title: Technical note: an improved McCutchen miniviscometer for connective tissue fluids.
abstract: McCutchen's miniviscometer is a Couette-type instrument that requires only 0.2 ml of synovial or other test fluid. The modification described here adds to the capabilities of the original: control of temperature good to +/- 0.2 degrees C; increase of the maximum measureable viscosity at low shear rates (20 sec-1) to 3000 centipoise; and expansion of the usable range of shear rates to (20--1500 sec-1. The device is rugged and data are reproducible to +/- 1.2% (S.D.) of the mean over the full range of shear rates.
mesh_terms: D001826:Body Fluids; D002627:Chemistry, Physical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003238:Connective Tissue; D013582:Synovial Fluid; D014783:Viscosity