METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE QUANTIFICATION OF A VOLUME OF A SEDIMENT OR OF A VOLUME OF A FLUID WITH BAD FLOW PROPERTIES
The invention describes a convenient method and device to measure off exact volumes of fluids with bad flow properties such as for instance sediments of suspensions, for subsequent analysis in a laboratory. By condensation, volume measurement and subsequent analysis of the particles in a suspension, it becames practicable to investigate quantitatively how much of a compound is associated with the particles in the suspension. Examples of particles in question are erythrocytes and silt or ground particles. Examples of compounds transported by erythrocytes are bodyconstituents such as steroids and fatty acids or drugs. Examples of compounds associated with silt or ground particles are heavy metals and organic compounds. In the invention the material (9, 10, 11) with bad flow properties is compressed into a space (7) for instance by centrifugation, whereafter this space (7) can be opened on a well defined place (12) in such a way that the excess part of the sediment (11) and of the suspension (10) is discharged through the opening (12) whereas the remaining part of the sediment (11) occupies an exact known space volume. The remaining fluid or sediment with the defined volume is conveniently available for further analysis.