Disposable pin and cup with reuseable stem and collar for blood coagulation analyzer

Claim 2

For use in an instrument for measuring clotting characteristics of blood, the instrument having a cup with a substantially axially-symmetric inner wall for receiving and holding a sample of said blood, a pin having a corresponding outer wall receivable in said cup and said blood sample generally along an axis of said cup, holding means for holding said pin and cup in a desired spacial relation to one another, oscillation means for inducing oscillation of one of said cup and said pin generally about said axis, and measuring and output means for indicating the change in oscillation of at least one of said pin and cup caused by clotting of the blood, an improved pin comprising: a sleeve forming said outer wall and being comprised of a plastic material and having a central axial opening from at least a top end of said sleeve; and a durable stem having a first end thereof removably receivable in said opening of said sleeve, said stem being engageable at an opposite end thereof with said holding means of said instrument, whereby the sleeve but not the stem is placed in contact with said blood sample for measuring the clotting characteristics thereof and the sleeve is separable from the stem and is economically disposable after use.

Claim 3

An improved pin as defined in Claim 1, wherein the stem is of a weight and density that the stem and sleeve do not float but sink in the blood sample in the cup without force being applied by said holding means.

Claim 4

An improved pin as defined in Claim 1, wherein the central axial opening of the sleeve is formed with deformable members therein for closely and tightly engaging a portion of the stem inserted thereinto.

Claim 5

An improved pin as defined in Claim 1, wherein the outside wall of the sleeve has a uniform outside diameter for an axial distance and the inside wall of the cup has a uniform inside diameter for at least said distance above a bottom of said cup, whereby any clotting of said sample of blood occurs between said walls.

Claim 6

An improved pin as defined in Claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed with an enlarged, radially-extending head spaced above the uniform wall thereof.

Claim 7

An improved pin as defined in Claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed of a blood-compatible plastic material, such as Cyro-G20.

Claim 8

An improved pin as defined in Claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the sleeve has a roughened surface, for enhancing binding of a blood clot to said plastic.

Claim 9

An improved pin as defined in Claim 7, wherein the surface has a roughness measured in a range of about 4 to 10 microinches under ANSI Standard No. B46.1 (1978).

Claim 10

A pin and cup assembly for use in an instrument for measuring coagulation of a blood sample, the pin and the cup being held in relative positions in said instrument for transfer of an oscillation of one to the other as the blood coagulates, and the instrument including detection and measurement means for indicating the time and strength of coagulation of the blood sample being tested, the assembly comprising: a cup formed of a plastic material and having a substantially axially-symmetric inner wall for receiving and holding a sample of said blood; a collar formed of a metal material and sized to fit closely about an outside portion of the cup, thereby to conduct heat to said cup during a coag­ulation test; a sleeve forming an axially-symmetric outer wall receivable in said cup and in said blood sample and generally along the axis of said cup, said sleeve being comprised of a plastic material and having a central axial opening from a top end of said sleeve; and a stem having a first end thereof removably receivable in said opening of said sleeve, said stem being engageable at an opposite end thereof with said instrument, whereby the sample of blood contacts only the plastic cup and sleeve and not the collar and the stem, so that the cup and sleeve may economically be discarded after test of said sample and the collar and stem reused.

Claim 11

A pin and cup assembly for use in an instrument for measuring coagulation of a blood sample, the pin and the cup being held in relative positions in said instrument for transfer of an oscillation of one to the other as the blood coagulates, and the instrument including detection and measurement means for indicating the time and strength of coagulation of the blood sample being tested, the assembly comprising: a cup formed of a plastic material and having a substantially axially-symmetric inner wall for receiving and holding a sample of said blood; a collar formed of a metal material and sized to fit closely about an outside portion of the cup, thereby to conduct heat to said cup during a coag­ulation test; a sleeve forming an axially-symmetric outer wall receivable in said cup and in said blood sample and generally along the axis of said cup, said sleeve being comprised of a plastic material and having a central axial opening from a top end of said sleeve; and a stem having a first end thereof removably receivable in said opening of said sleeve, said stem being engageable at an opposite end thereof with said instrument, whereby the sample of blood contacts only the plastic cup and sleeve and not the collar and the stem, so that the cup and sleeve may economically be discarded after test of said sample and the collar and stem reused.

