RAPID MICROHEMATOCRIT DETERMINATION DEVICE

DURING PHASE II DEVELOPMENT WORK ON A CONTINUOUS FLOW ULTRASONIC BLOOD CELL/PLASMA SEPARATOR, TECHNICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC. FOUND THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO COMPACT THE ERYTHROCYTES INTO BANDS IN MICROHEMATOCRIT TUBES. THE PROCESS, USING AN ULTRASONIC STANDING WAVE, EXERTS FORCES SUFFICIENT TO COMPACT THE ERYTHROCYTES TO A VOLUME FRACTION EQUIVALENT TO THAT OBTAINED IN ORDINARY MICROHEMATOCRIT CENTRIFUGES. AT THE POWER LEVELS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THIS "ULTRASONIC HEMATOCRIT," CAVITATION WAS NOT OBSERVED. THIS NEW TECHNIQUE PORTENDS TO DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVICE THAT WILL, IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, PROVIDE HEMATOCRIT VALUES FROM BLOOD COLLECTED IN MICROHEMATOCRIT TUBES. THIS CAPABILITY WILL ALLOW EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE PERSONNEL AND OTHERS TO QUICKLY OBTAIN USEFUL CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM INFORMATION. BECAUSE ONLY SMALL VOLUMES OF BLOOD ARE REQUIRED, THIS TECHNIQUE WILL LIKELY FIND USE IN THE TREATMENT OF NEONATES. PHASE I WILL DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE APPROACH AND PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK AND DATA NECESSARY TO JUSTIFY CONTINUED WORK. PHASE II WILL DEVELOP A PORTABLE, HAND-HELD HEMATOCRIT MEASURING DEVICE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A DIGITAL MULTIMETER, AND CONTAINING NO MOVING PARTS.