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Twin-probe blood sample diluting device

  • US 5,512,248 A
  • Filed: 11/21/1994
  • Issued: 04/30/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A blood diluting device comprising:

  • a tube assembly including an outer tube having a cone-shaped bottom end of a gradually reducing diameter, a top end sealed with a plug, and an intake port near the top end thereof; and

    an inner tube concentrically suspended within said outer tube, having a top end extending out of a center hole on the plug of said outer tube,said intake port of said outer tube connected by a first tube respectively to a parallel set of first and third electromagnetic micropipettes, a third electromagnetic valve, a first pump, a first electromagnetic valve and supply of diluent;

    said top end of said inner tube connected by a second tube respectively to a parallel set of second and fourth electromagnetic micropipettes, a fourth electromagnetic valve, a second pump, a second electromagnetic valve and supply of diluent; and

    an adapter having a hollow center, an air hole and a bottom terminated by a three-way connector, said air hole connected to a seventh electromagnetic valve, said three-way connector having a first connection to said hollow center of said adapter, a second connection to a first counting bath through a normally opened fifth electromagnetic valve and a third connection to a second counting bath through a normally opened sixth electromagnetic valve,wherein said blood diluting device operates as follows;

    (1) said first and second micropipettes are activated to suck a blood sample to be analyzed respectively into the outer tube and then the inner tube,(2) said tube assembly is placed in said adapter with said outer tube received in said hollow center, so that said adapter and said outer tube are sealed together and said air hole is arranged above said bottom end of said outer tube,(3) said third micropipette is activated to drawn air into the outer tube, and then said fourth micropipette is activated to draw air into the inner tube, so that the blood sample of said inner tube is isolated from the blood sample in said outer tube,(4) said first and second valves are activated to respectively suck diluent into said first and second tubes by action of said first and second pumps,(5) said first valve is deactivated and said third and sixth valves are activated, so that said first pump discharges said sample from said outer tube and then said diluent toward said first counting bath,(6) said first and third micropipettes are deactivated and said seventh valve is activated permitting said diluent to be completely expelled to said first counting bath,(7) said second and sixth electromagnetic valves are deactivated and the fourth and fifth valves are activated, so that the second pump discharges said sample contained in said inner tube and then said diluent toward said second counting bath and, at the same time, said first valve is activated and said third valve is deactivated, so that said first pump sucks additional diluent into said first tube, and(8) said first and fourth valves are deactivated, said second and fourth micropipettes are deactivated, and said third valve is activated causing said additional diluent to discharge into said second counting bath, resulting in the blood sample in said second counting bath having a greater dilution ratio than that of the blood sample in said first counting bath.

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