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.

Date of Patent:
Aug. 30, 2016

Filed:

Dec. 06, 2012
Applicant:

Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);

Inventors:

Daniel Cheek, Plymouth, MN (US);

Lawrence Erickson, Brooklyn Park, MN (US);

Trevor Huang, Maple Grove, MN (US);

Tessy Kanayinkal, Brooklyn Park, MN (US);

Craig Petersen, Brooklyn Park, MN (US);

Charlene Yuan, Woodbury, MN (US);

Assignee:

Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 33/49 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 33/4905 (2013.01);
Abstract

Activated clotting time (ACT) tests detect blood clotting time based on the viscosity changes of a test sample, using a ferromagnetic washer lifted to the top of a test chamber and then dropped from the top via gravity; a drop time greater than a preset threshold value indicates clotting of the test sample. Blood samples which have high levels of heparin usually produce very weak clots that may easily be destroyed by the lifting movement of the washer. But if the clot threshold is set low to detect the weak clots, false detections occur during early testing cycles when activators are not fully suspended during the mixing cycle. Improved algorithms for lifting the washer and adjusting over time enable accurate detection of weak clots.


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