Blood viscosity instrument

Blood viscosity measuring apparatus comprising in combination,

• a hypodermic syringe for withdrawing a predetermined quantity of blood from a living body, said hypodermic syringe having a needle for entering a patient's body, a hypodermic plunger piston and a hollow body member for receiving said predetermined quantity of a patient's blood,
• weight member in said hollow body member, said weight member having at least one elongated passageway therein adapted to permit said predetermined quantity of blood to relatively move from one known position in said hollow body member to another position through said at least one elongated passageway at a rate determined by the viscosity of said blood,
• said elongated passageway being defined by constricted passageway means formed in said hypodermic plunger piston, and check valve means for sealing said constricted passageway during the withdrawal of blood from said patient's body and permitting blood to flow through said constricted passageway during relative flow of said blood between said positions
• timer means,
• means for starting said timer means when said predetermined quantity of blood is at said one known position and stopping said timer means when said predetermined quantity of blood is at said another position,
• display means for displaying the time of relative movement of said predetermined quantity of blood between said positions as a measure of the viscosity of said blood from said patient's body.