US 4,378,333 AGranted

Device for preparing blood smears on glass slides and method therefor

OwnerThomas C. Laipplyinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An integral device for preparing a smear of blood or other sample on a glass slide or other surface is disclosed. The device includes as an operatively integral structure an elongate reservoir having a tip at one end for drawing blood into the reservoir, for example by capillary action or aspiration, and delivering controlled quantities of blood from the reservoir to a slide. Attached to the opposite end of the reservoir a smearing device has an edge cooperable with the surface of the slide to smear blood deposited by the tip. Using the device, a person would manually hold the same in position to draw blood via the tip into the reservoir, would then manipulate the device to deposit a quantity of blood onto the surface of a slide, and while still holding the device would turn the same to place the smearing edge in contact with the slide and would effect relative movement therebetween to smear the blood.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A device for preparing sample smears on a flat surface comprising as an operatively integral structure drawing means for drawing a quantity of sample from a supply thereof and for depositing a controlled quantity of such sample onto such surface for smearing thereon, an elongate tubular body having a hollow interior, said drawing means comprising means for drawing sample into said hollow interior, inlet/outlet means at one end of said tubular body for passing sample into and out from said hollow interior, smearing means for spreading on such surface such deposited controlled quantity of sample, said smearing means comprising a relatively rigid smearing body and a continuous linear edge configured to conform to such surface for intimate engagement therewith to spread such sample on such surface in a substantially uniform manner, and said smearing means being attached to the end of said tubular body opposite the end at which said inlet/outlet means is located and separate from said drawing means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.