Body fluid testing system and process
OwnerVincent Lupicainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laboratory mixing apparatus for the testing of blood or other liquids includes a prescored capillary pipette to accurately measure the fluid, a centrifuge and a pipette breaking device. The pipette is secured to a squeeze bulb which ejects the fluid, after being centrifuged, into the top cell of a multi-celled container. The container is positioned in the mixing apparatus and automatically, in selected timed sequence, if needed, warmed and agitated and the membrane between cells is automatically ruptured.
Claims4
A mixing apparatus for the automatic testing of body fluids, including:
- an accurately prescored capillary pipette for drawing off body fluids, said pipette, when filled with body fluid, centrifuged and broken along said scoring line, having an accurate and predetermined volume of fluid retained in the upper portion of said pipette;
- at least one multi-celled liquid-impermeable container having individual cells and a liquid-impermeable membrane sealing between individual cells;
- a base, means on said base to removably position the container relative to the base;
- means on said base for rupturing said membrane;
- motor means on said base for moving said rupturing means to rupture said membrane;
- means on said base for agitating and mixing solutions in cells of said container, means on said base for regulating the temperature of said container;
- means on said base for centrifuging the contents of said pipette before said pipette is broken along said score line;
- means on said base for accurately and reproducibly breaking said pipette along said score line;
- and a timing mechanism connected to and regulating each of the motor means, agitator means and temperature regulation means.
A process for performing tests upon body fluids comprising the following steps in sequence:
- collecting body fluid in an accurately prescored capillary micropipette having opposed open ends and a squeeze bulb fluid ejecting means at one of its ends;
- stopping an end of said pipette;
- centrifuging said pipette;
- breaking off said pipette at its score line to yield an accurate and predetermined volume of fluid retained in said pipette above said score line;
- transferring said predetermined volume of fluid to the uppermost cell of a multi-celled stacked container with each cell having therein a pre-measured test reagent, and said container having rupturable liquid-impermeable membranes between said cells;
- said transfer occurring by squeezing said squeeze bulb and thereby injecting said fluid into said uppermost cell;
- agitating the contents of said container;
- rupturing the membrane between the uppermost cell and the next cell, thus causing the fluid and reagent in the first cell to mix with the reagent in the next cell;
- agitating the resulting mixture, and performing a test on the resulting fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.