US5289255A — Cuvette for use in making a measurement of a bloo…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 164 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; a magnet carried by said wall for use in providing information about the cuvette; the housing being elongated and the cuvette including first and second coupling members on said housing for use in releasably coupling the housing to an optical head, said optical window and said magnet being between the first and second coupling members; and the first coupling member being useful in pivoting the cuvette to the optical head and the optical window including a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face between the first coupling member and the magnet.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 164 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; a magnet carried by said wall for use in providing information about the cuvette; the housing being elongated and the cuvette including first and second coupling members on said housing for use in releasably coupling the housing to an optical head, said optical window and said magnet being between the first and second coupling members; and the first coupling member being useful in pivoting the cuvette to the optical head and the optical window including a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face between the first coupling member and the magnet.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 145 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; the optical window including a region of the wall and a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face at said region of said wall; first and second coupling members on said housing for use in releasably coupling to an optical head; the first coupling member being useful in pivoting the housing to the optical head; and the optical window being nearer to the first coupling member than to the second coupling member.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 145 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; the optical window including a region of the wall and a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face at said region of said wall; first and second coupling members on said housing for use in releasably coupling to an optical head; the first coupling member being useful in pivoting the housing to the optical head; and the optical window being nearer to the first coupling member than to the second coupling member.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 2 wherein the first coupling member has a recess capable of receiving a projection and the second coupling member has a ledge spaced from and facing the outer face.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 32 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 2 wherein the outer face is generally flat and elongated and the first and second coupling members are adjacent the opposite ends of the outer face.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 193 words

An assembly for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter comprising: an optical head including a body having an outer face, means for directing light from said outer face of the body and means for receiving light through the outer face of the body; a cuvette including a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; said cuvette including an optical window leading from said outer face of the housing to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal from the optical head and an optical signal from the passage so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; the optical window including a region of the wall and a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face of the housing at said region of said wall; a pivotal connection for pivoting the cuvette to the optical head for pivotal movement to a closed position in which said outer faces are in confronting relationship; and a retainer for retaining the cuvette and the optical head in the closed position.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 193 words

An assembly for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter comprising: an optical head including a body having an outer face, means for directing light from said outer face of the body and means for receiving light through the outer face of the body; a cuvette including a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; said cuvette including an optical window leading from said outer face of the housing to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal from the optical head and an optical signal from the passage so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; the optical window including a region of the wall and a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face of the housing at said region of said wall; a pivotal connection for pivoting the cuvette to the optical head for pivotal movement to a closed position in which said outer faces are in confronting relationship; and a retainer for retaining the cuvette and the optical head in the closed position.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 133 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; a magnet carried by said wall for use in providing information about the cuvette; said passage being elongated and the magnet and the optical window being spaced longitudinally of the passage; and the optical window being bisected by an axial reference lane which extends through a longitudinal axis of the passage and said magnet lying on one side of said plane.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 133 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; a magnet carried by said wall for use in providing information about the cuvette; said passage being elongated and the magnet and the optical window being spaced longitudinally of the passage; and the optical window being bisected by an axial reference lane which extends through a longitudinal axis of the passage and said magnet lying on one side of said plane.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 6 wherein the optical window includes a region of the wall and a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face at said region of said wall.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 6 including means on said housing for use in releasably coupling the housing to an optical head.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 14 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 6 wherein said outer face is generally flat.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 46 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 6 wherein said outer face is generally flat and elongated, the cuvette includes first and second coupling members adjacent the opposite ends of the outer face, said optical window and said magnet are between the first and second coupling members.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 44 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 10 wherein the first coupling member is useful in pivoting the cuvette to an optical head and the optical window includes a deformable optical coupling element on said outer face between the first coupling member and the magnet.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 18 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 6 wherein said magnet is the only magnet carried by said housing.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 122 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; a magnet carried by said wall for use in providing information about the cuvette; said passage being elongated and the magnet and the optical window being spaced longitudinally of the passage; and said wall having a recess opening at said outer face and said magnet being retained in said recess.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 122 words

A cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter, said cuvette comprising: a housing having a passage therein, said passage having a biocompatible surface and being adapted to receive blood; said housing having a wall with an outer face; an optical window leading from said outer face to said passage, said optical window being transmissive to an optical signal so that the parameter of the blood can be measured; a magnet carried by said wall for use in providing information about the cuvette; said passage being elongated and the magnet and the optical window being spaced longitudinally of the passage; and said wall having a recess opening at said outer face and said magnet being retained in said recess.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 32 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 13 wherein said recess is a first recess and said wall has a second recess adjacent the first recess which is sized to receive said magnet.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 60 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 14 wherein the passage extends completely through the housing and is sterile, the magnet and the optical window are oriented so that an axial reference plane extending through a longitudinal axis of the passage bisects the optical window and said magnet and said first and second recesses are on one side of said plane.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 28 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 13 wherein the optical window includes a deformable optical coupling element and the magnet is spaced from the deformable optical coupling element.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 29 words

A cuvette as defined in claim 13 wherein the optical window includes a region of said wall and said region is thinner than an adjacent portion of said wall.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1997-02-21	1997-08-23	1998-02-22	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2001-02-21	2001-08-23	2002-02-22	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2005-02-21	2005-08-23	2006-02-22	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Cuvette for use in making a measurement of a blood parameter and assembly utilizing the same

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