Arrangement for determining blood cell sedimentation rate

Claim 1

An arrangement for determining the blood cell sedimentation rate, comprising: a standardized graduated pipette having a volume V 1 , with a free lower end and an upper end; a levelling device of volume V 2 including one-way valve means for connecting the upper end of the pipette to the levelling device, for receiving and retaining blood from the pipette and for preventing the flow of blood from the levelling device to the pipette; a resilient plunger sealingly engaged with the outside of the pipette and having an active edge and an outside diameter; and a tube having a closed bottom end, a height h and an inside diameter d, the inside diameter d of the tube being generally the same as the outside diameter of said active edge of the plunger, such that the latter is slidable within said tube while being sealingly engaged therewith, the distance a between the active edge of the plunger and the free lower end of the pipette inserted in the tube satisfies the following relationship: V.sub.1 ≦π/4d.sup.2 (h-a)≦V.sub.1 +V.sub.2 and wherein a cylindrical space of height e, generally equivalent to h-a and covered inside the tube until the free lower end of the pipette abuts the closed bottom end of the tube, corresponds to a volume of blood expelled from the tube, through said valve means and into said levelling device, capable of filling the pipette without overfilling the unit formed by said pipette and the levelling device.