Patent ID: 7771658

Claim:
A cartridge for characterizing particles suspended in a liquid sample, comprising: a housing with connectors for operational connection to and disconnection from corresponding connectors of a docking station for establishment of electrical and fluid connections when the cartridge is received in the docking station, a first mixing chamber, a bore in an outer surface of the housing for entrance of the liquid sample, a first sampling member positioned in the housing for sampling the liquid sample and having a first cavity for receiving and holding the liquid sample, the first sampling member being movably positioned in relation to the housing in such a way that in a first position, the first cavity is in communication with the bore for entrance of the liquid sample into the first cavity, and in a second position the first cavity is in communication with the first mixing chamber for discharge of the liquid sample into the first mixing chamber whereby the sampling member operates to receive and hold a precise volume of the liquid sample and to transfer the liquid sample to the first mixing chamber, a first collection chamber separated by a first wall from the first mixing chamber, the first wall having a first orifice for the passage of particles directly from the first mixing chamber to the first collection chamber, and a first particle characterizer that characterizes the particles passing through the first orifice.