Claim 12

A pin and cup assembly as defined in Claim 9, wherein the collar is formed with 2 radially and outwardly-­extending circumferential flanges.

Claim 13

A pin and cup assembly as defined in Claim 9, wherein the cup has a uniform inner diameter for an axial distance and then tapers outwardly at an upper end thereof, and wherein said sleeve has a uniform outer diameter extending for an axial distance less than that of said cup and then a lesser diameter beyond said distance.

Claim 14

A pin and cup assembly as defined in Claim 9, wherein the sleeve and stem together are of a weight and density that they sink rather than floating in blood in said cup.

Claim 15

A pin and cup assembly as defined in Claim 9, wherein the sleeve is formed with a head radially extending therefrom at a topmost portion thereof.

Claim 16

A pin and cup assembly as defined in Claim 9, wherein the sleeve and the cup are formed of blood-compatible materials, such as Cyro-G20, and the surfaces thereof which contact the blood are slightly rough.

Claim 17

A pin and cup assembly as defined in Claim 14, wherein said surfaces have a roughness measured under ANSI Standard No. B46.1 (1978) in a range of about 4 to 10 microinches on the sleeve and about 17 to 34 microinches on the cup.

Claim 18

A pin and cup for use in testing of blood for its coagulation characteristics, in an instrument which estab­lishes relative movement between the pin and the cup and measures the linking between them as the blood coagulates, wherein: said pin comprises a disposable sleeve fitted over a reusable metal stem; the sleeve has an axially-symmetric outer surface formed of a blood-compatible plastic and an inner opening for releasably accepting said stem; the stem has a first end releasably received in the sleeve and a second end releasably engageable with said instrument; said cup has an axially-symmetric inner surface sized to accept therein said sleeve with a desired clearance to allow the blood to coagulate between them, the cup inner surface being formed of a blood-­compatible plastic; and said outer surface of said sleeve and said inner surface of said cup are slightly rough, to enhance binding of blood to said surface, whereby after a blood coagulation test the blood-­engaging sleeve and cup may be separated from reusable components and discarded and the reuseable stem used again with new sleeves and cups.

Claim 19

A pin and cup for use in testing of blood for its coagulation characteristics, in an instrument which estab­lishes relative movement between the pin and the cup and measures the linking between them as the blood coagulates, wherein: said pin comprises a disposable sleeve fitted over a reusable metal stem; the sleeve has an axially-symmetric outer surface formed of a blood-compatible plastic and an inner opening for releasably accepting said stem; the stem has a first end releasably received in the sleeve and a second end releasably engageable with said instrument; said cup has an axially-symmetric inner surface sized to accept therein said sleeve with a desired clearance to allow the blood to coagulate between them, the cup inner surface being formed of a blood-­compatible plastic; and said outer surface of said sleeve and said inner surface of said cup are slightly rough, to enhance binding of blood to said surface, whereby after a blood coagulation test the blood-­engaging sleeve and cup may be separated from reusable components and discarded and the reuseable stem used again with new sleeves and cups.

Claim 20

A pin and cup as defined in Claim 16, further comprising a reuseable metal collar sized to fit closely about an outside of said plastic cup and inside said instrument, whereby the collar transfers heat to said cup and blood therein.

Claim 21

A pin and cup as defined in Claim 16, wherein the stem further comprises a weight sufficient to cause the pin to sink in blood rather than float in same.

Claim 22

A pin and cup as defined in Claim 16, wherein the outer surface of said sleeve has a roughness measured under ANSI Standard No. B46.1 (1978) in a range of about 4 to 10 microinches and the inner surface of said cup has a roughness under said Standard in a range of about 17 to 34 microinches.