Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Toshiyuki Sasaki

Hajime Sakuma

Katsumi Komatsu

A method of performing measurement of a hematocrit value and separate sampling of plasma and blood cells, simultaneously. A probe including a pair of detection electrodes each in the form of a suction nozzle, is lowered from a certain initial height into a sample vessel containing blood that has bveen separated into an upper plasma layer and a lower blood cell layer, while the probe travel distance is monitored. When the detection electrodes touch the surface of the plasma layer, the plasma is sampled into a corresponding sampling vessel through one of the electrode suction nozzles. The probe is then lowered further until the electrodes touch the surface of the blood cell layer, and the blood cells are sampled into a different sampling vessel through the other one of the suction nozzles. A total sample blood volume and the volume of the blood cells are calculated in accordance with the measured travel of the probe between the upper and lower layers, and a hematocrit value is determined from the calculated volumes.

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Fussa, Japan

Toshiyuki Sasaki