Abstract: A patient's health may be diagnosed by centrifuging blood samples in a transparent tube, which tube contains one or more bodies or groups of bodies such as floats, inserts, liposomes, or plastic beads of different densities. Each density-defined body carries analyte-capture binding materials such as antigens or antibodies, which are specific to an epitope, or other specific high affinity binding site on a target analyte which target analyte may be in the blood or other sample being tested; and the level of which analyte is indicative of the patient's health. At least one labeled binding material which is also specific to an epitope, or other specific high affinity binding site on the target analyte is added to the sample so as to form labeled binding material/analyte/body complexes in the sample.

Abstract: A patient's health may be diagnosed by centrifuging blood samples in a transparent tube, which tube contains one or more bodies or groups of bodies such as floats, inserts, liposomes, or plastic beads of different densities. Each density-defined body carries analyte-capture binding materials such as antigens or antibodies, which are specific to an epitope, or other specific high affinity binding site on a target analyte which target analyte may be in the blood or other sample being tested; and the level of which analyte is indicative of the patient's health. At least one labeled binding material which is also specific to an epitope, or other specific high affinity binding site on the target analyte is added to the sample so as to form labeled binding material/analyte/body complexes in the sample.

Abstract: Blood constituents are separated by centrifugation in a transparent tube which contains a float for physically elongating certain of the constituents. The centrifuged sample in the tube is positioned on a layer measuring device with which red cell and buffy coat constituent band heights can be measured in ambient light. The buffy coat constituent measurements are made under optical magnification. The measuring device has a mathematically derived red cell layer nomogram printed thereon, and a separate scale for measuring buffy coat constituent bands. Conversion tables are provided for converting the measured buffy coat constituent band lengths into constituent cell counts. The measuring device includes tube-engaging portions for properly positioning the tube during the measurements, and the red cell scale automatically compensates for the presence of the float and densification of red cells needed for proper banding.