Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing – Sedimentation rate or hematocrit
Patent
1982-08-02
1984-10-16
Turk, Arnold
Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
Sedimentation rate or hematocrit
73 614, 210800, 210927, G01N 3348
Patent
active
044775741
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a method for time-marking sedimentation processes. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the method.
Sedimentation processes in industry and medical service are, in this connection, to be understood as processes at which fractions with different densities are allowed to settle for a certain period in order thereby to be able to determine a relation between the different fractions with respect to, for example, the amount or differences in specific weight.
One example of a medical sedimentation process, for which the present invention is particularly well adapted, is the determination of the sedimentation reaction (SR) of the blood. In order to determine the sedimentation reaction, a blood sample with a small amount of sodium citrate solution added thereto is sucked or pressed up in a tube or hose having an inner diameter of 2.5 mm to a height of about 200 mm. The blood is allowed to settle for an accurate period of normally one hour.
Hereby blood corpuscles are collected in the lower portion of the tube, and a column of blood plasma above the blood corpuscles is clearly readable as regards the height of the plasma column.
Normal blood, so-called whole blood, has a specific weight of 1.06 g/cm.sup.3. The blood corpuscles collected in the lower portion of the tube have a density of about 1.1 g/cm.sup.3, while the plasma column has a density of about 1.02 g/cm.sup.3.
The sedimentation process commences immediately after the taking of blood sample. The blood, therefore, must immediately be placed in the tube. The process continues until blood corpuscles and plasma substantially entirely have been separated.
According to standards, it has been determined to read the height of the plasma column after precisely one hour, in spite of the fact that the sedimentation process is not completed. In practice, therefore, a sedimentation sample cannot be utilized if the height of the plasma column is read at a time other than precisely after one hour.
In Sweden about 80,000 sedimentation reactions are determined every day. This implies a heavy work load for the staff because all of these reactions must be read after precisely one hour. The present invention solves this problem, because it is possible according to the invention to read the sedimentation reaction at any time after one hour has passed, for example after a period as long as one or several days.
The present invention, thus, relates to a method of time-marking sedimentatio processes, in which two or more fractions in a sample containing liquid are to be separated entirely or partially by their specific weights in a tube or the like.
The invention is characterized in that a plug of a hydrophilic substance, preferably a plastic substance, is brought into contact with the sample, which plug has a specific weight of between the specific weights of said fractions, and which plug with respect to its dimensions and/or substance is adjusted so as to attain a swelling degree sufficient for the plug to jam in the tube and to mark the separation line between the fractions after a certain, predetermined period, and that after said period the position of the plug in the vertical direction of the tube is read.
The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the method, which device is of the kind and has substantially the characterizing features as defined in the claims.
The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
FIG. 1 shows a sedimentation reaction tube on a scale of 1:1 where the invention is utilized,
FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a plug on an enlarged scale, which plug is associated with the invention,
FIG. 3 shows a different embodiment of said plug on an enlarged scale, and
FIG. 4 shows a section of a sedimentation reaction tube with a plug on an enlarged scale.
The method according to the invention proceeds so that blood is placed in a normal way in a sedimentation reaction tube. Either prior or subsequent to the placement of the blood, a
REFERENCES:
patent: 3647070 (1972-03-01), Adler
patent: 3864979 (1975-02-01), Ayres
patent: 4077396 (1978-03-01), Wardlaw et al.
patent: 4197735 (1980-04-01), Munzer et al.
patent: 4257886 (1981-03-01), Kessler
AB Tesi
Turk Arnold
LandOfFree
Method of time-marking sedimentation processes does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of time-marking sedimentation processes, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of time-marking sedimentation processes will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1945791