Serum separation blood collection tube and the method of using thereof

A medical apparatus for collecting a multiphase fluid and for separating and partitioning said fluid into lighter and heavier phases, comprising:

• a container having sidewalls and an open end with an access means thereon for the receipt of a collected fluid therein;
• a partitioning agent being chemically insert to the lighter phase of the collected fluid and having a specific gravity between the specific gravities of the lighter phase and the heavier phase of the collected fluid, said partitioning agent being formed of a plurality of materials wherein at least one of said materials separates from said partitioning agent;
• and
• an affinity member having a specific gravity less than the specific gravity of said partitioning agent and which said separated material has an affinity for to prevent said separated material from interfering with the sampling of the collected fluid.

A medical apparatus for collecting a multiphase fluid and for separating and partitioning said fluid into lighter and heavier phases, comprising:

• a container having sidewalls and an open end with an access means thereon for the receipt of a collected fluid therein;
• a gel material being chemically inert to said lighter phase and having a specific gravity between the specific gravities of the lighter phase and the heavier phase of the collected fluid, said gel material being formed of a plurality of materials wherein at least one of said materials separates from said gel material;
• and
• an affinity means having a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of the lighter phase of the collected fluid and which attracts said separated material thereto to prevent said separated material from interfering with the sampling of the collected fluid, said affinity means being formed such that said affinity means will sink in the lighter phase of the collected fluid to attract said separated material thereto.

A method for preventing a material which separates from a partitioning agent in a fluid containing device from interfering with the sampling of a portion of a separated and partitioned portion of a collected multiphase fluid, wherein the collected multiphase fluid has a lighter phase and a heavier phase and the specific gravity of the lighter phase is less than the specific gravity of the heavier phase, the method comprising:

• inserting an amount of a multiphase fluid into a container having a bottom end and an open end with an access means positioned thereon and an affinity member and a partitioning agent contained therein and wherein the partitioning agent in the container has a specific gravity between the specific gravities of the lighter phase and heavier phase of the collected fluid and the affinity member has a specific gravity less than the specific gravity of the partitioning agent;
• centrifuging the container for a time sufficient to cause the heavier phase of the collected fluid to migrate to the bottom of the container;
• the lighter phase to migrate upwardly to a position above the partitioning agent and heavier phase and above the partitioning agent to allow the separated material from the partitioning agent to adhere to the affinity member;
• obtaining a sample of the lighter phase of the collected multiphase fluid by inserting a probe member into the container to a manner such that the affinity member prevents the separated material from interfering with the use of the probe member to obtain the sample of the fluid.

A method for preventing a material which separates from a partitioning agent in a fluid containing device from interfering with the sampling of a portion of a separated and partitioned portion of a collected multiphase fluid, wherein the collected multiphase fluid has a lighter phase and a heavier phase and the specific gravity of the heavier phase is greater than the specific gravity of the lighter phase, the method comprising:

• inserting an amount of a multiphase fluid into a container having a bottom end and an open end with an access means thereon and a partitioning agent therein, wherein the partitioning agent has a specific gravity between the specific gravities of the heavier phase and the lighter phase;
• centrifuging the container to separate and partitioning the heavier and lighter phases of the collected fluid such that the partitioning agent form a mechanical barrier between the heavier and lighter phases of the collected fluid;
• and
• inserting an affinity member into the container to cause the separated material to adhere thereto to enable a sample of the lighter phase to be obtained from the container without contamination thereof by the separated material.