Cuvette with reagent release means

• US 4,119,407 A
• Filed: 08/24/1977
• Issued: 10/10/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boehringer Mannheim Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bio-Dynamics, Inc. (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.)
• Inventors: Stahl, Robert M., Goldstein, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US05/827,123
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 23/253 R, 23/259, 23/292, 210/DIG. 23, 206/219, 233/26, 233/1 R
• US Class Current: 422/413
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0436 with pre-packaged reagents, i.e. test-packs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/07 Centrifugal type cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence

Abstract

A cuvette for holding a liquid specimen during centrifugal testing and analysis of the specimen by a spectrophotometer. The cuvette includes a hollow main body produced from a transparent material to allow analysis of the specimen within the cuvette. Two bags of reagent are mounted within the cuvette main body and are designed to burst upon attainment of a given level of centrifugal force allowing the reagent to flow from the bags into a mixing chamber within the cuvette main body. A plug is sealingly mounted to the lid of the cuvette and is removable to allow insertion of the liquid specimen into the cuvette prior to centrifugal testing. Projections are provided on the cuvette to control the orientation of the cuvette when inserted into a diluter test receptacle. One projection on the cuvette contacts appropriate switch means within the test receptacle in turn operable to activate means for diluting the specimen prior to insertion into the cuvette. A container of desiccant is mounted within the cuvette and is operable to absorb vapors. Means are provided to hold the bags of reagent within the cuvette during centrifugal testing.

Claims

1. A cuvette for holding a liquid substance during spectrophotometer tests comprising:

a hollow main body to receive said liquid substance, said main body including at least two opposed end walls to allow testing of said liquid substance by a spectrophotometer while said liquid substance is within said main body;

a first bag of reagent positioned within said main body, said bag having bursting means operable to allow said reagent to escape said bag and mix with said liquid substance upon exposing said main body to a predetermined amount of centrifugal force, said bag of reagent including an outer main body of plastic sheet of a predetermined permeability;

desiccant means mounted in said hollow main body being operable to absorb vapor within said hollow main body prior to said vapor being absorbed by said bag of reagent, said desiccant means including a container of desiccant attached to said lid, said container including an outer wall of plastic of a permeability higher than said predetermined permeability of said bag of reagent; and

a lid sealingly mounted on said hollow main body.

2. A cuvette for holding a liquid substance during spectrophotometer tests comprising:

a hollow main body to receive said liquid substance, said main body including at least two opposed end walls to allow testing of said liquid substance by a spectrophotometer while said liquid substance is within said main body;

a first bag of reagent positioned within said main body, said bag having bursting means operable to allow said reagent to escape said bag and mix with said liquid substance upon exposing said main body to a predetermined amount of centrifugal force; and

a lid sealingly mounted on said hollow main body, said lid including a tab extending outwardly of said main body, said lid being mounted to said main body to position said tab in a different orientation relative to said main body depending on the dilution and quantity of said liquid substance to be inserted into said main body.

3. The cuvette of claim 2 wherein:

said main body includes a flange extending outwardly therefrom with a stop surface on said flange allowing the insertion of said cuvette into a given test receptacle only when said main body is in a given orientation relative to said receptacle.

4. The cuvette of claim 3 wherein:

said lid includes an aperture extending therethrough; and

further comprising;

a removable plug mounted to said lid and sealing said aperture.

5. The cuvette of claim 3 and further comprising:

surface means provided on said flange operable to cooperate with separate means apart from said cuvette to indicate the test to be performed with said cuvette.

6. A container for holding a diluted specimen during centrifugal and spectrophotometer testing comprising:

a main body to hold said diluted specimen and possessing sufficient strength to not deteriorate during centrifugal testing, said main body including transparent portions to allow said diluted specimen to be analyzed by a spectrophotometer while said specimen is located within said main body;

said main body including a pair of side walls, said side walls including mutually facing surfaces and a groove formed on each of said surfaces;

a retaining wall slidably received in said grooves forming a pocket within said main body and,

a first container of reagent within said pocket in said main body, said container having release means operable to release reagent from said first container and from said pocket and into said main body during centrifugal testing.

7. The cuvette of claim 6 wherein:

said bag of reagent includes a film which has a first side and a second side, said first side and said second side are joined by sealing at three seams, said first side and said second side have a single non-sealed common edge, said bag further includes a scored linear depression in said common edge such that said common edge is of predetermined strength sufficiently weak to burst and open under the action of force creating means to permit the flow of a reagent out of the bag.

8. The cuvette of claim 6 and further comprising:

desiccant means mounted in said hollow main body being operable to absorb vapor within said hollow main body prior to said vapor being absorbed by said bag of reagent.

9. The cuvette of claim 6 wherein:

said lid includes an aperture extending therethrough; and

further comprising;

a removable plug mounted to said lid and sealing said aperture.

10. The container of claim 6 wherein:

said main body includes a pair of end walls and a pair of side walls, said side walls include mutually facing surfaces and parallel grooves formed on said surfaces; and

further comprising;

a pair of spaced apart retaining walls slidably received in said grooves forming a pair of pockets between said end walls and said retaining walls, said retaining walls are parallel forming a mixing chamber extending therebetween;

a second container of reagent located in one of said pockets with said first container of reagent located in the other of said pockets.

11. The container of claim 10 wherein:

said end walls extend parallel along the length of said retaining walls and then converge beneath said pockets to direct reagent from said first bag and said second bag into said mixing chamber when said first bag and said second bag open.

12. The container of claim 11 wherein:

at least a portion of said end walls are parallel beneath said retaining walls, said portion of each end wall is transparent to allow analysis by a spectrophotometer of said specimen within said cuvette.

13. A cuvette for holding a liquid substance during spectrophotometer tests comprising:

a hollow main body to receive said liquid substance, said main body including at least two opposed end walls to allow testing of said liquid substance by a spectrophotometer while said liquid substance is within said main body;

a lid sealingly mounted on said hollow main body, said lid including a tab extending outwardly of said main body, said lid being mounted to said main body to position said tab in a different orientation relative to said main body depending on the dilution and quantity of said liquid substance to be inserted into said main body;

said main body including a flange extending outwardly therefrom with a stop surface on said flange allowing the insertion of said cuvette into a given test receptacle only when said main body is in a given orientation relative to said receptacle; and

reagent within said main body.

14. The cuvette of claim 13 wherein:

said lid includes an aperture extending therethrough; and

further comprising;

a removable plug mounted to said lid and sealing said aperture.