Blood sample holder for spectroscopic analysis

A sample holder comprising:

• a housing having a width dimension and a depth dimension orthogonal to the width dimension;
• an inlet opening in the housing for receiving blood to be analyzed, the inlet opening having an inlet opening depth parallel to the depth dimension;
• an inlet chamber disposed between the inlet opening and an inlet transition chamber, the inlet transition chamber comprising an inlet transition chamber opening for receiving the blood from the inlet chamber, and the inlet transition chamber opening having an inlet transition chamber opening width parallel to the width dimension;
• an optical chamber, in the housing, defining a void for receiving the blood from the inlet transition chamber, the optical chamber comprising at least one optical window for spectroscopic analysis of the blood, an optical chamber depth extending from the at least one optical window parallel to the depth dimension, and an optical chamber width parallel to the width dimension;
• and
• an outlet vent, in the housing and fluidly connected to the optical chamber, to provide an outflow path for air, wherein
• the inlet opening depth is larger than the optical chamber depth and the inlet transition chamber opening width is smaller than the optical chamber width.

A sample holder assembly comprising:

• a sample holder, the sample holder comprising:
• a housing having a width dimension and a depth dimension orthogonal to the width dimension;
• one of a male and a female inlet chamber for receiving blood to be analyzed;
• an optical chamber, in the housing, defining a void for receiving the blood from the one of a male and a female inlet chamber, the optical chamber having at least one optical window for spectroscopic analysis of the blood, an optical chamber depth extending from the at least one optical window parallel to the depth dimension, and an optical chamber width parallel to the width dimension;
• and
• an outlet vent in the housing and fluidly connected to the optical chamber, to provide an outflow path for air;
• and
• an adaptor, the adaptor comprising:
• an adaptor inlet opening for receiving blood to be analyzed, the adaptor inlet opening having an adaptor inlet opening depth parallel to the depth dimension, and an adaptor inlet opening width parallel to the width dimension, wherein the adaptor is fluidly connected to the one of a male and a female inlet chamber to receive the blood from a source, wherein
• the adaptor inlet opening depth is larger than the optical chamber depth and the adaptor inlet opening width is smaller than the optical chamber width.

A sample holder assembly comprising:

• a sample holder, the sample holder comprising:
• a housing having a width dimension and a depth dimension orthogonal to the width dimension;
• one of a male and a female inlet chamber for receiving blood to be analyzed;
• an inlet transition chamber in the housing for receiving the blood from the one of a male and a female inlet chamber via an inlet transition chamber opening having an inlet transition chamber opening width parallel to the width dimension;
• an optical chamber, in the housing, defining a void for receiving the blood from the inlet transition chamber, the optical chamber having at least one optical window for spectroscopic analysis of the blood, an optical chamber depth extending from the at least one optical window parallel to the depth dimension, and an optical chamber width parallel to the width dimension;
• and
• an outlet vent in the housing and fluidly connected to the optical chamber, to provide an outflow path for air;
• and
• an adaptor, the adaptor comprising:
• an adaptor inlet opening, wherein the adaptor inlet opening is fluidly connected to the inlet transition chamber opening to receive the blood from a source, the adaptor inlet opening having an adaptor inlet opening depth parallel to the depth dimension;
• and
• an adaptor inlet chamber disposed between the adaptor inlet opening and the inlet transition chamber opening, wherein
• the adaptor inlet opening depth is larger than the optical chamber depth and the inlet transition chamber opening width is smaller than the optical chamber width.