Instrument and method for blood separation, and preparing method, quantifying method and preserving container for biological sample

A blood separating instrument comprising:

• a main container body having a blood collection container portion for containing collected blood, a blood plasma collection container attaching/detaching portion in communication with a blood discharging section of said blood collection container portion, and a blood cell collection container attaching/detaching portion whose blood cell introducing section is in communication with said blood plasma collection container attaching/detaching portion;
• a push-in cap having a push-in section which is adapted to be fittingly inserted into said blood collection container portion;
• a blood plasma collection container detachably connected with said blood plasma collection container attaching/detaching portion and containing a predetermined amount of blood plasma dilution;
• a blood cell collection container detachably connected with said blood cell collection container attaching/detaching portion and containing a predetermined amount of blood cell protective solvent;
• and
• an ultrafiltration element for separating the blood cell and the blood plasma in said blood;
• wherein said ultrafiltration element has a group of capillaries made of filter paper each having one end in communication with said blood discharging section of said blood collection container portion and the other end in communication with said blood cell introducing section of said blood cell collection container, said capillary having a plurality of perforations formed through a wall thereof, each of said perforation having a size to allow the blood plasma to pass therethrough but to prevent the blood cell from passing therethrough;
• said instrument characterized in that the blood in said blood collection container portion is introduced into said ultrafiltration element by a pushing-in motion of said push-in cap, and the blood plasma in said blood moves through said perforations of said ultrafiltration element to be separately contained in said blood plasma collection container.

A blood separating method comprising the steps of:

• collecting blood into a blood collection means;
• applying a pressure to said blood by a pressure applying means to introduce said blood into a filtration means whose one end communicates with a blood discharging section of said blood collection means;
• containing blood plasma in said blood into a blood plasma collection means through perforations formed through a wall of said filtration means;
• and
• making blood cell in said blood flow through said filtration means to be contained into a blood cell collection means through a blood cell introducing section of said blood cell collection means with which the other end of said ultrafiltration element communicates.

A blood separating method comprising the steps of:

• collecting blood into a blood collection container portion of a main container body;
• fittingly inserting and pushing-in a push-in cap into said blood collection container portion immediately after said collecting step to introduce said blood into a capillary of an ultrafiltration element whose one end communicates with a blood discharging section of said blood collection container portion;
• dissolving blood plasma in said blood through perforations formed through a wall of said capillary into blood plasma dilution contained in a blood plasma collection container connected air-tightly with said main container body;
• and
• making blood cell in said blood flow through said ultrafiltration element to be mixed into blood cell protective solvent contained in a blood cell collection container connected air-tightly with said main container body through a blood cell introducing section of said blood cell collection container with which the other end of said ultrafiltration element communicates.

A quantifying method for quantifying elements to be quantified in a biological sample, said method comprising the steps of:

• 1) preparing a sample for quantification composed of an unknown volume of biological sample containing elements to be quantified, which has been collected without quantifying a volume thereof, and a specified volume of aqueous solution containing a specified amount of indicating material;
• 2) determining a dilution ratio (a) of said biological sample from a concentration (C1) of the indicating material in said specified volume of aqueous solution containing said specified amount of indicating material and a concentration (C2) of the indicating material in said sample for quantification;
• 3) determining a concentration (Y) of the elements to be quantified in said sample for quantification;
• and
• 4) determining the elements to be quantified in the biological sample based on the dilution ratio (a) of the biological sample determined in the step 2) and said concentration (Y) of the elements to be quantified in the sample for quantification determined in the step 3).