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Blood barrier gel aids medical analysis
(a) The gel is placed at the bottom of a tube. (b) A blood sample is added. The tube is then placed in a centrifuge, where the gel is liquefied. Owing to its density, the liquefied gel flows to a position between the blood cells and plasma.
US scientists have developed a separator gel that can form a permanent barrier between blood components when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, to keep cells and plasma apart for medical analysis.
Blood tests typically only use the cell-free fraction of whole blood (serum or plasma), and it is common practice within blood sample tubes for these liquids to be separated from the blood cells by a separator gel. Separator gels are designed to reversibly liquefy during centrifugation. They have a density between that of the cells and solution components, so that they separate the components by flowing to a position between the layers during centrifugation. Following centrifugation, the gels stop flowing and remain as a soft barrier between the layers. However, the soft barrier can cause contamination, and leaks between the components and the gel can occur during sample transportation and storage. More...
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2012/January/blood-barrier-gel-aids-medical-analysis.asp
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