Blood separation device comprising a filter and a capillary flow pathway exiting the filter

• US 5,135,719 A
• Filed: 10/23/1990
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Corporation (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Biotrack, Inc. (Novartis Ag)
• Inventors: Gibbons, Ian, Hillman, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hill, Jr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US07/607,618
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 422/58, 422/66, 422/101, 435/2, 435/240.2, 436/69, 436/177, 436/824, 210/503, 210/505, 210/508, 210/509
• US Class Current: 422/534
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1216 Pore size
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1692 Other shaped material, e.g. perforated or porous sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/18 the material being cellulose or derivatives thereof cork or peat B01D39/1646 ; making filter paper D21F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/2017 the material being filamentary or fibrous
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/18 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 characterised by venting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/491 by separating the blood components G01N15/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/824 Immunological separation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

A method for separating plasma from red blood cells and a device utilizing the method in which a low-pressure filter is interposed in a pathway between an inlet port and a reaction area. The sole driving force for the movement of plasma from the filter to the reaction area is capillary force provided by a tubular capillary. The filter is selected from glass microfiber filters of specified characteristics, which can operate in the absence of agglutinins, and filters capable of separating agglutinated red cells from plasma, which require the use of an agglutinin.

Claims

1. In a clinical diagnostic device comprising a housing having a fluid inlet port, a vented reaction area, and a unitary capillary pathway connecting said inlet port and said reaction area, said housing constructed such that said pathway conducts liquid exclusively as a result of capillary pressure originating in said pathway, the improvement which comprises:

a low-pressure filter in said inlet port and directly adjacent to said capillary pathway, wherein said filter is constructed so as to separate agglutinated red blood cells from plasma, wherein said filter further contains a soluble agglutinin for agglutinating red blood cells selected from the group consisting of antibodies and lectins, wherein whole blood applied to said inlet port contacts said soluble agglutinin concurrently with contacting said filter and plasma is separated from whole blood which flows into said capillary pathway in the absence of externally applied pressure.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said agglutinin is an antibody.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said agglutinin is a lectin.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said filter is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, paper, and porous membranes.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said filter comprises paper and is constructed so as to retain particles having a diameter of 6 μ

m.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said filter is constructed so as to retain particles having a diameter of 6 μ

m.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said filter is constructed so as to retain particles having a diameter of 1 μ

m.