Abstract: The invention provides a tube adapter for use on a plurality of different types of tubes. The tube adapter includes a sleeve in which to receive smaller diameter tubes. The sleeve preferably includes a bar code reader slot to allow reading of bar codes on the tubes through the sleeve. The sleeve includes a spring portion biased to retain tubes in the tube adapter. The sleeve also preferably includes a key for aligning the tube adapter in a tube cassette. The tube adapter can include a clip to prevent the tube adapter from inadvertently being removed, rotated or dropped from the tube cassette.

Abstract: A universal stripper plate for operating on a plurality of different types of collection containers or tubes. The universal stripper plate includes a universal button for aligning and seating the various tube stoppers or caps for piercing. The universal button is mounted onto a stripper plate, which can be driven into the tube seating/alignment, tube piercing and aspiration and tube release positions. The universal stripper plate also can include a bar code tab to provide a bar code reference and a piercing needle alignment for the various tubes.

Abstract: A method is provided to ascertain the total number of cells per unit volume of a cell specimen in an apparatus which does not measure the volume of a suspension containing the specimen as it is being analyzed. The method includes mixing a suspension of a known quantity of particles having a first light scatter signal with a known volume of a cell specimen having a second light scatter signal different from the first light scatter signal to obtain a suspension having a concentration of particles per specimen volume, passing each of said particles and each cell in said cell specimen, in turn, through a light beam, each of said particles and cells producing at least one forward light scattering pattern, counting the number of cells and the number of particles in a portion of said suspension, and determining the total number of cells per unit volume of the specimen.

Abstract: An apparatus which provides an automatic, signal controlled, sample mixing/resuspending, aspiration and delivery system; wherein a demountable, rotatable carousel temporarily holds a multiplicity of sample containers. Electro-mechanical means, including optical sensors, is programmed to automatically move the carousel to a pre-selected position. A self centering vortexer/mixer lifts a selected sample container from the carousel, sealingly engages the sample container within a sample container support and thereafter orbitally mixes and resuspends the sample container contents. An aspiration probe enters the sample container through the support to receive the sample, which is forced out of the sample container by means of compressed air introduced into the sample container via the sample container support. The sample is delivered to an operably associated flow cytometer via the aspiration probe, after which the probe is washed and readied for the next cycle of operation.

Abstract: The method of this invention is directed to the rapid preparation of a whole blood sample for photooptical analysis. In the preferred embodiments of this method, a whole blood sample, lytic reagent system and immunological stain (optional) are contacted with the sample in a common reaction vessel (i.e. cuvette or test tube), with gentle asymmetric vortex mixing, so as to maintain the particulate matter of the sample at an essentially homogeneous concentration throughout the sample. An aliquot of the contents of the reaction vessel can, thereafter, be analyzed for identification and/or quantification of the analyte of interest.

Abstract: A metering and transfer valve assembly particularly for use in particle analyzing apparatus for the study of particles in liquid suspension, the valve assembly having at least pair of inner and outer valve elements coaxially arranged in face to face frictional sealing engagement with a center valve element, each of the valve elements being independently rotatable, first passages defining a first flow path through the assembly, second passages defining a second flow path through the assembly, the first passages including a metering chamber for measuring and transferring a precise sample aliquot of sample flowing in the first flow path into the second flow path, the first flow path leading to a first exterior location and the second flow path leading to a second exterior location, and a drive fluid being introduced to the second flow path subsequent to transfer of said aliquot thereto for propelling said aliquot along the second flow path to the second esterior destination, the second destination being a flow s

Abstract: A power cam drive assembly for generating and delivering two different degrees of force serially to a body, the second force being greater than the first force. A main drive gear is coupled to a driven cam gear which is coupled to an outer cam shell. A cam core is nested within the cam shell for rotation along an eccentric path therewithin. The cam core has an axial extension also coupled to the driven cam gear. A windable clock spring located between the cam core and cam shell has one end secured to the cam core and the other end locked to the cam shell. A cam roller is disposed within the cam core. The clock spring has a greater rotational torque than required to rotate the cam core.

Abstract: A self-adjusting tube detector for operating on a plurality of different types of collection containers or tubes including a pivotable adjustment arm which is biased into a first position. The first position is preadjusted for the smallest diameter tube to be utilized. When a larger tube is moved into the aspiration location, the adjustment arm is moved upward against the bias by the tube. The self-adjusting tube detector includes a pivotable reader arm, which is biased into a first position indicating the absence of a tube in the aspiration location. When a tube passes the adjustment arm, the tube will move the reader arm upward to provide a signal indicating that a tube is aligned in the aspiration location for aspiration by the stripper plate assembly.

Abstract: The invention describes the preparation of preserved, non-infectious control cells. The control cells are prepared by modification, activation or otherwise changing selected normal leukocyte cells, tissue culture cells or zenogenic transplants in immunosuppressed animals to have characteristics of abnormal cells or by the addition of cells from an established cell line, which has been similarly modified or activated, to a normal leukocyte population. The preferred method of preserving the control cells is by lyophilization using an isotonic 10% trehalose solution.

Abstract: A method of analyzing the characteristics of an adsorbent is provided. The method uses a sample chamber of known volume and known temperature with an adsorbent to be analyzed. An adsorptive gas which comprises at least 80 percent of a component gas and less than 20 percent of a carrier gas, at a temperature higher than its boiling point at environmental atmospheric pressure is introduced into the sample chamber. The pressure of the adsorptive gas is measured. The quantity of the adsorptive gas adsorbed by the adsorbent, at the measured pressure is determined. And, a relative pressure in the sample chamber and the quantity of the adsorptive gas adsorbed by the adsorbent at the relative pressure is correlated.

