Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
An apparatus for blood sample treatment involving lysis, filtration and culture, said apparatus comprising an upper chamber for receiving a blood sample, a first flexible bag containing lysing solution, a first flexible severable conduit connecting said first flexible bag to the upper chamber, a first removable clamp on said first flexible conduit, a second flexible bag containing culture medium, a second flexible severable conduit connecting said second flexible bag to said upper chamber, a second removable clamp on said second flexible conduit, said upper chamber having a bottom wall provided with a depending discharge spout, a filter member mounted in said upper chamber above said bottom wall, a lower chamber below said upper chamber and having a top wall provided with a tube member telescopically engaged on said discharge spout, and vacuum conduit means connected to said lower chamber.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
139 words
An apparatus for blood sample treatment involving lysis, filtration and culture, said apparatus comprising an upper chamber for receiving a blood sample, a first flexible bag containing lysing solution, a first flexible severable conduit connecting said first flexible bag to the upper chamber, a first removable clamp on said first flexible conduit, a second flexible bag containing culture medium, a second flexible severable conduit connecting said second flexible bag to said upper chamber, a second removable clamp on said second flexible conduit, said upper chamber having a bottom wall provided with a depending discharge spout, a filter member mounted in said upper chamber above said bottom wall, a lower chamber below said upper chamber and having a top wall provided with a tube member telescopically engaged on said discharge spout, and vacuum conduit means connected to said lower chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and depending means on the upper chamber slidably and retentively engaging the outer surface of the lower chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said depending means comprises a plurality of spaced leg elements depending from said upper chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 3, and wherein said lower chamber has a convexly curved outer contour and said leg elements are arcuately shaped to telescopically engage said lower chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said penetrable diaphragm is sealingly secured in the bottom rim portion of said discharge spout.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said upper chamber is provided with a perforated rigid filter supporting plate-like member having depending spacer means engaging the bottom wall of the upper chamber, said filter member comprising a filter membrane supported on said perforated plate-like member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 6, and wherein said depending spacer means comprises a plurality of rigid pin elements depending from said plate-like member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said discharge spout depends substantially centrally from said upper chamber bottom wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said upper chamber is formed with a plurality of spaced depending leg elements which are telescopically engaged with the outer surface of said lower chamber and substantially conform with the contour of said lower chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said vacuum conduit means is connected to a side wall portion of said lower chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said upper and lower chambers are substantially in vertical alignment.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 11, and wherein the peripheral wall of the upper chamber is formed with a plurality of spaced downward extensions defining supporting legs, said downward extensions being slidably and snugly telescopically engaged with the lower chamber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
75 words
The blood sample treatment apparatus of claim 1, and a cap member for snugly sealing said tube member of said upper chamber after said uper chamber is removed from said lower chamber, whereby said upper chamber, after performance of a vacuum filtration step, can be sealed by said cap member and becomes a complete blood culture system containing the various cells and the like filtered out of said blood sample received in said upper chamber.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of treating blood samples involving lysis filtration and culture comprising the steps of providing an upper chamber for receiving a blood sample, a lower chamber for receiving vacuum pressure, selectively providing a blood sample to said upper chamber, selectively providing lysing solution to said upper chamber, providing filter means in said upper chamber at the interface between said upper chamber and said bottom chamber, providing a removable mounting of said upper chamber on said lower chamber, mixing the blood sample and the lysing solution in said upper chamber, incubating said mixture for a predetermined period of time to permit complete blood lysis, applying vacuum pressure to said lower chamber while said upper and lower chambers are sealingly fitted together to thereby cause filtration through said filter means, separating said upper and lower chambers after completion of said filtration step, sealig said upper chamber containing the portions of said blood sample not filtered through to said lower chamber on said filter member, sealing said upper chamber, providing culture medium to said upper chamber, and performing normal blood culture analysis on said sealed upper chamber.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of treating blood samples involving lysis filtration and culture comprising the steps of providing an upper chamber for receiving a blood sample, a lower chamber for receiving vacuum pressure, selectively providing a blood sample to said upper chamber, selectively providing lysing solution to said upper chamber, providing filter means in said upper chamber at the interface between said upper chamber and said bottom chamber, providing a removable mounting of said upper chamber on said lower chamber, mixing the blood sample and the lysing solution in said upper chamber, incubating said mixture for a predetermined period of time to permit complete blood lysis, applying vacuum pressure to said lower chamber while said upper and lower chambers are sealingly fitted together to thereby cause filtration through said filter means, separating said upper and lower chambers after completion of said filtration step, sealig said upper chamber containing the portions of said blood sample not filtered through to said lower chamber on said filter member, sealing said upper chamber, providing culture medium to said upper chamber, and performing normal blood culture analysis on said sealed upper chamber.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said lower chamber with said filtrate is discarded after said vacuum filtration step.