BLOOD TESTING MACHINE

• US 3,634,039 A
• Filed: 12/22/1969
• Issued: 01/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas L. Brondy
• Original Assignee: Thomas L. Brondy
• Inventors: Brondy, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolk, Morris O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Serwin, R. E.
• Application Number:
  US04/886,875
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 23/253,259,230,23B 424/11 73/423,425.4 356/39,85 141/130
• US Class Current: 422/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor

Abstract

A portable blood testing machine causes a blood sample to be drawn from a patient and performs a preselected number of different tests on the blood sample. The machine includes a suction device for drawing the blood sample from the patient into the machine, an input control device for determining the amount of the blood withdrawn, a pair of electrically energized electrodes for coagulating the blood, a dialyzer for separating the blood serum from the blood solids and a device for automatically diverting the serum into a preselected number of testing components which test the serum by means of laser spectroscopy.

Claims

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a line connected between said pump means and said diverting means, a pair of electrically energized electrodes mounted in proximity to said line for producing an electric field in a portion of the blood contained in said line, and means for separating the blood serum from the blood solids after the passage of said blood through said line, whereby coagulation and separation of said blood is accelerated by said electric field.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said testing means includes combining means for combining chemical reagents with said blood serum for testing purposes.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes valve means for controlling the flow of blood to be drawn into said apparatus, and timing means responsive to said selecting means for maintaining said valve means in an open position for a length of time proportionate to said number of preselected tests.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said valve means comprises a spring-lOaded needle valve, and said timing means includes a timing belt having a gear tooth for cooperating with said needle valve to permit said needle valve to move into its open position and to maintain it in its open position for said length of time, said tooth moving said needle valve into its closed position, an electrical motor for driving said timing belt, said selecting means including a plurality of manually operated electrical switches for selectively connecting a plurality of impedances in circuit with said motor, whereby said impedances control the speed of the motor so that the motor in turn controls the speed of the timing belt in accordance with the number of switches being operated.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said suction means includes a flexible tube connected in fluid communication with said control means and roller means extending transversely of said tube for compressing a portion of said tube and for rolling along said tube to remove the air therefrom so that the blood sample is drawn into said tube.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, further including a second tube connected in fluid communication with said input device, said roller means including a roller extending transversely of said tubes for compressingly engaging said tubes, and motive means for moving said roller along said tube to remove air from said tubes, further including clamping means for alternately clamping a portion of the first-mentioned tube and a portion of said second tube, said clamping means normally closes a portion of the second tube to cause the blood sample to be drawn from said input control device to said second tube, whereby when said clamping means releases the second tube and closes a portion of the first-mentioned tube, the blood samples enters the second tube.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said diverting means includes a diverting valve, a plurality of passageways connecting said diverting valve with said testing means, and means responsive to said selecting means for normally blocking said passageways and for selectively opening preselected ones of said passageways in response to said selecting means being operated to preselect a number of different tests.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said testing units include a plurality of combining units, each of said units including a combining chamber adapted to be connected in fluid communication with a source of chemical reagent, a tube communicating with one of said passageways, a vacuum-operated piston slidably mounted in the tube for determining a preselected amount of said blood and for forcing the determined amount of blood into said chamber to form a blood mixture, and a convoluted tube connected in fluid communication with said chamber.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said testing means includes a plurality of readout units individually associated with said combining units, each of said testing units including a chamber connected in fluid communication with a corresponding convoluted tube of a corresponding combining unit, a spring-loaded piston having a semipermeable head slidably mounted in the last-mentioned chamber for filtering the blood mixture, a transparent curvette connected in fluid communication with the last-mentioned chamber, and optical means for acting upon the filtered blood mixture for test purposes.

11. Apparatus for separating blood serum from a blood sample, comprising;

a pair of electrically energized electrodes adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy for coagulating the blood to clot the blood solids in the blood serum, and a dialyzer for separating the blood serum from the blood solids.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said electrodes are composed of platinum, and further including a capacitor connected across said electrodes.