Patent ID: 7005107

Claim:
An apparatus for determining the speed of sedimentation, viscosity, elasticity, and density of blood by detecting the development over time of an optical density, or an absorbance, of a sample of blood, the apparatus comprising: a blood sample-withdrawing organ; a capillary container inside which the sample of blood is flowable; a circuit connecting the blood sample-withdrawing organ with the capillary container; a sensor in optical communication with the capillary container, the sensor configured to determine the optical density, or the absorbance, associated with the sample of blood when the sample of blood is in the capillary container; a processing unit associated with the sensor and having an inner memory, the processing unit configured to acguire photometric data of the optical density, or the absorbance, associated with the sample of blood, and to compare the photometric data with reference parameters contained in the inner memory to determine the speed of sedimentation, viscosity, elasticity and density of the blood sample; a pump in fluid communication with the circuit, the pump configured to circulate the sample of blood inside the circuit and the capillary container; and a stop operatively coupled to the pump, the stop configured to control the operation of the pump to instantly interrupt the circulation of the sample of blood at least inside the capillary container.