of stirring the sample-containing liquid and acquiring a post-stirring color shade value, which quantifies the color shade of the sample-containing liquid after stirring, based on the transmittance of the sample-containing liquid after stirring, measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, does not necessarily have to be as stated above. It is also possible to first perform the step of stirring the sample-containing liquid and the step of acquiring a post-stirring color shade value, which quantifies the color shade of the sample-containing liquid after stirring, based on the transmittance of the sample-containing liquid after stirring, measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, and then perform the step of centrifuging the sample-containing liquid and the step of acquiring a post-centrifugation color shade value, which quantifies the color shade of the supernatant portion based on the transmittance of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation, measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance.

[0033] Here, if the transmittance or post-stirring color density value of the sample-containing liquid after stirring is obtained, the concentration of the sample-containing liquid can be determined. However, the transmittance of the container that contains the sample-containing liquid, specifically the peripheral wall of the container, varies even among containers of the same type. Therefore, simply obtaining the transmittance or post-stirring color density value of the sample-containing liquid after stirring may not accurately determine the concentration of the sample-containing liquid due to the influence of the variation in the transmittance of the container.

[0034] Therefore, in the present invention, a step of acquiring a concentration judgment value, which is the difference between the post-centrifugation color shade value and the post-stirring color shade value, is carried out. The concentration judgment value is acquired by subtracting the post-stirring color shade value from the post-centrifugation color shade value, or by subtracting the post-stirring color shade value from the post-centrifugation color shade value. The following generally describes the case where the concentration judgment value is acquired by subtracting the post-stirring color shade value from the post-centrifugation color shade value. Regardless of the method used to acquire the concentration judgment value, the concentration can be determined based on the magnitude of the difference between the post-centrifugation color shade value and the post-stirring color shade value, as will be described later, and therefore, this method is applicable to the present invention. For example, if the transmittance of the supernatant of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation is 70 and the transmittance of the container is X, the color density value after centrifugation can be expressed as 70+X. If the transmittance of the sample-containing liquid after stirring is 90 and the transmittance of the container is X, the color density value after stirring can be expressed as 90+X. Here, the transmittance of a container varies among individual containers, even if they are the same type, and the value of X varies depending on the individual container. Therefore, the value of 90+X after mixing varies, and the concentration of the sample-containing liquid may not be accurately determined. On the other hand, the difference between the color density value after centrifugation and the color density value after stirring can be obtained, for example, by subtracting the color density value after stirring from the color density value after centrifugation, i.e., by using the formula (70+X)-(90+X), a constant value of -20 can be obtained. By eliminating the variable value X due to variations in the transmittance of the container, the concentration of the sample-containing liquid can be determined more accurately.

[0035] As described above, with the fiber sensor used as an example of the present invention, the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value are higher when the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high, and lower when the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low. The post-centrifugation color density value is a relatively low value because it is a value for the supernatant portion with a low concentration, while the post-stirring color density value is a relatively high value because it is a value for the portion where the sample is present. Since the concentration determination value is the difference between the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value, if the concentration determination value is large (including large negative values), the difference between the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value is large, and it is possible to determine that the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high. Conversely, if the concentration determination value is small (including small negative values), the difference between the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value is small, and it is possible to determine that the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low.

[0036] As described above, generally, if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high, the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value will be low, and if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low, the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value will be high. On the other hand, the fiber sensor used as an example of the present invention presents numerical values ​​that take into account the effects of refraction, etc., and therefore, unlike general values, the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value will be high if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is high and low if the concentration of the sample-containing liquid is low. Therefore, depending on the sensor capable of measuring transmittance used, the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value may show opposite values ​​depending on the concentration of the sample-containing liquid. However, as described above, the concentration determination value is the difference between the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value, and is a numerical value that allows the concentration of the sample-containing liquid to be determined based on the magnitude of the difference between the two. Therefore, the present invention is applicable even if the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value vary depending on the sensor capable of measuring transmittance used.

