APPARATUS FOR MEASURING EFFECT OF TEST COMPOUNDS ON BIOLOGICAL OBJECTS
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising;
- an automated test compound source capable of providing one or more test compounds at a programmably controlled flow rate;
an automated living cell or particle source capable of providing one or more cell or particle types at a programmably controlled flow rate;
an automated dilution reagent source capable of providing a dilution reagent at a programmably controlled flow rate;
a mixing chamber in fluid communication with said test sample source, said cell or particle source, and said dilution reagent source wherein said mixing chamber is adapted to combine a flow of at least one test compound received from said test compound source with a flow of dilution reagent received from said dilution reagent source, to provide a test solution, which is combined with the cells or particles received from said cell or particle source to generate a combined stream; and
a detector comprising;
i) a detection capillary liquidly coupled with the mixing chamber to receive and hold the length of the combined stream after the flow is stopped; and
ii) a detector, for measuring changes in properties of said cells, located along the length of the detection capillary.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for real-time measurement of an effect of different concentrations of a test compound or series of test compounds on living cells, in which a flow of cell suspension is combined with a flow of the test compound and a cellular response of the living cells is repeatedly measured by a detector along a length of a detection zone where the cell suspension-test compound mixture is situated. The apparatus may be used in automated screening of libraries of compounds, and is capable of real-time variation of concentrations of test compounds and generation of three-dimensional dose/response/time profiles within a short timespan.
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31 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising;
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an automated test compound source capable of providing one or more test compounds at a programmably controlled flow rate; an automated living cell or particle source capable of providing one or more cell or particle types at a programmably controlled flow rate; an automated dilution reagent source capable of providing a dilution reagent at a programmably controlled flow rate; a mixing chamber in fluid communication with said test sample source, said cell or particle source, and said dilution reagent source wherein said mixing chamber is adapted to combine a flow of at least one test compound received from said test compound source with a flow of dilution reagent received from said dilution reagent source, to provide a test solution, which is combined with the cells or particles received from said cell or particle source to generate a combined stream; and a detector comprising; i) a detection capillary liquidly coupled with the mixing chamber to receive and hold the length of the combined stream after the flow is stopped; and ii) a detector, for measuring changes in properties of said cells, located along the length of the detection capillary. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for determining a response of living cells to a test sample, comprising:
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providing a flow of a test sample; providing a flow of living cells; combining said flow of test sample with said flow of living cells to form a combined flow of said test sample and said living cells in a mixing zone; directing said combined flow of said test sample and said cells to a capillary; stopping the combined flow when the capillary is filled in; repeatedly detecting and measuring a response of the living cells to the test sample along the capillary length to affect a kinetic analysis of the effect of said test compound on said living cells. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification