Dual riser/single capillary viscometer

A method for determining the viscosity of circulating blood of a living being, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing access to the circulating blood of the living being to form an input flow of circulating blood;
• (b) dividing said input flow of circulating blood into a first flow path and a second flow path into which respective portions of said input flow pass, one of said first or second flow paths including a passageway portion having some known parameters;
• (c) isolating said first and second flow paths from said input flow and coupling said first and second flow paths together so that the position of the blood in each of said flow paths changes;
• (d) monitoring the blood position change in one of said first and second flow paths over time;
• (e) detecting a single blood position in the other one of said first and second flow paths;
• and
• (f) calculating the viscosity of said circulating blood based on said blood position change, said single blood position and on selected known parameters of said passageway portion.

An apparatus for effecting the viscosity measurement of circulating blood in a living being, said apparatus comprising:

• a lumen arranged to be coupled to the vascular system of the being;
• a pair of tubes having respective first ends and second ends, said first ends being coupled together via a capillary tube having some known parameters;
• a valve for controlling the flow of circulating blood from the being's vascular system to said pair of tubes, said valve being coupled to a second end of one of said pair of tubes and being coupled to said lumen;
• and
• an analyzer, coupled to said valve, for controlling said valve to permit the flow of blood into said pair of tubes whereupon the blood in each of said pair of tubes assumes a respective initial position with respect thereto, said analyzer also being arranged for operating said valve to isolate said pair of tubes from the being's vascular system so that the position of the blood in said pair of tubes changes, said analyzer also being arranged for monitoring the blood position change in one of said tubes and detecting a single blood position in the other one of said pair of tubes and calculating the viscosity of the blood based thereon.

A method for determining the viscosity of circulating blood of a living being, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing access to the circulating blood of the living being to form an input flow of circulating blood;
• (b) directing said input flow into one end of a pair of tubes coupled together via a passageway having some known parameters, said input flow passing through a first one of said pair of tubes, through said passageway and into a first portion of a second one of said pair of tubes in order to form respective columns in said first and second tubes;
• (c) isolating said respective columns from said input flow so that the position of the blood in each of said columns changes;
• (d) monitoring the blood position change of one of said columns of blood over time;
• (e) detecting a single blood position in the other one of said pair of tubes;
• and
• (f) calculating the viscosity of the circulating blood based on said blood position change, said single blood position and on selected known parameters of said passageway.