Hemolyzing apparatus

Claim 1

A SMALL COMPACT INEXPENSIVE DISPOSABLE DEVICE FOR USE IN COLLECTING DIRECTLY FROM A PATIENT''S FINGER TIP, EAR LOBE OF THE LIKE A SMALL SAMPLE OF WHOLE BLOOD AND FOR USE IN HEMOLYZING SAME, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A THIN ELONGATED RELATIVELY RIGID TUBULAR MEMBER OF TRANSPARENT MATERIAL HAVING A CENTRAL CAPILLARY-LIKE PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH FROM ONE END THEREOF TO THE OTHER, A HOLLOW FLEXIBLE BULB-LIKE MEMBER CARRIED BY ONE END OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND HAVING ITS INTERIOR IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID BULBLIKE MEMBER HAVING A SMALL AIR OPENING EXTENDING THROUGH A WALL PORTION THEREOF AND ARRANGED SO AS TO BE CLOSED BY A FINGER OF THE USER OF THE DEVICE, WHEN DESIRED, DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING OF A BLOOD SAMPLE IN SAID DEVICE AND DURING AGITATION OF SAID SAMPLE THEREIN, MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND SHAPED SO AS TO DEFINE A RELATIVELY THIN ELONGATED HELICAL PATH COMMUNICATING WITH AND CONSTITUTING A PART OF SAID CENTRAL CAPILLARY-LIKE PASSAGEWAY THROUGHOUT THE GREATER PART OF THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, AND A VERY THIN COATING OF A HEMOLYTIC MATERIAL ADHERED TO SUBSTANTIALLY ALL EXPOSED SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE MEANS DEFINING SAID HELICAL PATH SO AS TO BE CONTACTED BY THE BLOOD SAMPLE BEING DRAWIN INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY DURING LOADING OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, WHEREBY SAID SAMPLE MAY BE READILY OBSERVED THROUGH SAID TRANSPARENT MATERIAL AND THE CORRECT AMOUNT DESIRED IN SAID TUBE READILY CONTROLLED BY COVERING AND UNCOVERING THE OPENING IN SAID BULB DURING SAID LOADING, AND WHEREBY HEMOLYZING OF SAID SAMPLE MAY BE READILY ACCOMPLISHED THEREAFTER BY COVERING SAID OPENING AND MANIPULATING SAID BULB SLIGHTLY TO CAUSE SAID SAMPLE TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH ALONG SAID PASSAGEWAY AND HELICAL PATH WHILE IN CONTACT WITH SAID HEMOLYTIC MATERIAL.