US3713775A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Centrifuge clinical chemistry analysis system
Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Corp
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Filing: 1970-06-22
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Granted: 1973-01-30
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Expires: 1990-06-22
Abstract
Abstract Medical testing apparatus including a centrifuge with a series of cuvettes received therein. The cuvettes may be discrete units or arranged in groups which make up cassettes. Each of the cuvettes has a test chamber or reaction chamber into which reagents and specimen pass during the centrifuging operation. The reagents are contained prior to centrifuging in plastic bags which include intentionally weak seams designed to fail during centrifuging and to permit the reagents to flow into the reaction chamber. The specimen is contained within a pipette tip closed by a cap. The cap is also designed to fail or, in other words, be centrifuged off of the pipette tip in order to permit the blood serum or plasma in the pipette tip to flow past the cap and into the reaction chamber after the red blood cells have been packed down into the cap by the centrifuging operation. After centrifuging, the cuvettes can be removed from the centrifuge and placed into a photometer to determine the amount of light passed or the amount of light passed can be determined directly while the cuvettes are being spun or turned in the centrifuge by a photometer.
Inventors
- 👤 W Schmitz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:15
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01L; B01L3/00; B01L3/50; B01L3/502; B01L3/5021; B01L3/54; B01L3/545; B01L3/5453; B04; B04B; B04B5/00; B04B5/04; B04B5/0407; B04B5/0414; B04B5/0421; B04B9/00; B04B9/10; G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/01; G01N21/03; G01N21/07; B04B7/00; B04B7/02; B04B2007/025; G01N35/00; G01N35/02; G01N35/04; G01N2035/0401; G01N2035/0429; G01N2035/0436; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S215/00; Y10S215/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
Test apparatus comprising a pipette tip, a cap on said pipette tip, means for housing said pipette tip and cap, means for centrifuging said pipette tip and cap and housing means at a first speed until blood contained in said tip and cap is spun down into its red cell fraction and its serum or plasma fraction and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging to a second speed sufficiently fast to cause said cap to fly off of said tip and at least a portion of said serum or plasma fraction to move past said cap, said cap gripping said pipette tip with sufficient force to remain thereon at said first speed but with insufficient force to remain thereon at said second speed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
Test apparatus comprising a pipette tip, a cap on said pipette tip, means for housing said pipette tip and cap, means for centrifuging said pipette tip and cap and housing means at a first speed until blood contained in said tip and cap is spun down into its red cell fraction and its serum or plasma fraction and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging to a second speed sufficiently fast to cause said cap to fly off of said tip and at least a portion of said serum or plasma fraction to move past said cap, said cap gripping said pipette tip with sufficient force to remain thereon at said first speed but with insufficient force to remain thereon at said second speed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
Test apparatus comprising a housing having a test chamber within which a test reaction is carried out, means for centrifuging said housing, a reagent container received within and carried by said housing, said reagent container having a closure of pretermined strength sufficiently weak to fail and open under the action of said centrifuging means to permit flow of reagent from said reagent container into said test chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
Test apparatus comprising a housing having a test chamber within which a test reaction is carried out, means for centrifuging said housing, a reagent container received within and carried by said housing, said reagent container having a closure of pretermined strength sufficiently weak to fail and open under the action of said centrifuging means to permit flow of reagent from said reagent container into said test chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
170 words
Test apparatus as defined in claim 2 additionally comprising a chassis projecting into said housing and holding said reagent container against said housing, a pipette tip mounted on said chassis and extending into said chassis, a cap on said pipette tip, said chassis having a hollow interior therein whithin which said cap is received and is movable from an on the tip position to an off the tip position, said means for centrifuging being operable at a first speed at which blood contained in said tip and cap is spun down into its red cell fraction and its serum or plasma fraction and at a second speed at which said cap comes off said tip and moves in said chassis to said off-the-tip position, said chassis having an open end into which said hollow interior opens and which leads into said test chamber, said chassis having grooves opening into said hollow interior and permitting flow of serum or plasma past said cap through said open end into said test chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The test apparatus of claim 3 wherein said housing is a cuvette having a reference chamber alongside said test chamber, photocell means and light source means, said means for centrifuging being operable to rotate said cuvette repeatedly between said photocell means and said light source means in such a manner that said reference chamber and said test chamber are exposed in order.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The test apparatus of claim 4 wherein said reagent container is a flexible bag having a plurality of compartments therein, said bag having some of said compartments positioned to discharge into said test chamber and another of said compartments positioned to discharge into said reference chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
