Boehringer Ingelheim Microparts Gmbh

Instrumentation Laboratory Company

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Gmbh

Steag Microparts Gmbh

Bayer Healthcare LLC

Other

Boehringer Ingelheim International Gmbh

Acousort Ab

Boehringer Ingelholm Microparts Gmbh

Scandinanian Micro Biodevices A/s

Gert Blankenstein

Ralf-Peter Peters

Holger Bartos

Ethan Schonbrun

Hansong Zeng, Jr

Michael J Pugia

Dirk Klaus Osterloh

Josef Kerimo

Tobias Rodenfels

Christian Schoen

Dirk Kurowski

Lara Adib

James Arthur Profitt

Klaus Kadel

Lloyd S Schulman

Thomas Willms

Christian Schön

Mario Hempel

Claus Marquordt

Raimund C Wyzgol

Stephen Terence Dunne

Marc Rohrschneider

Per Augustsson

Ying Yu

Hai-Hang Kuo

Hansong Zeng

Ola Jakobsson

Pelle Ohlsson

Michael Schlueter

Hai Hang Kuo

Ron Scharlack

Ralf Peters

Klara Andersson

Dirk Osterloh

Thanh Tu Hellmich-Duong

Tobias Eichmann

Marc Grolla

Christian Dechant

Ilse Ballhorn

Birgit Mueller-Chorus

Christian Schon

Pelle Daniel Ohlsson

Klara Petersson

Claus Dipl-Ing Marquordt

Described is an automated reagent dispensing cap and methods of use in an automated clinical analyzer for introducing one or more reagent components housed in the reagent dispensing cap into a container enclosing another reagent component with which it is combined to achieve a reagent useful for diagnostic testing.

Reagent component dispensing caps for reagent containers used in automated clinical analyzers

The invention relates to a method of performing an optical or electrical measurement in a sample of a disperse fluid, the sample comprising particles and a fluid. The method comprises the steps of: a) positioning the sample in a microfluidic cavity having a resonance frequency, b) subjecting the sample, in the cavity, to an acoustic standing wave configured for causing the particles to congregate in at least one first region of the cavity, thereby causing the fluid to occupy at least one second region of the cavity, wherein the frequency of the acoustic standing wave is varied between a frequency below the resonance frequency and a frequency above the resonance frequency, and c) performing an optical or electrical measurement in the fluid in at least one of the at least one second region of the cavity. Varying the frequency ensures reproducible results. The invention also relates to a system therefore and a method and system for measuring hematocrit.

Method and system for optical or electrical measurements in disperse fluids

Described is an automated reagent mixing container for separately storing and automatically mixing together at least two stored reagent components.

Dual chamber reagent mixing container

This invention relates to an optical system and method for performing turbidity assay, e.g. coagulation of blood or plasma, comprising a standard optical reference, a sample handling structure, a light source and an optical detection unit. The standard optical reference, such as a fluorophore-doped glass, provides constant optical signal under controlled optical conditions. The sample handling structure, such as a microfluidic system with reaction chamber, can be placed beneath or above the standard optical reference. During operation, the coagulating plasma/blood changes its optical absorbance and reflection properties, which results in changes in optical signal that reaches the optical reading unit. The variation of the optical signal, such as fluorescence signal indicates the kinetics of the turbidity varying process, such as plasma/blood coagulation process. This invention is used for performing turbidity assay with optical system, including photometry system, fluorescence system, Raman Spectroscopy system and so on.

Methods and systems for point-of-care coagulation assays by optical detection

Analyte content in a cell free portion of a body fluid, such as blood, is optically determined without centrifugation or other preliminary steps for separating the cell free portion from the body fluid. A channel is configured for containing a flowing sample of the body fluid along an optical boundary. The channel is configured so that a cell free layer of the fluid naturally forms along the boundary of the channel which coincides with the optical boundary. A light source is directed onto the optical boundary at an angle selected to generate total reflection from the boundary and to generate an evanescent field across the boundary in the cell free layer of fluid. A light detector is configured to detect absorption of the light in the evanescent field. The light source and light detector are matched to the wavelength range of an absorption peak of the analyte being detected.

Evanescent hemolysis detection

An optical system and method for quantifying total protein in whole blood or other multi-phase liquids and colloidal suspensions uses refractometry without preliminary steps such as cell separation or centrifugation. A refractometer is integrated with a flow cell to enable the refractive index of a flowing sample to be measured based on a substantially cell free boundary layer of the sample that is present under certain flow conditions. Dimensions of the flow cell are selected to produce a cell-free layer in a flow of whole blood in which the cell free layer is thick enough to reduce scattering of light from the refractometer light source. A numerical method is used to compensate for scattering artifacts. The numerical compensation method is based on the slope and width of a peak in the derivative curve of an angular spectrum image of the flowing sample produced by refractometry.

Total protein measurement using whole blood refractometry

The invention relates to an apparatus for separating blood and at the same time an apparatus () for absorbing blood () and separating components such as blood plasma, as a sample liquid (), having a feed device () for receiving the blood (), a separating device () for separating blood components as the sample liquid (), a channel () which takes up the sample liquid () preferably exclusively by capillary forces and a fill device for filling the channel () with sample liquid () in an inlet or feed region () of the channel (), wherein the separating device (), particularly a membrane, is domed, more particularly convexly shaped and projects with the apex of the convex shape into the filling device in the direction of filling.

Apparatus for the separation of plasma

The invention relates to an apparatus for separating blood, more particularly an apparatus () for absorbing blood () and separating blood components, e.g. blood plasma, as a sample liquid (). Said apparatus () comprises a feeding device () for absorbing the blood (), a device () for separating blood components as a sample liquid (), a duct which preferably absorbs the sample liquid () exclusively by means of capillary forces, and a device for filling the duct () with sample liquid () in an inlet or feeding zone () of the duct (). The separating device (), in particular a membrane, is curved, especially convexly shaped, and the apex of said curved, especially convex shape projects into the filling device.

The invention relates to a device for sample separation, particularly for blood separation, in which the sample liquid is introduced into a feed device. The sample flows vertically through a separating device such as a filter or a membrane, so that sample particles are retained and separated off. The sample liquid thus separated, particularly blood plasma, is received by an inlet chamber underneath the separating device and conveyed by means of a channel in the lateral direction out of the inlet chamber. Particularly advantageously, the channel extends into the inlet chamber, the channel being formed by a recess in the base of the inlet chamber.

Device for plasma separation by means of a central channel structure

The invention relates to a microfluidic apparatus for producing a volume flow that is uniform over time in a metering process. In various solution processes or reaction processes it is essential to have a specified given volume flow or mass flow of fluid available to ensure reliable dissolution of the reagent or ensure that the reaction takes place. In microfluidic apparatus in which separation of particles from a fluid, particularly blood, is carried out through a membrane, the volume flow through the membrane decreases continuously. In order to achieve a uniform volume flow during metering, it is envisaged that first of all a reservoir is filled from a first channel, so that the contents of the reservoir can then be fed to the metering process by opening a fluid stop. The emptying of the reservoir takes place with a uniform volume flow of 0.05 microliters per second to 10 microliters per second.

Plasma separation reservoir

Growing community of inventors

Dortmund, Germany

Gert Blankenstein