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AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsMichael M. Green, Douglas D. Nippoldt, William D. Zillmann, Brent E. Wallace, Jeff N. Rejent
Estimating the term…
Improved methods and apparatus that make more accurate and reduces risk of filling reaction chambers of cartridge cells with blood samples to conduct blood coagulation tests of the type employing the plunger technique are disclosed. A cartridge holder is provided that secures a test cartridge in a fixed upright position and deflects the plunger flag of each cartridge cell to enable manual insertion of a blood dispenser deeply into the reaction chamber to fill the reaction chamber and avoid contamination of surfaces of the cartridge outside the reaction chamber. Preferably, the cartridge holder provides illumination of the reaction chamber during filling, so that the user can judge when the reaction chamber is properly filled with blood dispensed from the blood dispenser. The cartridge holder may incorporate image magnification to facilitate viewing of the reaction chamber as it is filled.
A cartridge holder for facilitating filling of at least one cartridge cell of a test cartridge with a blood sample dispensed from a blood sample dispenser through an upper end opening of a reaction chamber of the cartridge cell for conducting a blood coagulation test, the cartridge cell being of the type employing a plunger that is lifted during mixture of the blood sample with a reagent by engagement of a lift mechanism with a plunger upper end that extends from the cartridge cell, the cartridge holder further comprising:
A cartridge holder for facilitating filling of at least one cartridge cell of a test cartridge having at least two elongated cartridge cells arranged side-by-side with a blood sample dispensed from a blood sample dispenser through an upper end opening of a reaction chamber of each cartridge cell for conducting a blood coagulation test, the cartridge cell being of the type employing a plunger in each cartridge cell that is lifted during mixture of the blood sample with a reagent by engagement of a lift mechanism with a plunger upper end that extends from the cartridge cell, the cartridge holder further comprising:
A method of filling a reaction chamber of at least one cartridge cell of a test cartridge with a blood sample through an upper end opening of the reaction chamber for conducting a blood coagulation test, the cartridge cell being of the type employing a plunger that is lifted during mixture of the blood sample with a reagent by engagement of a lift mechanism with a plunger upper end that extends from the cartridge cell, the cartridge holder further comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.