Blood sample management using open cell foam
AssigneeBecton, Dickinson and Company
InventorsMilan Ivosevic, Alexander James Blake, Ryan W. Muthard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A specimen mixing and transfer device adapted to receive a sample is disclosed. The specimen mixing and transfer device includes a housing, a material including pores that is disposed within the housing, and a dry anticoagulant powder within the pores of the material. In one embodiment, the material is a sponge material. In other embodiments, the material is an open cell foam. In one embodiment, the material is treated with an anticoagulant to form a dry anticoagulant powder finely distributed throughout the pores of the material. A blood sample may be received within the specimen mixing and transfer device. The blood sample is exposed to and mixes with the anticoagulant powder while passing through the material.
Claims6
A specimen mixing and transfer device adapted to receive a sample, comprising:
- a housing having a first end comprising an inlet, a second end comprising an outlet, a sidewall extending therebetween, and a mixing chamber,
- an inlet channel in fluid communication with the inlet and the mixing chamber, and
- an outlet channel in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and the outlet, and
- a mixing obstacle extending through a thickness of the mixing chamber, in a direction perpendicular to the flow path of the blood sample,
- wherein the inlet channel branches into a first flow channel and a second flow channel in the mixing chamber, wherein the first flow channel and the second flow channel both flow into the outlet channel,
- wherein an interior surface of a wall of the first flow channel and an interior surface of a wall of the second flow channel are configured to receive the dry anticoagulant powder, and
- wherein the mixing chamber is configured to act as a flow-through chamber for effective mixing of the sample with the dry anticoagulant powder with the sample received within the device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.