Method and apparatus for measuring agglutination of cells in a carrier liquid

Claim 3

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said velocity is sufficient to cause all walls of said cavity to be wetted by said liquid during each movement of said container through said path.

Claim 4

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said beam of light is passed through said suspension during said moving of said container.

Claim 5

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said container is stopped after repeatedly moving through said path, and said beam of light is passed through the suspension in the stopped container.

Claim 6

Apparatus for measuring the agglutination of cells suspended in a liquid carrier which comprises: a. a cuvette holder having a horizontally extending axis of rotation and formed with a plurality of recesses angularly distributed along a circle about said axis and open in a radially outward direction; b. drive means for rotating said cuvette holder about said axis at a uniform speed; c. a plurality of cuvettes respectively secured in said recesses, each cuvette defining a cavity therein and having two axially opposite, transparent walls for passage of a light beam through said cuvette in an axial direction; and d. measuring means for measuring the scattering of said light beam by the contents of the cavity of each cuvette, said measuring means including a light source arranged on one side of said circle, and photoelectric means responsive to the energy of the beam passed from said source through each cell and received by said photoelectric means for generating an electric signal.

Claim 7

Apparatus for measuring the agglutination of cells suspended in a liquid carrier which comprises: a. a cuvette holder having a horizontally extending axis of rotation and formed with a plurality of recesses angularly distributed along a circle about said axis and open in a radially outward direction; b. drive means for rotating said cuvette holder about said axis at a uniform speed; c. a plurality of cuvettes respectively secured in said recesses, each cuvette defining a cavity therein and having two axially opposite, transparent walls for passage of a light beam through said cuvette in an axial direction; and d. measuring means for measuring the scattering of said light beam by the contents of the cavity of each cuvette, said measuring means including a light source arranged on one side of said circle, and photoelectric means responsive to the energy of the beam passed from said source through each cell and received by said photoelectric means for generating an electric signal.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein each cuvette includes a frame member having two opposite faces and formed with an opening therethrough between said faces, two plate members of transparent material sealed to said faces respectively and closing said opening, said opening constituting said cavity, said frame member being formed with a conduit communicating with said cavity and having an outer orifice, and plug means releasably sealing said orifice.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said faces are parallel, and said opening is of elongated shape in a plane parallel to said faces, said frame member having two longitudinal wall portions and two transverse wall portions bounding said opening, said longitudinal wall portions being planar and parallel to each other, and said transverse wall portions being arcuate and connecting said longitudinal wall portions.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said transverse wall portions are substantially semi-cyindrical about respective axes of curvature transverse to said plane, said conduit having an inner orifice in one of said transverse walls.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said measuring means further include two aperture plates formed with respective slots elongated in a common direction transverse to said beam, said slots being aligned in the direction of said beam, one of said aperture plates being interposed between said source and said cuvette, and the other aperture plate being interposed between said cuvette and said photoelectric means.

Claim 12

A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said speed is sufficient to cause all walls of each cavity to be wetted by a liquid occupying approximately one half of the volume of said cavity.