Cuvette-based apparatus for blood coagulation measurement and testing
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a cuvette defining;
a sample channel fluidically coupled to a sample deposit area at a blood sample receptor-inlet, at least a portion of the sample channel having a hydrophilic surface such that blood is automatically drawn from the sample-receptor inlet;
a vent opening fluidically coupled to the sample channel, the vent opening configured to vent air from the sample channel as the sample channel fills with blood, a predetermined sample volume defined by a volume of the sample channel between the sample-receptor inlet and the vent opening;
a waste channel fluidically coupled to the sample channel between the blood sample receptor-inlet and the vent opening, a flow restriction at an intersection of the waste channel and the sample channel impeding blood from flowing into the waste channel until the sample channel is filled to the vent opening such that the sample channel automatically fills with the predetermined sample volume.
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Abstract
An apparatus for measuring blood clotting time includes a blood clot detection instrument and a cuvette for use with the blood clot detection instrument. The cuvette includes a blood sample receptor-inlet; a channel arrangement including at least one test channel for performing a blood clotting time measurement, a sampling channel having at least one surface portion that is hydrophilic, communicating with the blood sample receptor-inlet and the at least one test channel, and a waste channel having at least one surface portion that is hydrophilic, communicating with the sampling channel; and a vent opening communicating with the sampling channel. The sampling channel, the vent opening and the waste channel, coact to automatically draw a requisite volume of a blood sample deposited at the blood receptor-inlet, into the sampling channel.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
a cuvette defining; a sample channel fluidically coupled to a sample deposit area at a blood sample receptor-inlet, at least a portion of the sample channel having a hydrophilic surface such that blood is automatically drawn from the sample-receptor inlet; a vent opening fluidically coupled to the sample channel, the vent opening configured to vent air from the sample channel as the sample channel fills with blood, a predetermined sample volume defined by a volume of the sample channel between the sample-receptor inlet and the vent opening; a waste channel fluidically coupled to the sample channel between the blood sample receptor-inlet and the vent opening, a flow restriction at an intersection of the waste channel and the sample channel impeding blood from flowing into the waste channel until the sample channel is filled to the vent opening such that the sample channel automatically fills with the predetermined sample volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus comprising:
a cuvette defining; a sample channel having an upstream inlet and a downstream outlet, at least a portion of the sample channel having a hydrophilic surface such that blood is automatically drawn from the upstream inlet into the sample channel via capillary action, the sample channel having a vent opening at a first location between the upstream inlet and the downstream outlet, the vent opening configured to vent air from the sample channel as the sample channel fills with blood, a predetermined sample volume defined by a volume of the sample channel between the upstream inlet and the vent opening; a waste channel at least one of (1) directly coupled to the sample channel at a second location or (2) coupled to the sample channel via a jumper channel, the jumper channel directly coupled to the sample channel at the second location, the second location being downstream of the upstream inlet and upstream of the first location; and a flow restriction configured to impede blood from flowing from the sample channel to the waste channel until the sample channel is filled to the vent opening such that the sample channel automatically fills with the predetermined sample volume. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
Specification