Cassette holder for capillary tube blood testing with integral sealing means

• US 5,776,078 A
• Filed: 11/25/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Levine
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Levine
• Inventors: Wardlaw, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US08/755,363
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 128/763, 128/770, 128/771, 604/192, 604/196-198
• US Class Current: 600/576
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150343 Collection vessels for collecting blood samples from the skin surface, e.g. test tubes, cuvettes sampling from within body cavities A61B5/150015, A61B5/150045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150351 Caps, stoppers or lids for sealing or closing a blood collection vessel or container, e.g. a test-tube or syringe barrel caps for bottles or containers in general B65D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150786 Optical identification systems, e.g. bar codes, colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5021 Test tubes specially adapted for centrifugation purposes centrifuges B04B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/07 Centrifugal type cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence

Abstract

A transparent capillary tube is held in a cassette-type container during blood drawing and blood testing procedures. The cassette protects the capillary tube against breakage; allows the placement of patient and blood sample testing information labels thereon; and allows technicians to draw and test blood samples without having to come into direct contact with the capillary tube, or the blood. Once the blood sample is drawn into the capillary tube, the cassette can be used in the performance of kinetic gravimetric blood cell counts.

Claims

1. A cassette for holding a capillary tube during biological specimen sample drawing and analysis, said cassette comprising:

a) a body portion having a side wall, an open top end, and a closed bottom end;

b) a recess in said body portion sized to snugly receive a capillary tube through said open top end;

c) a lid for selectively closing one end of said recess, said lid including an elastomeric pad for pressing a capillary tube into said body portion recess when said lid closes said one end of said recess; and

d) a transparency on said body portion for viewing a capillary tube disposed in said recess through said side wall to enable optical analysis of a sample in the capillary tube.

2. The cassette of claim 1 wherein said closure lid is hinged to one end wall of said body portion.

3. The cassette of claim 1 further comprising an absorbent gasket at one end of said recess for removing excess sample from an exterior surface of a capillary tube positioned in said recess.

4. The cassette of claim 1 wherein at least one of said side walls is disposed at an angle relative to said top and bottom walls so as to provide a dove tail engagement with a complimentary slot in a centrifuge platen.

5. An assembly for containing a biological fluid sample and analyzing the same, said assembly comprising:

a) a cassette comprising a body having opposed transparent side walls, top and bottom walls, and end walls, said cassette having an internal recess which opens through one of said end walls;

b) a sample-receiving transparent capillary tube disposed in said cassette recess, said capillary tube having one end thereof which projects a predetermined distance beyond said one of said cassette end walls sufficiently to allow drawing a specimen sample into said capillary tube via said projecting end thereof while said capillary tube is contained in said cassette; and

c) said cassette having a closure lid which includes an elastomeric pad for pressing the capillary tube into said internal recess when said closure lid closes said cassette recess.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said lid is hinged to one end wall of said body.

7. The assembly of claim 5 further comprising an absorbent gasket at one end of said recess for removing excess sample from an exterior surface of the capillary tube positioned in said recess.

8. The assembly of claim 5 wherein at least one of said side walls is disposed at an angle relative to said top and bottom walls so as to provide a dove tail engagement for the cassette with a complimentary slot in a centrifuge platen.

9. An assembly for containing a biological fluid sample wherein the sample can be gathered, centrifuged and subsequently analyzed in situ in the assembly, said assembly comprising:

a) a transparent capillary tube, said capillary tube having an open ended cylindrical bore for receiving the fluid sample;

b) a tubular cassette having a slotted or transparent side wall whereby said tube can be viewed when said tube is completely encased in said assembly, one closed end, and an opposite open end, said cassette having an internal recess which extends from said closed end to said open end;

c) said capillary tube being positioned in said cassette recess with one end of said capillary tube projecting out of said cassette recess through said open end of said cassette;

d) an elongated insert contained in said assembly, said insert being sized so as to be insertable in said tube bore for blood component layer elongation after the tube has been filled with sample, and the sample has been centrifuged in the assembly, said insert being located in said assembly initially at least partially externally of said tube bore; and

e) a movable closure which is operable to close said open end of said cassette and to telescope said insert completely into said capillary tube bore during closure of said cassette after the capillary tube has been filled with sample.

10. An assembly for containing a biological fluid sample wherein the sample can be gathered, centrifuged and subsequently analyzed in situ in the assembly, said assembly comprising:

a) a transparent tube, said tube having an open ended cylindrical bore for receiving the fluid sample;

b) a tubular cassette having a slotted or transparent side wall whereby said tube can be viewed when said tube is completely encased in said assembly, one closed end, and an opposite open end, said cassette having an internal recess which extends from said closed end to said open end;

c) said tube being positioned in said cassette recess with one end of said tube projecting out of said cassette recess through said open end of said cassette;

d) an elongated insert contained in said assembly, said insert being sized so as to be insertable in said tube bore for blood component layer elongation after the tube has been filled with sample and the sample has been centrifuged in the assembly, said insert being located in said assembly initially at least partially externally of said tube bore; and

e) a movable closure which is operable to close said open end of said cassette and to telescope said insert completely into said tube bore during closure of said cassette after the tube has been filled with sample.

11. An assembly for containing a biological fluid sample wherein the sample can be gathered, centrifuged and subsequently analyzed in situ in the assembly, said assembly comprising:

a) a transparent tube, said tube having an open ended cylindrical bore for receiving the fluid sample;

b) a tubular cassette having a slotted or transparent side wall whereby said tube can be viewed when said tube is completely encased in said assembly, one closed end, and an opposite open end, said cassette having an internal recess which extends from said closed end to said open end;

c) said tube being positioned in said cassette recess with one end of said tube projecting out of said cassette recess through said open end of said cassette;

d) an elongated insert contained in said assembly, said insert being sized so as to be insertable in said tube bore for blood component layer elongation after the tube has been filled with sample and the sample has been centrifuged in the assembly, said insert being located in said assembly initially at least partially externally of said tube bore; and

e) a movable closure which is operable to close said open end of said cassette so as to encase said tube in said assembly.

12. An assembly for containing a biological fluid sample wherein the sample can be gathered, centrifuged and subsequently analyzed in situ in the assembly, said assembly comprising:

a) a transparent tube, said tube having an open ended cylindrical bore for receiving the fluid sample;

b) a tubular cassette having a slotted or transparent side wall whereby said tube can be viewed when said tube is completely encased in said assembly, one closed end, and an opposite open end, said cassette having an internal recess which extends from said closed end to said open end;

c) said tube being positioned in said cassette recess with one end of said tube projecting out of said cassette recess through said open end of said cassette; and

d) a movable closure which is operable to close said open end of said cassette so as to encase said tube in said assembly.

13. An assembly for containing a biological fluid sample wherein the sample can be gathered, centrifuged and subsequently analyzed in situ in the assembly, said assembly comprising:

a) a transparent capillary tube, said tube having an open ended cylindrical bore for receiving the fluid sample;

b) a tubular cassette having a slotted or transparent side wall whereby said capillary tube can be viewed when said capillary tube is completely encased in said assembly, one closed end, and an opposite open end, said cassette having an internal recess which extends from said closed end to said open end;

c) said capillary tube being positioned in said cassette recess with one end of said capillary tube projecting out of said cassette recess through said open end of said cassette; and

d) a movable closure which is operable to close said open end of said cassette so as to encase said capillary tube in said assembly.