Assay cartridge
First Claim
1. A fully disposable assay cartridge for conducting a pluralilty of solid phase fluorescence immunoassays on materials in which such assays are conducted within said cartridge itself and during the application of reduced pressure in a waste reservoir, said cartridge comprising:
- a substantially rectangular base plate;
a substantially rectangular top plate having a top side and an underside, the top plate located opposite to and substantially parallel to the phase, the top plate having a plurality of aligned adjacent wells located on its top side, each well having a top opening with an edge intersecting said top side and a bottom hole at its bottom which extends to the underside of the top plate, said bottom hole of said well being smaller than said top opening, said wells further having lower walls having an inverted frustum shape with a tapered portion extending downwardly and inwardly toward said bottom hole and substantially terminating at, and defining, said bottom hole for concentrating material on which an assay is to be conducted at said bottom hole, and relative top opening, bottom hole and depth dimensions for conduction a solid phase fluorescence immunoassay in said wells including said bottom hole having a diameter no greater than one-half the diameter of said top opening and said depth dimension being sufficiently small relative to said top opening to permit excitation light to clear the edge of said top opening and excite the material concentrated at said bottom hole and to permit emission light from the material concentrated at said bottom hole to clear the edge of said top opening so that the same can be measured;
an intermediate section comprising rear, front and first and second walls having substantially rectangular cross sections and being serially and permanently joined to one another in sealed relationship, said intermediate section positioned between and permantly joined to said base plate and said top plate in sealed relationship to define a cavity between said base and top plates and said intermediate section;
a sealed waste reservoir located beneath the wells of the top plate and inside the cavity defined by the permanently joined base plate, top plate and intermediate section;
a non-removable filter membrane permanently affixed to the underside of the top plate to which said well holes extend, said membrane extending across said bottom hole and being permanently affixed in sealing relationship to the underside of said top plate in an area surrounding said bottom hole whereby an effective filter area for each well is defined by the size of said bottom hole; and
means for facilitating a reduction of pressure in the waste reservoir relative to the pressure over the wells while retaining any waste products in the waste reservoir comprising a port in said waste reservoir, said means facilitating the simultaneous reduction of pressure in said waste reservoir and for conducting a solid phase immunoassay.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An assay cartridge which has a substantially rectangular base plate, a substantially rectangular top plate, and four side walls. The top plate has a plurality of aligned adjacent reaction wells located on its top side. Each well has a hole at its bottom which opens into a waste reservoir which is the space inside of the base plate, top plate and four walls. A filter membrane is positioned against the underside of the top plate covering the well holes. A port through the base plate allows reducing the pressure in the waste reservoir relative to the pressure over the wells for drawing the liquid phase of a reaction from the well through the filter and into the waste reservoir.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A fully disposable assay cartridge for conducting a pluralilty of solid phase fluorescence immunoassays on materials in which such assays are conducted within said cartridge itself and during the application of reduced pressure in a waste reservoir, said cartridge comprising:
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a substantially rectangular base plate; a substantially rectangular top plate having a top side and an underside, the top plate located opposite to and substantially parallel to the phase, the top plate having a plurality of aligned adjacent wells located on its top side, each well having a top opening with an edge intersecting said top side and a bottom hole at its bottom which extends to the underside of the top plate, said bottom hole of said well being smaller than said top opening, said wells further having lower walls having an inverted frustum shape with a tapered portion extending downwardly and inwardly toward said bottom hole and substantially terminating at, and defining, said bottom hole for concentrating material on which an assay is to be conducted at said bottom hole, and relative top opening, bottom hole and depth dimensions for conduction a solid phase fluorescence immunoassay in said wells including said bottom hole having a diameter no greater than one-half the diameter of said top opening and said depth dimension being sufficiently small relative to said top opening to permit excitation light to clear the edge of said top opening and excite the material concentrated at said bottom hole and to permit emission light from the material concentrated at said bottom hole to clear the edge of said top opening so that the same can be measured; an intermediate section comprising rear, front and first and second walls having substantially rectangular cross sections and being serially and permanently joined to one another in sealed relationship, said intermediate section positioned between and permantly joined to said base plate and said top