Diagnostic reagent holder and method
First Claim
1. A viewing housing for receiving a diagnostic reagent holder, said holder comprising an elongate shaft connected to a reagent containing surface and which is placed in a predetermined repeatable position in the housing, said viewing housing comprising housing wall means including a front wall portion, means defining a reagent holder slot in said housing, stop means for limiting penetration of the reagent holder a predetermined distance along said reagent holder slot defining means, and a reagent surface window opening through said front wall into said slot portion defining means for viewing the reagent containing surface when the reagent holder contacts said stop means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A diagnostic reagent holder specifically adapted for the detection of an unknown quantity of a biologically derived sample suitably by radioimmunoassay, fluorometric detection or by spectrophotometry. The holder comprises an elongate shaft with a support surface adjacent one end of the shaft. Diagnostic reagent is covalently attached to a self-supporting film such as a disc and firmly secured to the support. The diagnostic reagent, e.g., antibody, is stirred during incubation in contact with the sample to be detected, e.g., antigen, in solution. In a "sandwich" technique labelled substance (e.g., fluorochrome-labelled antibody) is reacted with the sample on the film followed by thorough washing. Then, the holder is slid into a novel viewing housing which precisely positions the film at a window for viewing as with a fluorometer. To avoid loss of labelled substance during handling, and especially during positioning in the viewing housing, one or more protective protrusions are provided around the periphery of the support surface.
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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A viewing housing for receiving a diagnostic reagent holder, said holder comprising an elongate shaft connected to a reagent containing surface and which is placed in a predetermined repeatable position in the housing, said viewing housing comprising housing wall means including a front wall portion, means defining a reagent holder slot in said housing, stop means for limiting penetration of the reagent holder a predetermined distance along said reagent holder slot defining means, and a reagent surface window opening through said front wall into said slot portion defining means for viewing the reagent containing surface when the reagent holder contacts said stop means.
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9. An elongate diagnostic reagent holder having front and rear sides and comprising an elongate shaft, mounting means coupled to said shaft, self-supporting film bearing a diagnostic reagent firmly retained toward the end of said shaft by said mounting means on said front side, said mounting means comprising means defining a retaining groove at one end of said shaft, said film being retained in registry with said retaining groove.
- 10. An elongate diagnostic reagent holder having front and rear sides and comprising an elongate shaft, mounting means coupled to said shaft, self-supporting film bearing a diagnostic reagent firmly retained toward the end of said shaft by said mounting means on said front side, and a locating means to assist registry thereof with a cooperating portion of a housing.
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13. An elongate diagnostic reagent holder having front and rear sides and comprising an elongate shaft, mounting means coupled to said shaft, self-supporting film bearing a diagnostic reagent firmly retained toward the end of said shaft by said mounting means on said front side, and a pivot extension projecting from said holder at the film end and sufficiently aligned with said shaft to form a pivotal axis during stirring to facilitate liquid flow.
- 14. A continuous diagnostic reagent holder having front and rear sides and comprising an elongate shaft and a support surface adjacent one end of said shaft, a self-supporting film firmly adhered to the front side of said support surface, a diagnostic reagent coating affixed to said film, and protrusion means disposed externally adjacent the periphery of the film and projecting outwardly from the film a sufficient distance to protect the film from abrasion.
Specification