Medical Laboratory Automation, Inc.

Richard E Scordato

Didya D Levy

Robert J Varca

George Fried

Walter Greenfield

John G Gorman

Gerald W Callan

Robert S Francis

William D Corry

John J Hartnett

A method and apparatus are provided for use with a centrifuge to analyze reactants. The apparatus includes at least one cuvette having at least one chamber. The chamber has a radially outward wall which provides a base upon which reactants can be pelleted when the device is rotated about a centrifugal axis. Each cuvette includes one or more openings for introducing fluids to the cuvette and includes a channel positioned adjacent to the radially outward wall for removing fluids from the chamber. Pressure is applied to the chamber to force fluids therefrom, through the channel. A hold down device is also provided through which fluid and/or pressure may be passed with respect to the cuvette. The invention also provides a method for determining the existence and degree of agglutination of reactants in a first fluid suspension and contained in a single reaction vessel using a photodetector.

Agglutination detection apparatus

A pipette system in which a pipette is controlled by a pre-programmed control unit to perform any selected one of a number of liquid dispensing functions, such as pipetting single volumes of liquid, multiple dispensings from an aspirated volume of liquid, dilutions, and titrations. The control unit also permits new programs for liquid dispensing functions to be written and stored therein.

Programmable pipette

A coagulation instrument for determining clotting times of plasma as an indication of various blood factors. The instrument is adapted to use three or more different reagents which are added selectively to plasma samples in accordance with a code on a cuvette in which the plasma sample is carried through the instrument. Different clotting time tests may be performed sequentially in random order as determined by the coded cuvettes.

Coagulation instrument for performing clotting tests

A plurality of cuvettes joined together by breakable links between each cuvette for use in testing blood for its ABO classification and the presence of a typical antibodies, and for crossmatching blood for compatibility, together with label means for indicating the reagents used in each cuvette and the identity of the person whose blood is being tested. The cuvettes may be adapted to accept a closure means which permits the cuvettes to be pre-packaged with reagents required to carry out blood tests. The cuvettes have a hydrophilic polymer coating thereon that is non-destructive of red blood cells.

Blood bank cuvette cassette and label therefor

In a photometric coagulation instrument a synthetic clot signal is generated so that the operation of the instrument can be checked without the need to measure the actual clotting time of a control plasma sample.

Test circuit for use in coagulation instrument

A dual receptacle cuvette adapted for use in a plasma coagulation testing apparatus which cuvette is coded to enable the apparatus to determine the particular test procedure to be performed on the plasma sample in the cuvette receptacles.

Coded cuvette for use in testing apparatus

A reagent delivery system having a reagent reservoir adapted to permit mechanical stirring of the reagent therein and removal of the reagent from the bottom of the reservoir, and a compact heat exchange unit through which the reagent flows to facilitate rapid heating of the reagent immediately prior to its use in a testing apparatus.

Reagent reservoir system for use in testing apparatus

A pipette calibration kit containing a plurality of solutions, each of a predetermined concentration, which are used for plotting a calibration curve, and at least one reagent of a predetermined concentration which is used to replace an identical quantity of diluent in a predetermined volume of the diluent. The concentration of the reagent-diluent mixture is measured and the quantity of the reagent substituted for diluent in the reagent-diluent mixture, i.e., the volume of the pipette used to add the reagent to the diluent, is determined from the calibration curve.

Growing community of inventors

Scarsdale, NY, United States of America

Richard E Scordato