Patent ID: 7838296

Claim:
A method for measuring one or more of HCT, HGB, MCV, RBC, MCHC, or MCH of blood, comprising: collecting a sample of blood of 1 mL or less in a spatially defined disposable sampling device having at least one known dimension of length, said sample being contained within said disposable sampling device; inserting said disposable sampling device in an analyzer; sending one or more ultrasonic signals into said blood sample while still contained within said disposable sampling device; measuring one or more characteristics of at least one ultrasonic signal received from the blood sample, said one or more characteristics of the at least one ultrasonic signal being selected from the group consisting of time of flight, amplitude and backscatter energy; calculating from said one or more measured characteristics of said at least one ultrasonic signal one or more characteristics of said blood sample, said characteristics of said blood sample being selected from the group consisting of the speed of sound through said blood sample, the attenuation coefficient of said blood sample and the backscatter coefficient of said blood sample; and determining at least one property of said blood sample from said calculated one or more characteristics of said blood sample, said property being selected from the group consisting of HCT, HGB, MCV, RBC, MCHC, MCH, and combinations thereof of the blood.