plate in sealed relationship to define a cavity between said base and top plates and said intermediate section; a sealed waste reservoir located beneath the wells of the top plate and inside the cavity defined by the permanently joined base plate, top plate and intermediate section; a non-removable filter membrane permanently affixed to the underside of the top plate to which said well holes extend, said membrane extending across said bottom hole and being permanently affixed in sealing relationship to the underside of said top plate in an area surrounding said bottom hole whereby an effective filter area for each well is defined by the size of said bottom hole; and means for facilitating a reduction of pressure in the waste reservoir relative to the pressure over the wells while retaining any waste products in the waste reservoir comprising a port in said waste reservoir, said means facilitating the simultaneous reduction of pressure in said waste reservoir and for conducting a solid phase immunoassay. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A fully disposable assay cartridge for conducting a plurality of solid phase fluorescenc immunoassays on materials in which such assays are conducted within said cartridge itself and during the application of reduced pressure in a waste reservoir, said cartridge comprising:
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a top plate having a top side and a bottom side; a plurality of assay wells disposed in said top plate, each of said wells extending through said top plate and having a top opening with an edge intersecting said top side, a bottom opening in said bottom side and a side wall portion having the shape of an inverted frustum and extending toward said bottom opening and substantially terminating at and defining said bottom opening, said bottom opening being smaller than said top opening and said side wall portion including a tapered portion tapering inwardly toward said bottom opening to intersect with said bottom opening for concentrating material on which an assay is to be conducted at said bottom opening, said wells having relative top opening, bottom opening and depth dimensions for conducting a plurality of said phase fluorescence immunoassays in said wells including said bottom opening having a diameter no greater than one-half the diameter of said top opening and said depth dimension being sufficiently small relative to said top opening to permit excitation light to clear the edge of said top opening and excite the material concentrated at said bottom opening and to permit emission light from the material concentrated at said bottom opening to clear the edge of said top opening so that the same can be measured; a non-removable membrane extending across said bottom opening and being permanently affixed in sealing relationship to the bottom side of said top plate in an area surrounding the bottom opening of each of said wells whereby an effective filter area for each well is defined by the size of said bottom opening; a base plate permanently connected with said top plate in sealed relationship so as to form a sealed waste reservoir between said base plate and the bottom side of said top plate; and a port in said waste reservoir for facilitating a reduction of pressure in said waste reservoir relative to the pressure in said wells, said port facilitating the simultaneous reduction of pressure in said waste reservoir and for conducting a solid phase immunoasay. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A fully disposable assay cartridge for conducting a plurality of solid phase fluorescence immunoassays on materials in which such assays are conducted within said cartridge itself and during the application of reduced pressure in a waste reservoir, said cartridge comprising:
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a top plate having a top side and a bottom side; a plurality of assay wells disposed in said top plate, each of said wells extending through said top plate and having a top opening with an edge intersecting said top side, a bottom opening in said bottom side and a side wall extending between said top and bottom openings comprising a lower tapered side wall portion having the shape of an inverted frustum and substantially terminating at and defining said bottom opening, said bottom opening being smaller than said top opening and said side wall including a tapered portion which tapers inwardly toward said bottom opening for concentrating material on which an assay is to be conducted at said bottom opening, said wells having relative top opening, bottom opening and depth dimensions for conducting a plurality of solid phase fluorescence immunoassays in said wells; a single sheet of filter membrane permanently fixed to the bottom side of said top plate in an area surrounding the bottom opening of each of said wells so as to preclude the passage of fluid through said bottom opening except through said filter membrane, said membrane extending across said bottom openings and being permanently affixed in sealing relationship to the underside of said bottom openings in the area surrounding said bottom openings whereby an effective filter area for each well is defined by the size of said bottom opening; a base plate permanently connected with said top plate in sealed relationship so as to form a sealed waste reservoir between said base plate and the bottom side of said top plate; and a port in said waste reservoir for facilitating a reduction of pressure in said waste reservoir relative to the pressure in said wells, said port facilitating the simultaneous reduction of pressure in said waste reservoir and for conducting a solid phase immunoassay. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification