Abstract: Apparatus and process for curing conformal coatings on circuit boards being conveyed through a curing chamber within a UV oven. Warm air, exhausted from a lamp housing containing UV lamps for curing the coatings, is directed into a flash zone chamber through which the coated circuit boards are conveyed prior to entering the UV oven for flashing volatile constituents from the coatings and raising the temperature of the circuit boards.

Abstract: A filter for removing leucocytes comprising a filter medium, said filter medium being a fibrous material made of a polyester fiber which is treated on its surface with a copolymer containing 40 to 80% by weight of units derived from glucosyloxyethyl methacylate.When the filter of the present invention is used, leucocytes are removed from concentrated platelets or platelet-rich plasma without loss of platelets.

Abstract: A method for heparin neutralization within a blood bag containing whole blood and CPDA anti-coagulant, or the like, recovered from an extracorporeal circuit having heparin induced into the blood for reuse in a patient without further treatment thereof, by use of commercially available components wherein a modified blood bag containing CPDA and whole blood is infused with a calculable amount of protamine.

Abstract: A novel process and related apparatus for removing common contaminants from used motor oil. Propane, butane or a similar solvent is mixed with the contaminated oil to form a solution. This solution is agitated and then given time to settle thus allowing gravitational separation of asphaltic pollutants. The solution is then percolated through a columned filter to remove heavy metallic contaminants and the solvent recovered by heating the solution.

Abstract: A specimen processor, for operation with holder apparatus carrying a viewing screen and a filter device and a container of a biological sample, has a frame with reference structure for aligningly engaging the holder apparatus, and has a transport that carries a manipulation device. The processor operates the transport and the manipulation device to engage the filter device, remove it from support by the holder apparatus and collect cellular particles from the sample onto the filter device. The processor further operates the transport and manipulation device to abut the filter device with the viewing screen for transferring collected cellular particles to the screen, and to return the filter device to carrying by the holder apparatus.

Abstract: A blood washing device is employed for recovering shed blood or other sources of blood and preparing packed red cells therefrom. The device employs a gravity sedimentation procedure but achieves a shortened washing period by using an aggregating reagent for aggregating or agglomerating the red cells so as to increase their sedimentation velocity during the gravity sedimentation. The wash period is further shortened by employing a vessel with a flat shallow configuration for shortening the sedimentation path length of the aggregated red cells. A non-turbulant removal of the resultant broad shallow layer of sedimented red cells is achieved by carefully tilting the vessel after the sedimentation step so as to induce the sedimented red cells to slide or shift into a funnel configuration within the vessel. After the red cells have shifted into a funnel configuration, they are allowed to stand in that configuration so as undergo further concentration.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process and a device for more efficiently obtaining a highly pure fraction of thrombocytes during density centrifugation of blood, which no longer has to be filtered before infusion into a patient for leukocytes contained therein, in order to prevent immunization of the recipient. The invention is based on a two-stage density separation, wherein in a first stage a separation is made between cells and thrombocyte-rich plasma, and the thrombocyte-rich plasma is not separated into a thrombocyte concentrate and thrombocyte-poor plasm until a second stage. During the first separation, the position of the phase boundary is changed cyclically in the first separation stage. Through alternating the phase boundary in the first stage, it becomes possible for the first time in the second stage to obtain highly pure thrombocyte concentrations with minimally low leukocyte contamination from the transferred thrombocyte-rich plasma without loss of efficiency.

Abstract: An apparatus for spraying the surfaces of glass containers which are being moved in longitudinally spaced transverse rows by a conveyor wherein a rodless air cylinder is mounted transversely of the conveyor and the spraying apparatus is connected to the piston of the rodless cylinder so that the spraying apparatus is moved transversely of the rows of containers. The rodless cylinder is supported for pivotal movement about a vertical axis so that the axis of the cylinder may be moved to a position other than a right angle to the longitudinal axis of movement of the conveyor. The offset of the angle from a right angle and the speed of traverse of the piston is coordinated with the conveyor speed so that any time during the travel, the spray apparatus is spraying between the rows being sprayed.

Abstract: Disclosed are preferred devices and methods which provide extracorporeal treatment of blood to effectively and consistently remove toxins therefrom and from patients over extended periods of time.

Abstract: An apparatus and a system are provided for delivering a peritoneal dialysis solution to a patient. A connector containing a first set of conduit segments and a loader containing a second set of conduit segments are mated together such as with a mating set of tracks and slots so that the two sets of conduit segments form a plurality of conduits that are each sealed from the other conduits. The loader is provided with a device for mating the conduit segments together in sealed relationship such as an eccentrically mounted rotatable cylinder and a platen in contact with the cylinder. The apparatus permits delivery of the dialysis solution to the patient and removal of the solution subsequently from the patient.

Abstract: A blood collection and separation system having multi-chamber collection assembly having a longitudinal axis. The assembly in a preferred embodiment is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and an alternate embodiment is rotatable about an axis parallel to its longitudinal axis. A porous separating body at one axial end of one chamber connects with a second chamber and allows flow of the lighter fraction of the blood from the one chamber to the other chamber during centrifugation, but blocks flow of the heavier fraction. Hydrostatic forces are created during centrifugation to cause flow of the lighter fraction through the body into the other chamber. Preferably the surface of the separating body which faces the first chamber slopes away the spinning axis so that centrifugal force tends to dislodge any particles of the heavier fraction which might be lodged on the surface. The assembly of the present invention affords handling of blood for testing or analysis without human exposure to the blood components.

Abstract: A serum or plasma collection device including a gel material for partitioning and separating heavier and lighter phases of a fluid sample such as a blood sample. The device preferably includes a member such as a disc-shaped or ring-shaped member or a combination thereof to prevent the separated material from interfering with the sampling of the separated fluid sample. The member is preferably formed of hydrophobic and/or non-wetted material and has a specific gravity different than the specific gravity of the lighter phase. The member also physically separates the separated material from the fluid to be sampled to allow the user to obtain an uncontaminated fluid sample.

Abstract: A blood collecting and filtering apparatus comprises a container (1) defining with a removably fixed cover (2) a tightly closed enclosure. The cover (2) is provided with an adjustable device (6) for connecting to a reduced pressure system and has a traversing opening (4). A disposable flexible filtration bag (10) is disposed in service position inside said enclosure. The bag has two internal rooms (13, 14) separated the one from the other by a filtering wall (12). The first room (13) is connected to the outside by an inlet pipe (15) for feeding blood to be treated, and the second room (14) is connected to the outside by an outlet pipe (16) for filtered blood. The second room has an opening which is closed by an element (17) made of a material which is permeable to air and impervious to liquids. Both inlet (15) and outlet (16) pipes pass in a tight manner through a plug (21) which in service position closes the traversing opening (4 ) of the cover (2).

Abstract: Systems and methods of collecting blood cells use a first container connected to at least three transfer containers. A filtration system is provided with one transfer container, which ultimately serves as the storage container for red blood cells free of white blood cells. The two other transfer containers are connected to each other, one of which is empty and one of which contains and additive solution for storage of red blood cells. The empty transfer container is used for storage of platelet concentrate, while the container that originally contained the additive solution is ultimately used to store the platelet-poor plasma component. A portion of the additive solution may be separately passed through the filtration system after filtration of the red cells to flush additional red blood cells from the filtration device.

Abstract: A cartridge-like holder or carrier for automatic operation with a specimen processor has a frame for removable and replaceable alignment in operative engagement with the specimen processor and has multiple supports, each of which removably and replaceably supports an implement such as a container of a biological specimen having cellular particles suspended in a liquid, a filter device for use in collecting cellular particles from the liquid in the sample container, a viewing screen onto which the collected cellular particles can be transferred from the filter device and, further, an output container for receiving the viewing screen with the cellular particles thereon. A transfer mechanism on the apparatus is operable for the automatic transfer of the viewing screen from a support on the frame, where it received the cellular particles, to an output container at a further support on the frame. The cartridge apparatus brings to the specimen processor the sample and all disposable devices, i.e.

Abstract: A device for separating plasma from blood is provided comprising a synthetic polymeric fibrous structure having a CWST in excess of 65 dynes/cm, the structure having a first region for receiving a blood sample and a second region for accumulating plasma.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus used in a centrifugal separating step for sample preparation in the field of clinical chemistry. Especially, the invention relates to a separating apparatus used for isolating a serum fraction from a freshly isolated blood sample without contamination with a clot fraction. A serum separating apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising an elastic body in the form of a cylindrical tube and a ball which can fitted to an opening of the elastic body and by positioning at a boundary of said fractions after the centrifugation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fibrous suspensions in the wood processing industry and more specifically to a so-called drum cylinder, the basic construction of which comprises a vessel, into which suspension being thickened is supplied and a wire-surface cylinder rotating in the vessel. The drum filter is characterized in that the closure member of the drum filter has a channel for leading gas from the filtrate tubes through the compartments of the distribution chamber to the outside of the closing member. The method is characterized in that the operation phase of the filter cylinder is divided into five separate stages. In the first stage, when the cylinder descends on to the vessel, air and the initial filtrate are discharged from the filtrate components and the formation of the pulp web on the wire surface begins. In the second stage, filtrate is discharged with vacuum and the formation of the pulp web continues.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically aliquotting liquids, such as blood serum, is described. The invention provides a completely automatic, clean, self-contained system for collecting and aliquotting liquids and simultaneously cleaning the aliquotting system. The system includes a serum loading station, a sensing station, an indexing table for advancing test tubes to a collection station, an aliquotting station and a wash station.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device and its use for separating plasma from whole blood by means of a fibre-containing layer which contains an erythrocyte-aggregating substance and is characterized in that the fibre-containing layer contains glass fibres which are coated with polyvinyl alcohol or with polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl acetate. The invention also concerns a test carrier for the determination of a blood component as well as a process for separation from whole blood in which the device according to the present invention is used.