The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 24, 1977
Filed:
Jan. 23, 1976
University Patents, Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining crystallization properties, such as the particle kinetics, of urine. A first feed solution is formulated as including synthetic urine plus an aliquot of natural urine. A second feed solution which includes synthetic urine is also formulated. The two feed solutions are combined in a continuous crystallizer and the particle densities or crystal populations of the contents of the crystallizer are measured. Finally, the particle kinetics, such as the nucleation and growth rate of the crystals, are calculated as a function of the measured particle densities. In the preferred embodiment, the first and second feed solutions each comprise synthetic urine plus an aliquot of natural urine, with the natural urine preferably having a concentration in the range of about three percent to thirty percent of the total. In this manner, the artificial urine is found to contribute the necessary stability and controls so that crystallization properties can be measured without undue 'background' reactions yet enough natural urine is present to yield sufficient quantities of the constituents being measured to provide adequate sensitivity. Also, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the two feed solutions respectively contain calcium and oxalate ions in amounts sufficient to cause supersaturation in the continuous crystallizer and contain components of the type necessary to obtain weddelite-type crystals of calcium oxalate in the dihydrate form.