BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTS

Following interest from several medical researchers in modified Ferranti Shirley Viscometers Ravenfield have moved into the biomedical field. Our first instrument is the Model EM Shear Generator.

Model EM

This unique instrument uses a novel geometry. The instrument provides a shear regime that varies very little and considerably less than the potential error in many cone and plate instruments. The geometry allows absolute calibration of shear rate.

This is particularly valuable because firstly the rate of shear is almost constant throughout the sample and regimes can be varied at will to accommodate different sizes of particle (cell). Experiment soon determined that not only was the medium retained at remarkably high rates of shear, but that a new possibility was created. It has proved possible to insert thin tubes through the lower plate which can be used for the insertion and extraction of fluids while the sample is being sheared.

Further, the use of glass or plastic for both sample contacting surfaces allows us not only to view the operation, but also to add optical observation instrumentation. The optical options can include addition of a microscope, high speed camera and flash facilities. An aggregometer and/or fluorimeter can also be integrated with the optical system. For improved bio-compatibility we can now offer the option of methacrylate coated geometries while still retaining the optical observation facilities.

The standard Model EM Shear Generator consists of the transparent rotor system with a speed and temperature controller.

Many options are available and we have already supplied a Shear Generator with epi-fluorescence observation and an aggregometer built-in AND with the possibility of the pumped circulation of the sample as well.