Collection tubes appratus, systems, and methods
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorJane Emerson
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Abstract
Methods of producing collection tubes are presented. The methods include providing a separator substance that can rapidly polymerize in a short time to a desired hardness and disposing the separator substance within the lumen of the tube. The separator substance is formulated to have a density between an average density of a serum fraction of whole blood and a cell-containing fraction of whole blood, and to be flowable with whole blood. Upon centrifugation of a tube having blood, the separator substance forms a barrier between the whole blood fractions. The barrier rapidly hardens forming a solid barrier when triggered by a suitable energy source.
Claims17
A method of separating blood comprising:
- providing access to a blood collecting tube containing a separator substance that polymerizes within 10 minutes to at least 1 on the Shore 00 hardness scale when triggered by a suitable energy source;
- disposing whole blood into the blood collection tube;
- separating the whole blood into a serum fraction and a cell containing fraction separated by the separator substance;
- and
- exposing the separator substance after separation to an energy source triggering polymerization of the separator substance within 10 minutes to at least 1 on the Shore 00 hardness scale.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.