PERFORMANCE OF ROUTINE CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN COMPARTMENTALIZED CONTAINERS

• US 3,825,410 A
• Filed: 05/13/1971
• Issued: 07/23/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Dawson Bagshawe
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Dawson Bagshawe
• Inventors: Bagshawe, Kenneth Dawson
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolk, Morris O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Serwin, R. E.
• Application Number:
  US05/143,134
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 23/23B,230,253,259,292 206/47A
• US Class Current: 436/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/00 Investigating or analysing non-biological materials by the use of the chemical methods specified in the subgroup; Apparatus specially adapted for such methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/53 Immunoassay; Biospecific binding assay; Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5304 Reaction vessels, e.g. agglutination plates for solid-phase systems G01N33/543
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/021 having a flexible chain, e.g. "cartridge belt", conveyor for reaction cells or cuvettes

Abstract

In the performance of routine chemical and/or biological reactions, such as saturation analysis using a radioactive marker substance, the standard reactants are dispensed in appropriate amounts, in a prior operation, into a compartmentalized storage container which also constitutes the reaction vessel, the reactants being maintained in a stable unreactive state, such as by freeze drying, until the analysis is to be performed. The reaction is initiated by introduction of a sample to be analysed, whereafter separation of bound and free ligand can be performed either within the compartmentalized vessel itself or externally.

Claims

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at said prior time a plurality of reactants are dispensed into a single chAmber of said container and are freeze dried so that the reaction cannot proceed during the subsequent storage period.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein at said prior time a plurality of reactants are dispensed into several separate chambers within said container, which chambers do not initially communicate with one another but are caused to communicate with one another at the time when the reaction is to proceed.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the dispensed reactants are freeze dried.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein at the time of the assay reaction, the step of initiating the reaction within the container involves the addition of at least a diluent.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein at the time of the assay reaction, the step of initiating the reaction within the container involves the addition of at least a sample for assay.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein at the time of the assay reaction, the step of initiating the reaction within the container involves the addition of at least a further reactant.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the separation of the component to be quantified from other components of the reaction takes place within the container.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the separation of the component to be quantified from other components of the reaction involves filtration occurring through an opening in the base of the container.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein a reactant is employed carrying a radioactive tracer and the quantifying step involves a radioactivity count.

11. A disposable combined storage and reaction cell, for use in the performance of chemical and biological reactions, adapted to receive reactants dispensed therein and to maintain the reactants in such stored condition that they remain stable and will not mutually react until such time as it is required to initiate the reaction, said cell comprising a number of chambers and being built up from separate interfitting sub-units that fit together end to end in series, each sub-unit containing a chamber.

12. A reaction cell according to claim 11, wherein the chambers are initially out of communication with one another and are adapted to be brought into communication with one another by manual operation of an externally accessible member.

13. A reaction cell according to claim 11, wherein one of the chambers constitutes a filtration chamber equipped with a removable filter disc.

14. A reaction cell according to claim 11, wherein one of the chambers constitutes an adsorption chamber containing a removable element on to which a reaction component is adsorbed.

15. A reaction cell according to claim 11, wherein the chambers are arranged to be brought into communication with one another by relative angular movement of the sub-units about a common axis.

16. In combination with a reaction cell according to claim 13, a filter carrier card adapted to receive a filter disc from the cell upon which a reaction component to be quantified has been precipitated and bearing also means for location of the disc and data relating to the particular reaction.

17. The combination according to claim 16, wherein said carrier card is made of sheet material and adapted to be secured end to end with other like cards to form a continuous band.

18. In combination with a plurality of reaction cells according to claim 11, a filtration unit comprising means for transporting a travelling band in stepwise fashion to bring each of a succession of filter web locations borne by the band to rest temporarily upon a vacuum filtration bed and means to hold a succession of said reaction cells immediately over the filter web upon said filtration bed at different respective ones of said filter web locations and to transport said reaction cells to and from said different filter web locations and said filtration bed.

19. The combination according to claim 18, further comprising a wash head for connection to thE uppermost end of a reaction cell to supply wash solution thereto when said reaction cell is held as aforesaid over the filter web.

20. The combination according to claim 18, further comprising a data encoding unit encoding upon the travelling band data associated with the reaction performed in each reaction cell held as aforesaid.

21. In combination with a plurality of reaction cells according to claim 19, an isotope detector unit, comprising a travelling carrier band driven in stepwise fashion past at least one radioactive detector head connected to isotope counting equipment, the carrier band having at spaced intervals successive location sites each to bear a radioactive reaction component separated and withdrawn from a respective individual one of said reaction cells.

22. The combination according to claim 21, further comprising a data reader to read out encoded data related to the respective radioactive reaction components on the carrier band at said location sites.

23. The combination according to claim 21, further comprising a location control sensor to sense location markings on the carrier band and on a separate information band, to ensure correct swell and registration at the detector head and data reader.

24. In combination with a plurality of reaction cells according to claim 11, a carrier band adapted to carry a longitudinal strip of filter material providing individual filter web sites at regular pitch, and through each of which filter web sites filtration can take place in situ on the carrier band when a respective opened one of said reaction cells is held over said site.

25. The combination according to claim 24, further comprising means for the encodement of data pertaining to the respective reaction cells adjacent corresponding filter web sites.