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:
Jan. 15, 1980
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1978
Alan D Randolph, Tucson, AZ (US);
University Patents, Inc., Norwalk, CT (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for determining crystallization properties of urine to study stone formation therein. A continuous crystallizer is loaded with a fluid, or mother liquor, containing synthetic urine and an aliquot of natural urine. The mother liquor is recirculated from an output of the continuous crystallizer back to an input thereof. After stabilization has been achieved in the crystallizer, the crystal populations of the fluid are measured. Measurement is performed by sampling the contents of the continuous crystallizer and measuring the crystal populations of the sample. In the preferred embodiment of the method, calcium and oxalate ions are added to the fluid to study the formation of calcium oxalate in urine. The recirculating fluid is saturated with calcium and oxalate ions using a saturator loaded with calcium oxalate crystals. To study precipitation of crystals, or the absence thereof, in the circulating mother liquor, calcium and oxalate ions are also fed, from separate sources, to the continuous crystallizer. In the apparatus of the invention, a recirculating loop from and to the continuous crystallizer includes a surge tank, a pump, a packed bed saturator, and suitable filters. Sampling is performed using a continuous flow sampling cell, and a particle counter generates an output which is a measure of the crystal populations of the continuous crystallizer. A computing module can then be employed to calculate crystallization properties of the mother liquor as a function of the crystal populations.