Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for mixing samples in a capillary tube

US5789259A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
5References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 27, 1996
Grant dateAug 4, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 27, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T436/2575
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A transparent capillary tube containing a blood sample, a float, an anticoagulant plus other reagents, is centrifuged in a centrifuge so as to cause the various blood sample constituents such as cells and the like to gravimetrically separate out in the tube. The blood sample is drawn into the tube which already contains the float and reagents. In order to ensure proper mixing of the blood and the reagents in the tube, the tube is periodically centrifuged in opposite directions so that the various formed components in the blood and the float will gravitate first toward one end of the tube and then toward the opposite end of the tube. The tube will preferably be contained in a cassette which is removably positioned on the centrifuge platen.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.