Apparatus and method for measuring the time taken for a change in viscosity to occur
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in a method of detecting change of viscosity to occur in a medium, comprising:
- (i) a receptacle to contain an amount of the medium, said receptacle including a planar base and a bounding wall upstanding from said base(ii) a structure, and means mounting said receptacle on said structure for rotation of said receptacle with respect to said structure about an axis of rotation normal to the plane of said base, said structure and mounting means being such that said planar base lies at an inclination to the horizontal,(iii) drive means on said structure coupled to said receptacle for rotating said receptacle with respect to said structure,(iv) a ball of greater density than said medium positioned in said receptacle and supported by said planar base and said bounding wall for rolling along said base and wall as the receptacle is rotated.
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Abstract
An apparatus for measuring the time taken for a change to occur in the physical state of a material or medium, such as the time of appearance of a clot in a blood sample, includes a jar whose bottom may serve as a circular track for a ball, a ball able to roll around the track, a support for the jar maintaining the bottom of the jar and track in a plane inclined in relation to the horizontal plane, a means for rotating the support and jar whereby the ball remains at the lowest point of the track when the material is in the liquid state but is carried around the track by the more viscous material when that has changed its state, and a means of detecting the movement of the ball.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. An apparatus for use in a method of detecting change of viscosity to occur in a medium, comprising:
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(i) a receptacle to contain an amount of the medium, said receptacle including a planar base and a bounding wall upstanding from said base (ii) a structure, and means mounting said receptacle on said structure for rotation of said receptacle with respect to said structure about an axis of rotation normal to the plane of said base, said structure and mounting means being such that said planar base lies at an inclination to the horizontal, (iii) drive means on said structure coupled to said receptacle for rotating said receptacle with respect to said structure, (iv) a ball of greater density than said medium positioned in said receptacle and supported by said planar base and said bounding wall for rolling along said base and wall as the receptacle is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method, of detecting a change of viscosity in a medium, which comprises the steps of:
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(i) placing a quantity of medium in a receptacle having a planar base and a bounding wall upstanding from said base (ii) placing a ball in said medium in said receptacle (iii) rotating said receptacle, containing said medium and said ball, about an axis normal to the plane of said base, said axis being at an inclination to the horizontal, and (iv) detecting any change occurring, in either direction, between a first state of viscosity of the medium in which the ball remains substantially in the same position as it is supported by and rolls along said base and bounding wall, and a second state of viscosity of the medium in which the ball is carried by the medium about the axis of rotation of the receptacle.
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Specification