Material layer volume determination
First Claim
1. For use in measuring the approximate volume of a constituent material layer in a centrifuged material mixture having at least first and second adjacent material layers of different densities, an apparatus comprising:
- a tube the bore of which is of substantially constant diameter for containing the centrifuged material mixture; and
a volume-occupying mass disposed within the bore in said tube, said mass comprising an axially elongated body formed of a resinous material which sinks through the layer of lesser density but is buoyant upon the layer of greater density, said body having an outside diameter which is sufficiently smaller than the tube bore diameter to form a free space means between said body and said tube bore operable to reduce the available free volume within said tube which substantially all of the layer of lesser density will occupy to axially expand the extent of the layer of lesser density by a multiple of at least about four.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for generally determining the volume of a layer of a constituent material in a centrifugally separated mixture of material. A centrifuge tube is used to hold the material mixture and an appropriately shaped body is disposed in the tube in the zone occupied by the constituent material whose volume is to be measured. The body reduces the available volume within the tube which may be occupied by the constituent material, and thus expands the axial extent of the constituent material to make visual measurement of the constituent material more accurate.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. For use in measuring the approximate volume of a constituent material layer in a centrifuged material mixture having at least first and second adjacent material layers of different densities, an apparatus comprising:
- a tube the bore of which is of substantially constant diameter for containing the centrifuged material mixture; and
a volume-occupying mass disposed within the bore in said tube, said mass comprising an axially elongated body formed of a resinous material which sinks through the layer of lesser density but is buoyant upon the layer of greater density, said body having an outside diameter which is sufficiently smaller than the tube bore diameter to form a free space means between said body and said tube bore operable to reduce the available free volume within said tube which substantially all of the layer of lesser density will occupy to axially expand the extent of the layer of lesser density by a multiple of at least about four. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- a tube the bore of which is of substantially constant diameter for containing the centrifuged material mixture; and
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9. For use in measuring the approximate white cell and platelet count in a centrifuged sample of whole anti-coagulated blood, an apparatus comprising:
- a transparent tube for containing the centrifuged blood sample;
at least one volume-occupying body formed from a material having a specific gravity in the range of about 1.02 to about 1.09 gm/cc and disposed in said tube, said body being elongated along an axis which is substantially coincidental with the tube axis, said body being buoyant upon the red cell layer of the centrifuged blood sample, and said body being sufficiently movable within the tube so as to settle onto the red cell layer during centrifugation, said body being radially sized so as to form completely externally of said body a constricted free volume means adjacent to an inner surface of said tube and visible therethrough which constricted free volume means is operative to receive and axially elongate, by a multiple of at least about four, the extent of substantially all of the white cell and platelet layer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- a transparent tube for containing the centrifuged blood sample;
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18. For use in measuring the approximate white cell and platelet count in the buffy layer of a centrifuged sample of anticoagulated whole blood, an apparatus comprising a transparent capillary tube for containing the centrifuged blood sample;
- and volume-occupying means formed from a material having a specific gravity in the range of about 1.02 to about 1.09 gm/cc and disposed in said tube and buoyant upon the red cell constituent of the centrifuged sample for forming a free volume means which is visible through the tube and which is adjacent to the red cell constituent for receiving substantially all of the buffy layer constituent and for axially elongating the distance between the upper and lower menisci of the buffy layer by a multiple of at least abour four.
- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. For use in measuring the approximate white cell and platelet count in a centrifuged sample of anticoagulated whole blood, an apparatus comprising a capillary tube for containing the centrifuged blood sample;
- and volume-occupying means formed from a material having a specific gravity in the range of about 1.02 to about 1.09 gm/cc and disposed in said tube and buoyant upon the red cell layer of the centrifuged sample, said volume-occupying means being operable to reduce the free volume within the tube available for containment of substantially all of the white cell and platelet layer by a multiple of at least about 0.75.
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24. For use in measuring the approximate white cell and platelet count in a centrifuged sample of anticoagulated whole blood, an apparatus comprising:
- a transparent capillary tube for receiving and containing the sample of blood to be centrifuged;
a volume-occupying mass disposed within said capillary tube and forming with the bore thereof a free space means which is visible through the tube and is operable to receive and axially elongate substantially all of the white cell and platelet layer of the blood sample by a multiple of at least about four, aid volume-occupying mass being formed of a material which has a specific gravity in the range of about 1.02 to about 1.09 gm/cc and is buoyant upon the red cell layer of the blood sample after centrifugation thereof; and
an adhesive material securing said volume-occupying mass to an inner surface of the tube, said adhesive material being soluble in blood.
- a transparent capillary tube for receiving and containing the sample of blood to be centrifuged;
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25. For use in measuring the approximate differential white cell and platelet count in the buffy layer in a centrifuged sample of anticoagulate whole blood, an apparatus comprising:
- a capillary tube for drawing and containing the sample of blood to be centrifuged;
an axially elongated body disposed in said tube to occupy space therein normally available to the buffy layer, said body being formed of a material which has a specific gravity in the range of about 1.02 to about 1.09 gm/cc and is buoyant upon the red cell layer of the centrifuged blood sample, said body combining with said tube to form a free space means in which substantially all of the buffy layer is disposed with said free space means being operable to elongate the axial extent of the buffy layer by a multiple in the range of about five to about fifteen; and
a stain in said tube which stain is absorbed to differing degrees by the several constituent white cell types and the platelets to form within the buffy layer, sub-layers of white cell types and platelets distinguishable by differential coloring. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
- a capillary tube for drawing and containing the sample of blood to be centrifuged;
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28. For use in measuring the approximate reticulocyte count in a centrifuged sample of anticoagulated whole blood, an apparatus comprising:
- a capillary tube for drawing and containing the blood sample to be centrifuged;
an axially elongated body disposed in said tube, said body being formed of a material having a specific gravity in the range of about 1.02 to about 1.09 gm/cc which will cause the body to settle into and float in the red cell layer to an extent sufficient to displace enough of the volume in the tube normally occupied by the reticulocyte layer to form a free space means within the tube operative to receive and axially elongate substantially all of the reticulocyte layer by a multiple in the range of about five to about fifteen; and
a stain in said tube which is absorbed by the reticulocyte layer to cause differential coloration thereof.
- a capillary tube for drawing and containing the blood sample to be centrifuged;
Specification