John Cremins DeceasedNew York, NY

5788927, Aug 4, 1998

Jul 30, 1996

8/688517

Gregory A. Farrell - Ridgewood NJ
Bruce E. Behringer - Park Ridge NJ
Joseph Carlucci - Harrison NY
James Mawhirt - Brooklyn NY
John Cremins - Waterbury CT

Bayer Corporation - Tarrytown NY

G01N 3510
G01N 2101

422 63

A unified fluid cell circuit assembly for an analytical instrument, such as a clinical hematology, immunoassy or chemistry or a flow cytometry instrument. The assembly includes a unified fluid circuit, a shear valve, a fluid pump assembly, and a plurality of solenoid valves. The unified fluid circuit is made of a plurality of acrylic plates which have formed in the various plate surfaces chamber cavities, pneumatic, hydraulic and vent line, and valve cavities. The plates, when secured together, form a plurality of reaction chambers, a plurality of control valves and various lines as a network for controlling the flow and mixing of aliquots of a sample and fluids (rinse, reagents, etc. ) to perform the reactions for analyzing the sample. The fluid pump assembly is connected to the unified flow circuit and has a plurality of diaphragm pumps which pump precise volumes of fluids.

5639630, Jun 17, 1997

May 16, 1995

8/442491

Michael J. Malin - Park Ridge NJ
Phyllis Shapiro - Yorktown Heights NY
John F. Cremins - Waterbury CT

Bayer Corporation - Tarrytown NY

C12Q 128
C12Q 134
C12N 500
G01N 3348

435 28

The present invention provides an improved reagent composition and method to perform white blood cell differential counting and subpopulation analysis using both fresh and aged blood samples with accuracy and precision. The invention is particularly applicable for the analysis of aged blood samples that have been stored at room temperature for over a day, thereby allowing accurate and useful information to be obtained from samples that are normally considered to be suboptimal. The improved reagent composition and method are particularly related to the peroxidase method of white blood cell differential determinations. One aspect of the invention includes an improved aqueous reagent composition for carrying out the peroxidase method of differential counting. Another aspect includes the use of a rinse cycle and rinse solution devoid of hemolytic surfactant to alleviate the adverse effects of rinse carryover and to streamline and economize the analytical process, particularly when the analyses are performed on automated hematology analyzers and flow cytometry systems. The composition and method of the invention provide clinically useful data for the differential analysis of whole blood samples.

5691486, Nov 25, 1997

Jul 30, 1996

8/688433

Bruce E. Behringer - Park Ridge NJ
John Cremins - Waterbury CT
Gregory A. Farrell - Ridgewood NJ

Bayer Corporation - Tarrytown NY

G01N 114

7386373

A method and apparatus for selecting a subset of a predetermined number of test sample aliquots to mix with respective reagents using a shear valve having a maximum predetermined number of aliquot loops in an analytical instrument, including without limitation a clinical hematology or a flow cytometer instrument. Each aliquot loop can be filled with a test sample aliquot. Selected ones of the aliquot loops can be filled with a rinse solution and, using bypass passages and valves, closed off from the rinse source and a vacuum source used to empty the rinse from the non-closed off aliquot loops. The vacuum source also is used to fill the non-closed off aliquot loops with the sample to be aliquotted, so that the closed off aliquot loop remains filled with rinse. The shear valve can then be shifted to a second position, where the reagents for the non-closed off aliquot loops are pumped through those aliquot loops to mix the selected sample aliquot loops with their respective reagents. Preferably, the reagent for the closed-off aliquot loop is not pumped and thereby conserved.