Luminescence reaction test apparatus

• US 5,035,866 A
• Filed: 02/16/1988
• Issued: 07/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Difco Laboratories, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Difco Laboratories, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wannlund, Jon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRYZA, LYNN M
• Application Number:
  US07/155,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 422/99, 422/102, 422/104, 422/52, 436/172, 436/165, 436/180, 436/809, 435/296, 435/301, 356/246
• US Class Current: 422/552
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50255 Multi-well filtration
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/18 Apparatus specially designed for the use of free, immobilized or carrier-bound enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/12 Well or multiwell plates C12M25/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0325 Cells for testing reactions, e.g. containing reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0328 Arrangement of two or more cells having different functions for the measurement of reactions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0357 Sets of cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1768 using photographic film
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/03 Cuvette constructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/76 Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0446 Multicell plate, sequential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/809 Multifield plates or multicontainer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Apparatus for performing and measuring chemical reactions includes a reaction test apparatus having reaction wells wherein reactants are controllably mixed, and exposure apparatus which receives and positions the reaction test apparatus adjacent a photographic film. Each of the reaction wells includes at least two reaction cups, arranged one above the other. The uppermost reaction cups have orifices in the bottoms, so that liquid can be mixed and reacted in the uppermost cup, and then controllably transferred to the lower cup to be mixed with additional reactants. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction cups are supported in plates that are structurally integral with the cups, and are superimposed to make a test block. The test block is retained in the exposure apparatus, and liquid is forced from the upper cup to the lower cup by application of pressure to the top of the upper cup. The apparatus of the invention is particularly suited for measuring reactions that produce luminescence of short duration, as the reactants can be conveniently mixed in darkness, while the film is being exposed.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture for testing a specimen therein, comprising:

a plurality of test wells, each of said test wells including

a lower reaction cup having a final reactant therein, the lower reaction cup further having a flat, solid bottom with no opening therethrough, and

an upper reaction cup positioned above said lower reaction cup and having a penultimate reactant therein, said upper reaction cup further having means for defining an orifice in the bottom thereof disposed such that liquid flowing through said orifice is discharged into said lower reaction cup; and

a support for said test wells and said reaction cups thereof, said support including

an upper plate supporting said upper reaction cups, and

a lower plate supporting said lower reaction cups, said upper and lower plates being keyed to register said upper and lower reaction cups for each of said test wells.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein said upper reaction cups are integral with said upper plate, and said lower reaction cups are integral with said lower plate.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, further including, for each test well,

a top reaction cup positioned above said upper reaction cup, said top reaction cup having means for defining an orifice in the bottom thereof disposed such that liquid flowing through said orifice is discharged into said upper reaction cup, and

a top plate supporting said top reaction cups.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein said top reaction cups are integral with said top plate.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein said final reactant is a solid comprising a luminescent enzyme.

6. An article of manufacture for testing a liquid placed therein, comprising:

at least one test well, each of said test wells having therein

a lower reaction cup having a final reactant therein, the lower reaction cup having a flat bottom with no opening therein;

an upper reaction cup positioned above said lower reaction cup and having a penultimate reactant therein, said upper reaction cup further having means for defining an orifice in the bottom thereof disposed such that liquid flowing through said orifice is discharged into said lower reaction cup, the orifice being plugged with a viscous solid plug, so that a pressure applied to the top of said upper reaction cup forces liquid contained in said upper reaction cup downwardly through said orifice into said lower reaction cup; and

a support for each of said test wells and the cups thereof.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein said viscous solid plug is grease.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein said lower reaction cup is contoured with the bottom thereof having a diameter smaller than the top thereof, whereby light generated in the bottom reaction cup is concentrated in the region below the bottom reaction cup.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 6, further including

a top test cup positioned above said upper reaction cup, and having a first reactant therein, said top reaction cup further having means for defining an orifice in the bottom thereof disposed such that liquid flowing through said orifice is discharged into said upper reaction cup, whereupon liquid flowing from said top reaction cup into said upper reaction cup intermixes with the penultimate reactant and then flows into said lower reaction cup.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein said first reactant is a solid comprising the enzyme apyrase.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein said final reactant is a solid comprising a luminescent enzyme.