Abstract:
An apparatus for deriving an oxygen association rate curve for a blood sample wherein the sample is introduced into a transparentwalled cell and is deoxygenated by contact with a deoxygenated fluorocarbon material. The cell is located in the optical path of two time-shared respective monochromatic beams, one having a wavelength at which there is substantially no change in absorbance as between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood and the other having a wavelength at which there is a relatively large change in absorbance as between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. The difference in absorbance through the cell of the two wavelengths is measured and recorded while oxygenated fluorocarbon titrant material is pumped through the cell, the cell having a restricted flow passage for the titrant material which acts to separate the blood therefrom and retain it in the cell while the titration is taking place. The sample may be either injected directly into the cell or be exposed to the interior of the cell through gas-permeable capillary tubes extending into the cell in gas-transfer relationship with the interior of the cell, the tubes being transparent and being located in the optical path of the time-shared beams.