Polaroid Corporation

Crystal Diagnostics, Inc.

Denis Hammerton

James A Laugharn

Timothy W Towle

A unique blood filter matrix material is provided which is able to effectively separate whole blood into cellular and noncellular constituents, especially when the whole blood volume is 0.5 milliliters or less. The filter matrix presents an overall negative surface electrical charge to the whole blood and utilizes a mechanism of action to rapidly separate cells from plasma or serum.

Electronegatively charged blood filter and blood cell separation method

Relatively compact apparatus for rapidly and continuously measuring the percentage of dissolved gas in a liquid. In one embodiment thereof, the apparatus includes a gas permeable tube or membrane closed at one end having its other end connected to a pressure sensor. The gas permeable tube is mounted on the apparatus housing such that it can be immersed in the liquid to be measured. During the measurement process, if the liquid contains less dissolved gas than the equilibrium quantity at atmospheric pressure, it will absorb gas from within the gas permeable tube thereby changing the internal tube-gas pressure. The percentage of dissolved gas is related to the extent of gas absorption by the liquid and the resulting internal tube-gas pressure after gas absorption is substantially complete. Rapid measurement of the percentage of dissolved gas is achieved by altering the combined internal volume of the gas permeable tube and the pressure sensor to produce an optimum minimum internal volume within the combined internal volumes. In another embodiment, a portion of the gas permeable tube is also exposed to atmospheric pressure. Vapor from the liquid being tested passing through the tube that would otherwise condense within same subsequently passes through that portion of the tube exposed to atmospheric pressure to thereby preclude such condensation and thereby avoid dissolved gas measurement errors that might otherwise be produced by such condensation.

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Wayland, MA, United States of America

Denis Hammerton