Patent US4847205A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4847205A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Device and method for automated separation of a sample of whole blood into aliquots
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Energy Systems Inc
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Filing: 1987-04-08
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Granted: 1989-07-11
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Expires: 2007-04-08
Abstract
Abstract A device and a method for automated processing and separation of an unmeasured sample of whole blood into multiple aliquots of plasma. Capillaries are radially oriented on a rotor, with the rotor defining a sample chamber, transfer channels, overflow chamber, overflow channel, vent channel, cell chambers, and processing chambers. A sample of whole blood is placed in the sample chamber, and when the rotor is rotated, the blood moves outward through the transfer channels to the processing chambers where the blood is centrifugally separated into a solid cellular component and a liquid plasma component. When the rotor speed is decreased, the plasma component backfills the capillaries resulting in uniform aliquots of plasma which may be used for subsequent analytical procedures.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl A. Burtis
- 👤 Wayne F. Johnson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 02:03
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/483; G01N33/487; G01N33/49; G01N33/491; B; B04; B04B; B04B5/00; B04B5/04; B04B5/0407; B04B5/0414; G01N35/00; G01N2035/00465; G01N2035/00495; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/11; Y10T436/111666; Y10T436/25; Y10T436/25375
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A device for automated processing and separation of an unmeasured sample of whole blood into multiple aliquots of plasma, comprising: (a) a rotor having a central axis, a plurality of removable capillary tubes and means for receiving said plurality of removable capillary tubes disposed radially around said central axis, with said capillaries each having a radially outwardly oriented end and a radially inwardly oriented end, said rotor defining; (i) a sample chamber for receiving an unmeasured sample of whole blood, (ii) a plurality of processing chambers disposed around the circumference of said rotor so as to register with the outward ends of removable capillary tubes received in said receiving means, (iii) a plurality of transfer channels each communicating between said sample chamber and one of said processing chambers; (b) means for rotating said rotor at a speed sufficient to centrifugally separate a sample of whole blood in one of said processing chambers into a plasma component and a solid cellular component; and (c) control means for regulating rotor speed to facilitate back filling of said removable capillary tubes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
178 words
A device for automated processing and separation of an unmeasured sample of whole blood into multiple aliquots of plasma, comprising: (a) a rotor having a central axis, a plurality of removable capillary tubes and means for receiving said plurality of removable capillary tubes disposed radially around said central axis, with said capillaries each having a radially outwardly oriented end and a radially inwardly oriented end, said rotor defining; (i) a sample chamber for receiving an unmeasured sample of whole blood, (ii) a plurality of processing chambers disposed around the circumference of said rotor so as to register with the outward ends of removable capillary tubes received in said receiving means, (iii) a plurality of transfer channels each communicating between said sample chamber and one of said processing chambers; (b) means for rotating said rotor at a speed sufficient to centrifugally separate a sample of whole blood in one of said processing chambers into a plasma component and a solid cellular component; and (c) control means for regulating rotor speed to facilitate back filling of said removable capillary tubes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotor further defines a circumferential distribution channel disposed around the circumference of said rotor and communicating between said transfer channels adjacent said processing chambers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotor further defines a plurality of downwardly outardly slanting cell chambers, each of said cell chambers communicating with one of said processing chambers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vent system is provided in said rotor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said vent system comprises an overflow chamber, an overflow channel communicating between said overflow chamber and at least one of said processing chambers, and a vent channel communicating between said overflow chamber and the atmosphere.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotating means comprises a variable speed motor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving means comprises a disk, said disk being removably mountable on said rotor and comprising a plurality of radial bores for removably receiving said radially disposed capillaries and holding said capillaries in register with said processing chambers.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for automated processing and separation of an unmeasured sample of whole blood into multiple aliquots of plasma, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a rotor having a central axis, a sample chamber, a plurality of removable capillary tubes, and means for receiving a plurality of capillaries disposed radially around said central axis, with said capillaries each having a radially outwardly oriented end and a radially inwardly oriented end, said rotor defining a plurality of processing chambers disposed around the circumference of said rotor so as to register with the outward ends of capillaries received in said receiving means, and a plurality of transfer channels each communicating between said sample chamber and one of said processing chambers; (b) introducing a sample of whole blood into said sample chamber; (c) rotating said rotor at a speed sufficient to distribute the blood radially outward from the sample chamber through the transfer channels into the processing chambers, and therein to centrifugally separate the blood into a plasma component and a solid cellular component; (d) reducing the rotation speed of said rotor to allow the plasma component to backfill into the capillaries; whereby the capillaries are filled with aliquots of plasma which may be used for further analyses.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for automated processing and separation of an unmeasured sample of whole blood into multiple aliquots of plasma, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a rotor having a central axis, a sample chamber, a plurality of removable capillary tubes, and means for receiving a plurality of capillaries disposed radially around said central axis, with said capillaries each having a radially outwardly oriented end and a radially inwardly oriented end, said rotor defining a plurality of processing chambers disposed around the circumference of said rotor so as to register with the outward ends of capillaries received in said receiving means, and a plurality of transfer channels each communicating between said sample chamber and one of said processing chambers; (b) introducing a sample of whole blood into said sample chamber; (c) rotating said rotor at a speed sufficient to distribute the blood radially outward from the sample chamber through the transfer channels into the processing chambers, and therein to centrifugally separate the blood into a plasma component and a solid cellular component; (d) reducing the rotation speed of said rotor to allow the plasma component to backfill into the capillaries; whereby the capillaries are filled with aliquots of plasma which may be used for further analyses.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said rotor has a diameter from about 1 to 15 inches and is rotated at a speed of about 2400 to 3500 revolutions per minute for about 3 to 7 minutes so as to centrifugally separate the sample of whole blood into a solid component and a plasma component.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said rotor has a diameter of about 3 inches and is rotated at a speed of about 3000 revolutions per minute for about 5 minutes so as to centrifugally separate the sample of whole blood into a solid component and a plasma component.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said rotor further defines a circumferential distribution channel disposed around the circumference of said rotor and communicating between said transfer channels and said processing chambers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said rotor further defines a plurality of downwardly outwardly slanting cell chambers, each of said cell chambers communicating with one of said processing chambers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said rotor further comprises a vent system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said vent system comprises an overflow chamber, an overflow channel communicating between said overflow chamber and at least one of said processing chambers, and a vent channel communicating between said overflow chamber and the atmosphere.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said receiving means comprises a disk, said disk being removably mountable within said rotor and comprising means for removably receiving said radially disposed capillaries and holding said capillaries in register with said processing chambers.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-07-10 | 1993-01-09 | 1993-07-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-07-10 | 1997-01-09 | 1997-07-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-07-10 | 2001-01-09 | 2001-07-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |