Patent ID: 8231838

Claim:
A device for processing whole blood which comprises cellular components comprising: (a) a fluid introduction port configured to introduce a whole blood sample, (b) a fluid processing conduit, which is at least partially heatable, wherein the heatable part of the fluid processing conduit is an integral part of the device, (c) a heating element for heating a predetermined part of the fluid processing conduit, (d) a fluid transportation element, (e) a control element configured to control the heating of the whole blood sample at a temperature of from 60-75° C. and a time of 5 sec to 1 min under conditions of temperature and time defined by an upper limit at a given temperature (indicated as value t max ) and by a lower time limit at a given temperature (indicated as value t min ) so that if the heat treatment is carried out for a time period longer than the t max value, gelation occurs, and if the heat treatment is carried out for a time period shorter than the t min value, incomplete disintegration occurs, under conditions (i) to provide substantially quantitative disintegration of said cellular components and (ii) not to cause substantial sedimentation, precipitation, denaturation, agglutination and gelation of fluid components, (f) optionally a cleaning element and (g) optionally a sample analyzing element.