Portable prothrombin time test apparatus and associated method of performing a prothrombin time test
First Claim
1. A cuvette used in performing a test on a blood sample, comprising:
- a generally transparent member having a plurality of conduits contained therein;
a channel, common to all of said plurality of conduits through which a predetermined volume of a blood sample can be drawn into each of said conduits;
a normalizing control agent contained within a first one of said conduits, wherein said normalizing control agent reacts with a blood sample delivered to said first one of said conduits to counteract the effect of an anticoagulant in the blood sample thereby creating a normalized control blood sample; and
an anticoagulant contained within a second one of said conduits, wherein said anticoagulant reacts with the blood sample delivered to said second one of said conduits to produce a blood control sample having abnormal clotting characteristics.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable device for performing coagulation tests on a patient'"'"'s blood. Blood is first drawn from a patient using a lancet. The blood is then supplied to a disposable cuvette placed within the testing device. The blood is drawn into multiple conduits within the cuvette. Each of the conduits contains a dried or lyophilized activation reagent that is rehydrated by the blood. The blood in each of the conduits is then reciprocally moved across a restricted region until a predetermined degree of coagulation occurs. Since the coagulation time is being monitored in multiple conduits, a representation coagulation time for a given sample can be determined. In at least one of the conduits a normalizing control agent is present. The normalizing control agent counteracts any effects of anticoagulants present in the blood sample, thereby allowing the blood sample to have generally normal coagulation characteristics. The normalized blood is tested simultaneously with the untreated blood to provide a reference value against which the functionality of the test system and the quality of the sample can be judged.
179 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A cuvette used in performing a test on a blood sample, comprising:
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a generally transparent member having a plurality of conduits contained therein; a channel, common to all of said plurality of conduits through which a predetermined volume of a blood sample can be drawn into each of said conduits; a normalizing control agent contained within a first one of said conduits, wherein said normalizing control agent reacts with a blood sample delivered to said first one of said conduits to counteract the effect of an anticoagulant in the blood sample thereby creating a normalized control blood sample; and an anticoagulant contained within a second one of said conduits, wherein said anticoagulant reacts with the blood sample delivered to said second one of said conduits to produce a blood control sample having abnormal clotting characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification