초록 ▼

The serum transfer cup is nestable in two different size blood collection tubes such as a 13 mm diameter sample tube and a 16 mm diameter sample tube of the same axial length. The serum transfer cup includes a flange stepped down from a top edge of the cup by a distinctive axial distance that permit

The serum transfer cup is nestable in two different size blood collection tubes such as a 13 mm diameter sample tube and a 16 mm diameter sample tube of the same axial length. The serum transfer cup includes a flange stepped down from a top edge of the cup by a distinctive axial distance that permits ultrasonic identification of the presence of the serum transfer cup regardless of which sample tube nests the serum transfer cup. The serum transfer cup has a higher elevation in the 13 mm sample tube than in the 16 mm sample tube, and the different flange heights can be detected using ultrasonic signals. Thus ultrasonic measurement of the flange position of the nested serum transfer cup identifies the presence of different serum transfer cups in the 13 mm sample tube and in the 16 mm sample tube, and also identifies the 13 mm and 16 mm sample tubes with the nested serum transfer cups.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A serum transfer cup that is optionally supportable on either of two blood collection tubes of the same axial height but of different inside diameter and different outside diameter, wherein a first blood collection tube has a first inside diameter, and a second blood collection tube has a second

1. A serum transfer cup that is optionally supportable on either of two blood collection tubes of the same axial height but of different inside diameter and different outside diameter, wherein a first blood collection tube has a first inside diameter, and a second blood collection tube has a second inside diameter of smaller magnitude that the first inside diameter, said serum transfer cup comprising,a) a hollow tubular member with an axis, an open end and a generally tubular wall concentric to said axis, an external annular support flange on the tubular wall below the open end, said annular support flange having a flange top surface and a predetermined flange thickness, an enlarged annular collar portion adjacent and below the annular support flange and having a collar diameter of smaller diametrical magnitude than the first inside diameter to permit recession of the enlarged annular collar portion in the first blood collection tube, and a tubular section below the enlarged annular collar portion that is of smaller outside diametrical magnitude than the first and second inside diameters of the first and second blood collection tubes to permit recession of the tubular section in the first and second blood collection tubes, b) the external annular support flange having an outside flange diameter of greater magnitude than the outside diameter of the second blood collection tube and at least the same diameter as the outside diameter of the first blood collection tube, to permit seating of said annular support flange on the first. blood collection tube, said flange top surface being at a first uniquely identifiable axial distance below the open end of the serum transfer cup to permit ultrasonic identification of the serum transfer cup based on ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the first distinctively identifiable axial distance, and to permit ultrasonic identification of a nested combination of a first blood collection tube and serum transfer cup wherein the annular support flange of the serum transfer cup is seated on the first blood collection tube with the enlarged annular collar portion and the tubular section recessed in the first blood collection tube, the ultrasonic identification of the nested combination of the first blood collection tube and the serum transfer cup being based on ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the first distinctively identifiable axial distance to identify the serum transfer cup, and ultrasonic measurement information of the distance of the flange top surface on the first blood collection tube from an ultrasonic signal transmitter, c) the enlarged annular collar portion having an outside collar diameter of larger diametrical magnitude than the second inside diameter of the second blood collection tube to permit seating of a collar bottom surface of said enlarged collar portion on the second blood collection tube, said enlarged collar portion extending a second uniquely identifiable axial distance below the flange top surface to the collar bottom surface to permit ultrasonic identification of a nested combination of a second blood collection tube and serum transfer cup wherein the collar bottom surface is seated on the second blood collection tube with the tubular section recessed in the second blood collection tube, the ultrasonic identification of the nested combination of the second blood collection tube and the serum transfer cup being based on ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the first distinctively identifiable axial distance to identify the serum transfer cup, and ultrasonic measurement information of the distance of the flange top surface on the second blood collection tube from the ultrasonic signal transmitter. 2. The serum transfer cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tubular section includes a plurality of vertical ribs of predetermined height projecting radially outward from the tubular section such that the outermost portions of said ribs at any height level define a fixed diametrical magnitude.3. The serum transfer cup as claimed in claim 2 having a closed end opposite the open end and the ribs extend below the closed end of the serum transfer cup in the form of footing portions with flat ends that permit the serum transfer cup to stand upright on a flat surface on said flat ends.4. The serum transfer cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein the open end has an inside annular chamfer of approximately 60 degrees with respect to the open end.5. The serum transfer cup as claimed in claim 1 being formed of a transparent material and including a volume measurement line at a predetermined axial height of the tubular section to facilitate volume measurement of serum in the serum transfer cup.6. The serum transfer cup as claimed in claim 5 wherein the volume measurement line is formed on an outside surface of the serum transfer cup.7. The serum transfer cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein the annular support flange has a peripheral edge with a peripheral chamfer of approximately 60 degrees with respect to the flange top surface.8. A method of determining whether a serum transfer cup is supported on either of two different diameter blood collection tubes of the same axial height, but of different inside diameter and different outside diameter, wherein a first blood collection tube has an open end and a first inside diameter and a second blood collection tube has an open end and a second inside diameter of smaller magnitude than the first inside diameter comprising,a) forming a generally tubular serum transfer cup with a tubular wall having an open end, b) forming an external annular support flange of predetermined thickness on the tubular wall of the serum transfer cup below the open end with an outside flange diameter that is of greater magnitude than the second blood collection tube and at least the same diameter as the outside diameter of the first blood collection tube, and with a flange top surface that is at a first distinctively identifiable axial distance from the open end of the serum transfer cup, c) forming an enlarged annular collar portion on the tubular wall of the serum transfer cup, adjacent and below the annular support flange, with an outside collar diameter that is of lesser magnitude than the first inside diameter of the first blood collection tube to permit recession of the annular collar portion inside the first blood collection tube, and of greater magnitude than the inside diameter of the second blood collection tube to permit seating of a collar bottom surface of the enlarged collar portion on the second blood collection tube, and providing the collar bottom surface at a second distinctively identifiable axial distance from the flange top surface, d) forming a tubular section of the serum transfer cup below the enlarged collar portion with less outside diametrical magnitude than the first and second inside diameter of the first and second blood collection tubes to permit recession of the tubular section in the first and second blood collection tubes, e) supporting one said serum transfer cup on the first blood collection tube such that the external annular support flange is seated upon the open end of the first blood collection tube and the enlarged annular collar portion and the tubular section of the one said serum transfer cup are recessed in the first blood collection tube, whereby the one said serum transfer cup and the first blood collection tube form a first nested combination, f) detecting the first nested combination of the first blood collection tube including the one said serum transfer cup by providing ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the first distinctively identifiable axial distance between the open end of the serum transfer cup and the flange top surface to identify the one said serum transfer cup while the one said serum transfer cup is supported on the first blood collection tube, and providing additional ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the distance of the flange top surface from an ultrasonic signal transmitter when the one said serum transfer cup is supported on the first blood collection tube, g) supporting another said serum transfer cup on the second blood collection tube such that the collar bottom surface is seated upon the open end of the second blood collection tube, while the flange top surface of the other said serum transfer cup is elevated above the open end of the second blood collection tube by an amount that corresponds to the second distinctively identifiable axial distance, and the tubular section of the other said serum transfer cup is recessed in the second blood collection tube, whereby the other said serum transfer cup and the second blood collection tube form a second nested combination, h) detecting the second nested combination of the second blood collection tube including the supported other said serum transfer cup by providing ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the first distinctively identifiable axial distance between the open end of the other said serum transfer cup and the flange top surface to identify the other said serum transfer cup while the other said serum transfer cup is supported on the second blood collection tube, and providing further ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the distance of the flange top surface from an ultrasonic signal transmitter when the other said serum transfer cup is supported on the second blood collection tube. 9. The method of claim 8 including providing information pertaining to liquid level in the nested one said serum transfer cup and the nested other said serum transfer cup by using ultrasonic signals that compare the liquid level in any of the nested serum transfer cups with the level of the open end of the respective said nested serum transfer cups.10. A method of nesting a serum transfer cup on either of two different diameter blood collection tubes of the same axial height, but of different inside diameter and different outside diameter, wherein a first blood collection tube has an open end and a first inside diameter and a second blood collection tube has an open end and a second inside diameter of smaller magnitude than the first inside diameter comprising,a) forming a generally tubular serum transfer cup with a tubular wall having an open end, b) forming an external annular support flange of predetermined thickness on the tubular wall of the serum transfer cup stepped away from the open end of the serum transfer cup and with an outside flange diameter that is of greater magnitude than the outside diameter of the second blood collection tube and at least the same diameter as the outside diameter of the first blood collection tube, c) forming an enlarged annular collar portion on the tubular wall of the serum transfer cup, adjacent and below the annular support flange, with an outside collar diameter that is of lesser magnitude than the first inside diameter of the first blood collection tube to permit recession of the annular collar portion inside the first blood collection tube, and of greater magnitude than the inside diameter of the second blood collection tube to permit seating of a collar bottom surface of the enlarged collar portion on the second blood collection tube, d) forming a tubular section of the serum transfer cup below the enlarged collar portion with less outside diametrical magnitude than the first and second inside diameter of the first and second blood collection tubes to permit recession of the tubular section in the first and second blood collection tubes, e) supporting one said serum transfer cup on the first blood collection tube such that the external annular support flange is seated upon the open end of the first blood collection tube wherein the enlarged annular collar portion and the tubular section of the one said serum transfer cup are recessed in the first blood collection tube, and, f) supporting another said serum transfer cup on the second blood collection tube such that the collar bottom surface is seated upon the open end of the second blood collection tube, wherein the tubular section of the other said serum transfer cup is recessed in the second blood collection tube, while the flange top surface of the other serum transfer cup is elevated above the open end of the second blood collection tube, including providing the annular support flange with a flange top surface at a distinctively identifiable axial distance from the open end of the serum transfer cup and providing ultrasonic measurement information that identifies the distinctively identifiable axial distance between the open end of the serum transfer cup and the flange top surface to identify the presence of the serum transfer cup. 11. The method of claim 10 including measuring the distance of the support flange of the serum transfer cup from a fixed overhead location, when the serum transfer cup is supported in the first blood collection tube, to identify a nested combination of the serum transfer cup and the first blood collection tube.12. The method of claim 10 including measuring the distance of the support flange of the serum transfer cup from a fixed overhead location, when the serum transfer cup is supported in the second blood collection tube, to identify the nested combination of the serum transfer cup and the second blood collection tube.