[0037] A concentration determination method of a second aspect of the present invention includes the steps of placing a sample-containing liquid in a container, centrifuging the sample-containing liquid, acquiring a post-centrifugation color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid based on the transmittance of the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after centrifugation when measured with a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, stirring the sample-containing liquid, acquiring a post-stirring color shade value that quantifies the color shade of the sample-containing liquid after stirring based on the transmittance of the stirred sample-containing liquid when measured with a sensor capable of measuring transmittance, acquiring a concentration determination value that is the difference between the post-centrifugation color shade value and the post-stirring color shade value, and acquiring a visual evaluation classification value that visually evaluates the concentration of the sample-containing liquid, for each of a plurality of sample-containing liquids of the same type, and associating the concentration determination value and the visual evaluation classification value for each of the plurality of sample-containing liquids.

[0038] The centrifugal separation step, post-centrifugation color shading value acquisition step, stirring step, post-stirring color shading value acquisition step, and concentration judgment value acquisition step in the second embodiment can be carried out in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0039] The process of obtaining a visual evaluation classification value obtained by visually evaluating the concentration of a sample-containing liquid involves first evaluating the concentration of the sample-containing liquid by, for example, having a laboratory technician visually check the turbidity and color depth of the sample-containing liquid when the sample-containing liquid is placed in a container or spread on a glass slide. Next, based on this evaluation, the sample-containing liquid is assigned a visual evaluation classification value such as "low" (concentration too low), "good" (concentration appropriate), or "high" (concentration too high). That is, the visual evaluation classification value is data obtained by visually checking the concentration of the sample-containing liquid and evaluating and classifying its suitability as a sample-containing liquid. The visual evaluation classification value is not limited to these three-level classifications; it is also possible to use a four-level classification that includes "very high," or visual evaluation classification values ​​based on other classification methods.

[0040] In the concentration determination method of the second aspect of the present invention, a centrifugation process, a post-centrifugation color shade value acquisition process, a stirring process, a post-stirring color shade value acquisition process, a concentration determination value acquisition process, and a visual evaluation classification value acquisition process are each performed on multiple sample-containing liquids of the same type.

[0041] Here, the order in which (A) the centrifugation process and post-centrifugation color shade value acquisition process, (B) the stirring process and post-stirring color shade value acquisition process, (C) the concentration judgment value acquisition process, and (D) the visual evaluation classification value acquisition process are performed does not necessarily have to be as stated above. For example, the (D) visual evaluation classification value acquisition process may be performed first, followed by (A) the centrifugation process, post-centrifugation color shade value acquisition process, (B) the stirring process, post-stirring color shade value acquisition process, and (C) the concentration judgment value acquisition process. That is, (A) the centrifugation process and post-centrifugation color shade value acquisition process must be performed after the centrifugation process, (B) the stirring process and post-stirring color shade value acquisition process must be performed after the stirring process, but the order of (A) and (B) is arbitrary, (C) the concentration judgment value acquisition process must be performed after (A) and (B), but the order of (D) and (D) is arbitrary, and the order of (D) and (A) and (B) is also arbitrary.

[0042] In the concentration determination method of the second aspect of the present invention, a step of associating the concentration determination values ​​of each of a plurality of sample-containing liquids with the visual evaluation category values ​​is carried out. By associating the concentration determination values ​​of each of a plurality of sample-containing liquids with the visual evaluation category values, it is possible to know which concentration determination value corresponds to which visual evaluation category value, for example, "low," "good," or "high," thereby improving the accuracy of concentration determination based on the concentration determination values. Here, the sample-containing liquid having a concentration determination value corresponding to the visual evaluation classification value "good" has an appropriate concentration as a sample-containing liquid, and can be used as is for subsequent testing, etc. On the other hand, the sample-containing liquid having a concentration determination value corresponding to the visual evaluation classification value "low" has a low concentration as a sample-containing liquid, and therefore the supernatant of the sample-containing liquid can be aspirated appropriately to concentrate the concentration of the sample-containing liquid, and the sample-containing liquid having a concentration determination value corresponding to the visual evaluation classification value "high" has a high concentration as a sample-containing liquid, and therefore the concentration of the sample-containing liquid can be diluted by injecting a fixative into the sample-containing liquid, and can be used for subsequent testing, etc. Furthermore, if a certain amount of concentration judgment values, visual evaluation classification values, and correspondence information between them is collected, it will be possible to perform highly accurate concentration judgments for the same type of sample-containing liquid by simply performing the concentration judgment method of the first aspect of the present invention to obtain concentration judgment values, and comparing them with the collected concentration judgment values, visual evaluation classification values, and correspondence information between them.