Abstract: This invention primarily is directed to a hematology reference control solution, the three separate white cell control portions thereof consisting of three types of fixed red cells of determined size distribution for checking the operation of a particle analyzing instrument, including its predetermined lower and upper threshold settings for each class or subclass of leukocytes.For preparing a human granulocyte analogue, nurse shark erythrocytes are altered and fixed in a chilled solution to simulate in number, size and distribution the granulocytes in human whole blood.

Abstract: A flow cytometer includes a plurality of detectors for providing voltage pulse signals over a four decade range as particles pass through an illuminated detection station. Each voltage pulse signal is processed and provided to a first sample and hold for storage. Thereafter, the value in the first sample and hold is amplified by one or thirty-two, depending upon its magnitude, and stored in a second sample and hold for subsequent provision to a sixteen bit analog to digital convertor (ADC), one signal at a time. The first sample and hold is then free to store a new value while the old value is awaiting provision to the ADC. The ADC converts the signal received from the second sample and hold to a fifteen bit digital signal and uses the sixteenth bit to manifest whether the signal stored in the second sample and hold was amplified by thirty-two.

Abstract: A method of making liquid toner for electrophotographic imaging by forming a mixture of a polyamide polymer, a good solvent therefor and a particulate pigment, heating the polymer/pigment/solvent mixture to form a solution thereof, cooling the resulting solution to precipitate fine polymer-encapsulated pigment particles of generally uniform size and morphology, removing the precipitated particles, removing the solvent and redispersing the resulting particles in dispersant medium along with a charge-control agent to form the liquid toner. A steric stabilizer can be added to the polymer-encapsulated pigment particle dispersion.

Abstract: An optical screening method and apparatus for identifying and counting cells expressing selected characteristics or properties. The cells are combined with one or more different sets of microspheres, each set having a reactant bound thereto which will bind to a specific molecule which can exist on one or more types of the cells. The cells and microspheres are formed in a known volume on a slide and optically viewed to identify and count the type of cells to which the different sets of microspheres do or do not bind. The cell count then is related to the known volume to provide an absolute cell count. A plurality of different sample portions can be utilized with different reactants to obtain a multipart WBC differential/absolute count. The different sets of microspheres are optically differentiated by having different optical characteristics, such as size, shape, color or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The invention describes the preparation of non-infectious control cells from normal, non-infectious, non-disease altered blood by depletion or augmentation of one or more cell types found in normal blood to reflect a specific disease state. The control cells so produced are preserved and thereafter reconstituted for use in immunological assays.

Abstract: A hematology control product comprising leukocyte analogs is described. The analogs comprise red blood cells which simulate at least two physical properties of human leukocytes. A method for making leukocyte analogs from blood cells having desired physical properties is also described. The process comprises expanding the cell volume, changing the hemoglobin content of the cell and fixing the cell. Generally, the monocyte and lymphocyte analogs leak hemoglobin from the cell while the eosinophil analog has the hemoglobin precipitated in the cell. A further method is described to use the control product to determine whether an automatic instrument is operating within manufacturer's specification.

Abstract: An aspiration apparatus primarily including a biohazard-safe aspirating cartridge assembly for use with material which might be hazardous to humans. The cartridge assembly includes a longitudinally expandable and contractible washing chamber, within which a fluid aspirating needle is longitudinally positioned. Opposite ends of the washing chamber are secured to a pair of telescopically slidable mounting members, which are pluggably mountable to an operably associated support. A locking element surrounds one of the mounting members, for preventing accidental/premature telescoping. Intentional release of the locking element enables the pair of slidable members to be telescoped together by the drive means, causing the washing chamber to contract, permitting the tip of the aspirating needle to be extended out of the chamber, for penetration of an operably associated sealed container of material, for example whole blood.

Abstract: A method for preparing phycobiliprotein/amine-reactive dye conjugates is disclosed in which the conjugates so prepared overcome the energy transfer/fluorescent quenching dilemma encountered in the use of prior art conjugates. A phycobiliprotein, for example, phycoerythrin or allophycocyanin, is conjugated with an amine-reactive dye, for example, Texas Red or carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester, in the presence of a selective salt which causes a hydrophobic intramolecular rearrangement of the phycobiliprotein thereby exposing more hydrophobic sites for binding to the amine-reactive dye. The conjugates prepared according to the invention are useful in multiple color fluorescence assays without requiring the use of multiple exciting sources.

Abstract: A polyamide polymer and one of methanol, ethanol and 2-propanol are formed into a solution by heating at 70 degrees Celsius for approximately two hours, the resulting solution is cooled to precipitate the polymer as particles from said solution. Alternatively, a non-solvent to said polymer may be added to effect precipitation of said polymer particles. The solvent is removed and the particles isolated and dried to form a dry powder. Fine particulate material such as a pigment, may be included with the polymer and solvent in formation of the solution. The resulting solution may be cooled at a rapid rate to precipitate the particles as polymer-encapsulated pigment particles of generally uniform size and morphology, the surface characteristics such as surface area being controlled. The precipitated polymer particles may be classified when dispersed in a dispersant medium, as mono-dispersed particles.

Abstract: A method for forming fine polymer particles, including core/shell polymer composite particles and polymer-encapsulated liposome particles. A polymer solution is formed using a selective solvent which enables the polymer to be precipitated from the solution upon a change in condition thereof. The change in condition may be effected by lowering of the temperature of the solution and/or introducing a non-solvent to the solution. With respect to the formation of the polymer-encapsulated liposome particles, the liposome particles are included when the polymer solution is formed.