161 words
Test apparatus comprising a housing having a test chamber adapted to receive a specimen and reagents, said housing being adapted to be received in a centrifuge for centrifuge action thereon, a chassis member received in said housing, a pipette tip received in said chassis member, a cap on said pipette tip, reagent bags held between said housing and chassis, said cap being sufficiently securely attached to said tip to hold onto said tip while a blood specimen in said cap and tip is spun down into red blood cells and serum or plasma, said cap being sufficiently loosely attached to allow said cap to come off said tip under increased centrifuge action, said chassis member having a hollow interior therein within which said cap is movable from an on the tip position to an off the tip position, said chassis member having grooves opening into said hollow interior permitting flow of serum or plasma past said cap into said test chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
161 words
Test apparatus comprising a housing having a test chamber adapted to receive a specimen and reagents, said housing being adapted to be received in a centrifuge for centrifuge action thereon, a chassis member received in said housing, a pipette tip received in said chassis member, a cap on said pipette tip, reagent bags held between said housing and chassis, said cap being sufficiently securely attached to said tip to hold onto said tip while a blood specimen in said cap and tip is spun down into red blood cells and serum or plasma, said cap being sufficiently loosely attached to allow said cap to come off said tip under increased centrifuge action, said chassis member having a hollow interior therein within which said cap is movable from an on the tip position to an off the tip position, said chassis member having grooves opening into said hollow interior permitting flow of serum or plasma past said cap into said test chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
Test apparatus comprising a cuvette having a test chamber within which a test reaction is carried out, said cuvette also having a reference chamber positioned alongside said test chamber, means for centrifuging said cuvette, photocell means and light source means, said centrifuging means being arranged to rotate said cuvette repeatedly between said photocell means and said light source means in such a manner that said reference chamber and said test chamber are exposed in order.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
75 words
Test apparatus comprising a cuvette having a test chamber within which a test reaction is carried out, said cuvette also having a reference chamber positioned alongside said test chamber, means for centrifuging said cuvette, photocell means and light source means, said centrifuging means being arranged to rotate said cuvette repeatedly between said photocell means and said light source means in such a manner that said reference chamber and said test chamber are exposed in order.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
215 words
Test apparatus comprising a pipette tip, a cap on said pipette tip, means for housing said pipette tip and cap, means for centrifuging said pipette tip and cap and housing means until blood contained in said tip and cap is spun down into its red cell fraction and its serum or plasma fraction and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging sufficiently to cause said cap to fly off of said tip and at least a portion of said serum or plasma fraction to move past said cap, said housing means including a chassis, said pipette tip being mounted on said chassis so as to extend into said chassis with said cap on the portion of said tip which projects into said chassis, said chassis having a hollow interior therein within which said cap is received and is movable from an on the tip position to an off the tip position, said chassis interior being formed with a shoulder which provides the limit of movement of said cap when said cap moves into said off the tip position, said shoulder being closely spaced to said tip to prevent splashing of blood during said cap movement, said chassis having grooves opening into said hollow interior and permitting flow of serum or plasma past said cap.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
215 words
Test apparatus comprising a pipette tip, a cap on said pipette tip, means for housing said pipette tip and cap, means for centrifuging said pipette tip and cap and housing means until blood contained in said tip and cap is spun down into its red cell fraction and its serum or plasma fraction and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging sufficiently to cause said cap to fly off of said tip and at least a portion of said serum or plasma fraction to move past said cap, said housing means including a chassis, said pipette tip being mounted on said chassis so as to extend into said chassis with said cap on the portion of said tip which projects into said chassis, said chassis having a hollow interior therein within which said cap is received and is movable from an on the tip position to an off the tip position, said chassis interior being formed with a shoulder which provides the limit of movement of said cap when said cap moves into said off the tip position, said shoulder being closely spaced to said tip to prevent splashing of blood during said cap movement, said chassis having grooves opening into said hollow interior and permitting flow of serum or plasma past said cap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
115 words
