Health Analysis Perfected: Density measurement of polymers

Medical testing of human blood plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Prior to testing, the human blood often has to be separated into its components by using centrifugation tubes with a special polymer. Density is an important parameter to ensure that the polymer is capable of precise separation.

Introduction

Human blood consists of approx. 55 % plasma and 45 % blood cells (erythrocytes, leucocytes and platelets).

For medical diagnostics, whole blood is collected and often separated into its components for effective testing. This separation is typically done by centrifuging the blood. If the medical test needs to be performed on the plasma (also called serum), serum-separating tubes (SSTs) are used for the centrifugation procedure. These tubes contain a polymeric gel that separates the blood cells from the serum in whole blood specimens.

During centrifugation, the gel moves to create an impermeable barrier between cells and serum and forms a layer on top of leukocytes and plateles, providing access to a clear solution of plasma which can be removed and used for numerous chemical, serological and other procedures.

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