Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for measuring the properties of blood using ultrasound. The present invention is particularly suitable for measuring HCT, HGB, MCV, RBC, MCHC, MCH or TPC of blood.

Abstract: An ultrasonic field-portable system for accurately measuring hematocrit (HCT) and hemoglobin concentration (HGB) in small food samples. The system includes an analyzer (10) that allows extremely accurate measurements of blood hematocrit from only one or two drops of +>>d collected in a disposable sampling device (12) that is then inserted into the analyzer (10). The system is compact enough to package into a point of care device, making it a point of care device with accuracy comparable to larger CBC lab equipment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a centrifuge apparatus with a built-in sample tube reader and methods for rapidly obtaining measurements of creamatocrit, fat content and/or energy (caloric) content from low-volume fresh and frozen milk specimens.

Abstract: A centrifuge (10) for spinning blood sample tubes (14) has a conical rotor head (17) rotated within a cavity defined by an upwardly open annular trough (39) and a domed lid (50). The tubes (14) are inserted into transparent plastic tube holders (48). The holder top ends (60) are funnel-shaped to capture spillage and enable manual gripping. The trough has oppositely sloping walls (40, 41) and holder bottom ends (59) are exposed for ready viewing below the head bottom edge. A reader station (15) includes a pointer (80) with a lens (86) that has hairlines (87) for aligning the pointer over the spin tube (14a) to enter data on the red cell/plasma interface. The lines (87) are spaced to match the diagonal appearance of the interface. An interlock assembly includes a solenoid operated shuttle arm (108) that blocks movement of a pin (95) out of a bore (94) in a lid tab (92), unless motor (23) is deenergized.

Abstract: A centrifuge rotor head has a hollow frusto-conical housing with parallel inner and outer, upwardly and inwardly inclined walls joined at top and base ends by top and bottom annular flanges, and closed at the top by a central horizontally extending disc portion. The top flange is interrupted at equiangularly spaced intervals by circular openings which, together with an internal annular chamber, present steep angled cavities making angles of about 20.degree. with the rotor cone axis. The housing is capped at its upper end by a circumferentially-extending crown-shaped ring which has a plurality of upwardly and inwardly inclined projections located radially outward of the openings. The projections support the exposed upper ends of tubes placed in the cavities, to guard against neck breakage and stopper dislodgement during spinning.

Abstract: An automatic hematocrit reader wherein a sample of blood in a microhematocrit capillary tube is banded with a standing wave from an ultrasonic transducer. A light source and photocell combination is used to determine the relative thicknesses of the bands of red blood cells and the bands of plasma. The hematocrit of the sample of blood is electronically calculated from this data. A calibration strip is included so that the device is calibrated each time the hematocrit is determined. The device includes a mechanical interlock/eject system for the microhematocrit capillary tube and is specifically configured so that the operator does not handle or even touch the microhematocrit capillary tube.

Abstract: This invention is an ultrasound apparatus for determining hematocrit. A sample of blood in a microhematocrit capillary tube is acoustically coupled to an ultrasound transducer which creates a standing wave in the blood sample. Red blood cells in the blood sample are packed in bands that correspond to the nodes of the standing wave. The thickness of the bands as a function of the thickness of the remaining plasma is an indication of the hematocrit of the blood sample.