[0043] In the concentration determination method of the third aspect of the present invention, the sample-containing liquid is a cell suspension. Specifically, it is a cell suspension obtained by suspending cells obtained from, for example, peripheral blood or bone marrow fluid in a fixative such as Carnoy's solution. This makes it possible to accurately and easily determine the concentration of the cell suspension, i.e., the number of cells in the cell suspension, and as a result, makes it possible to effectively perform subsequent testing of the sample cells. [Example]

[0044] Four sample-containing solutions (samples A, B, C, and D) were prepared by suspending cells collected from peripheral blood in Carnoy's solution, and each was placed in the same type of tube. Each sample-containing solution was centrifuged at 1200 rpm for 10 minutes using a centrifugal separator. For the supernatant of each sample-containing liquid after each centrifugation, a post-centrifugation color density value based on transmittance was obtained using a fiber sensor manufactured by Keyence Corporation. Furthermore, each sample-containing solution was stirred at 1300 rpm for 5 seconds using a vortex stirrer. For each sample-containing liquid after stirring, a post-stirring color density value based on transmittance was obtained using a fiber sensor manufactured by Keyence Corporation. The concentration value of each sample-containing liquid was obtained by subtracting the color density value after stirring from the color density value after centrifugation of each sample-containing liquid. The sample-containing liquid was spread on a glass slide, and a laboratory technician visually evaluated the concentration of each sample-containing liquid based on the turbidity and color intensity of each sample-containing liquid, and assigned a visual evaluation classification value to each sample-containing liquid. Table 1 shows the color density values ​​after centrifugation, color density values ​​after stirring, concentration judgment values, and visual evaluation classification values ​​for each sample-containing liquid.

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] As shown in Table 1, the concentration judgment values ​​for samples A, B, C, and D were "-284," "-1485," "-2365," and "-708," respectively, and the visual evaluation classification values ​​were "low," "high," "very high," and "good." Therefore, it was determined that sample D can be used for testing as is, while sample A has a low concentration, so it is necessary to aspirate the supernatant of sample A and concentrate it to increase the concentration, and that samples C and D have a high concentration, so it is necessary to inject a fixative into them to dilute their concentrations.

[0047] The concentration judgment values ​​of samples A, B, C, and D, "-284," "-1485," "-2365," and "-708," correspond to the visual evaluation classification values ​​of samples A, B, C, and D, "low," "high," "very high," and "good," respectively. Therefore, when judging the concentration of samples of the same type, by obtaining the concentration judgment value, it is possible to judge that the concentration is good if the concentration judgment value is a number around "-708," for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 container 2. Sample-containing liquid 3 Sample 4. Supernatant 5 Light projector 6 Light receiving part

Claims

1. placing a sample-containing liquid in a container; centrifuging the sample-containing liquid; a step of acquiring a post-centrifugation color density value by quantifying the color density of the supernatant portion based on the transmittance measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance for the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after the centrifugation; agitating the sample-containing liquid; a step of acquiring a post-stirring color density value that quantifies the color density of the sample-containing liquid after stirring based on the transmittance measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance of the sample-containing liquid after stirring; obtaining a concentration determination value that is a difference between the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value; A method for determining the concentration of a sample-containing liquid, comprising:

2. placing a sample-containing liquid in a container; centrifuging the sample-containing liquid; a step of acquiring a post-centrifugation color density value by quantifying the color density of the supernatant portion based on the transmittance measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance for the supernatant portion of the sample-containing liquid after the centrifugation; agitating the sample-containing liquid; a step of acquiring a post-stirring color density value that quantifies the color density of the sample-containing liquid after stirring based on the transmittance measured by a sensor capable of measuring transmittance of the sample-containing liquid after stirring; obtaining a concentration determination value that is a difference between the post-centrifugation color density value and the post-stirring color density value; A step of visually evaluating the concentration of the sample-containing liquid and obtaining a visual evaluation classification value, a step of carrying out the test for each of a plurality of sample-containing liquids of the same type; a step of associating the concentration determination values ​​of each of the plurality of sample-containing liquids with visual evaluation classification values; A method for determining the concentration of a sample-containing liquid, comprising:

3. 3. The method for determining the concentration of a sample-containing liquid according to claim 1, wherein the sample-containing liquid is a cell suspension.

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