Analyzer for the determination of hemoglobin and other related compounds in whole blood and hemoglobin solutions

Claim 1

An analyzer for the automatic testing of samples of 5 to 10 μl of hemoglobin solutions, particularly whole blood, and for the automatic determination of the total hemoglobin and of the percentage contents of at least the deoxyhemoglobin, the carboxyhemoglobin and the oxyhemoglobin, and/or the ratio of the third to the first component, comprising a tonometer, in which a buffer is kept in equilibrium with a gas having a predetermined oxygen partial pressure, a first pump for the transfer of the liquid to be tested to a cuvette, an oxygen electrode, the sensitive part of which is contained within said cuvette in contact with the said liquid, a second pump for emptying the cuvette, a dual wavelength optical system for measuring the absorbances of the liquid present in the cuvette at the wavelengths of 497 and 565 nm, light sensors adapted to sense the light passing through said optical system, computer means adapted to be fed with electrical signals, respectively corresponding to the values sensed by the oxygen electrode and by the said light intensity sensors, and to process said signals according to the equations: ##EQU10## and display means adapted to display the results of the calculations carried out by said computer means.