Coulter Electronics, Inc.

Vladimir J Drbal

Guenter Ginsberg

John A Richardson

Ernesto Bello

Bruce J Hodgins

Ivan K Saltz

Rodolfo R Rodriguez

Richard M Grimm

Ted W Britton

Thomas J Godin

Ronald O Simpson

Bobby D James

J David Starling

A fluid transfer mechanism for rapidly and accurately picking up or aspirating a fluid quantity or aliquot in one position, moving it to a second position and dispensing the aspirated aliquot. The mechanism includes an arm mounted on a high helix shaft on one end and driven up and down the shaft by a first motor and rotated around the shaft by a second motor. The arm includes at a second end a fluid transfer probe which is moved into and out of the fluids to aspirate and dispense the fluids in precise angular locations. The arm may be accelerated and deaccelerated as it is rotated to avoid vibrations and spilling of the fluid from the probe. The probe may include a level sensing structure for sensing when the probe has contacted a fluid surface. The probe also may be coupled to an oscillator to oscillate the probe in a vessel into which the fluid has been dispensed to mix the fluids therein.

Fluid transfer mechanism

An aperture module for obtaining signals from microscopic particles suspended in a sample blood solution which passes through a scanning aperture. A module housing including an aperture holder is mounted on a container or bath containing a body of the particulate liquid suspension to be tested. The aperture holder with aperture formed therein extends into the vessel to permit passage of the sample through the aperture to an outlet chamber immediately behind the aperture. The chamber is connected to a source of clean electrolyte and has a narrowed or reduced dimension portion positioned immediately behind the aperture. A vacuum is applied to the chamber to cause the sample to be drawn through the aperture for testing thereof. An optical hemoglobinometer is positioned in association with the bath to measure the hemoglobin content of the solution to be tested.

Aperture module for use in particle testing apparatus

A diluting apparatus or pump having first and second chambers coaxially formed in a single pivotally mounted block. A first piston is reciprocally disposed in the first chamber and a second piston is coaxially mounted on the first piston and reciprocally disposed in the second chamber, substantially eliminating any transverse thrusts on the pistons. A spool valve is pivotally mounted on an eccentric pin mounted on a rotating crank to drive the pistons. The valve reciprocates within a valve body to couple the first chamber to a fluid supply line on a return stroke and to couple the first chamber to an output line on a delivery stroke. The second chamber is coupled to the output line on both strokes to draw in a second fluid on the return stroke and discharge it with the fluid from the first chamber on the delivery stroke thus mixing the two fluids.

Diluting apparatus

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Miramar, FL, United States of America

Vladimir J Drbal