Test apparatus comprising a container, a cap on said container, means for housing said container and cap, means for centrifuging said container and cap and housing means at a first speed until a specimen contained in said container and cap is spun down into a first fraction and a second fraction and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging to a second speed sufficiently fast to cause said cap to fly off said container and at least a portion of said second fraction to move past said cap, said cap gripping said container with sufficient force to remain thereon at said first speed but with insufficient force to remain thereon at said second speed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
115 words
Test apparatus comprising a container, a cap on said container, means for housing said container and cap, means for centrifuging said container and cap and housing means at a first speed until a specimen contained in said container and cap is spun down into a first fraction and a second fraction and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging to a second speed sufficiently fast to cause said cap to fly off said container and at least a portion of said second fraction to move past said cap, said cap gripping said container with sufficient force to remain thereon at said first speed but with insufficient force to remain thereon at said second speed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
165 words
Test apparatus comprising a housing having a test chamber adapted to receive a specimen and reagents, said housing being adapted to be received in a centrifuge for centrifuge action thereon, a chassis member received in said housing, a container in said chassis member, a cap on said container, reagent bags held between said housing and chassis, said cap being sufficiently securely attached to said container to hold onto said container while a specimen in said container and cap is centrifuged at a first speed and spun down into a first fraction and a second fraction, said cap being sufficiently loosely attached to allow said cap to come off said container under increased centrifuge action, said chassis member having a hollOw interior therein within which said cap is movable from an on the container position to an off the container position, said chassis member having grooves opening into said hollow interior permitting flow of a portion of said specimen past said cap into said test chamber.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
165 words
Test apparatus comprising a housing having a test chamber adapted to receive a specimen and reagents, said housing being adapted to be received in a centrifuge for centrifuge action thereon, a chassis member received in said housing, a container in said chassis member, a cap on said container, reagent bags held between said housing and chassis, said cap being sufficiently securely attached to said container to hold onto said container while a specimen in said container and cap is centrifuged at a first speed and spun down into a first fraction and a second fraction, said cap being sufficiently loosely attached to allow said cap to come off said container under increased centrifuge action, said chassis member having a hollOw interior therein within which said cap is movable from an on the container position to an off the container position, said chassis member having grooves opening into said hollow interior permitting flow of a portion of said specimen past said cap into said test chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
The test apparatus of claim 10 wherein said reagent bags have a closure of predetermined strength sufficiently strong to remain closed at said first speed but sufficiently weak to fail and open under said increased centrifuge action to permit flow of reagent from said reagent bags into said test chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
108 words
Test apparatus for spinning down blood into a first red cell fraction and a second serum or plasma fraction and for moving at least a portion of said second fraction away from said first fraction which comprises a container, a cap on said container, a housing for said container and cap, said container being mounted on said housing, means for centrifuging said housing and container at a first speed and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging to a second speed, said cap gripping said container with sufficient force to remain thereon at said first speed but with insufficient force to remain thereon at said second speed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
108 words
Test apparatus for spinning down blood into a first red cell fraction and a second serum or plasma fraction and for moving at least a portion of said second fraction away from said first fraction which comprises a container, a cap on said container, a housing for said container and cap, said container being mounted on said housing, means for centrifuging said housing and container at a first speed and for then increasing the speed of said centrifuging to a second speed, said cap gripping said container with sufficient force to remain thereon at said first speed but with insufficient force to remain thereon at said second speed.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
51 words
The test apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for centrifuging rotates said housing about an axis with said container located between said axis and said cap whereby said cap moves radially outwardly off of and away from said container when said means for centrifuging increases speed to said second speed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
42 words
The test apparatus of claim 13 wherein said housing has a test chamber, said test apparatus further including means for retaining said cap and container between said axis and said test chamber when said means for centrifuging centrifuges said housing and container.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-30 | 1976-07-31 | 1977-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-30 | 1980-07-31 | 1981-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-30 | 1984-07-31 | 1985-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |