Coated capillary tube for the controlled release of reagent
First Claim
1. A container, which is constructed so as to be mounted in a spectrometer and which is used for detecting the presence of or quantifying the amount of a biopolymer or biopolymers in a sample solution that is introduced into the container, comprising:
- a micropipette or capillary tube that is transparent to at least a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum emitted and detected by a spectrometer and that is constructed so as to be mounted in the spectrometer whereby light passes through the walls of said tube; and
a coating composition deposited on the inner wall of said tube, wherein;
the coating contains one or more reagents and a binding agent;
wherein the binding agent delays distribution of the reagent in the sample solution for at least about 5 seconds to permit uniform dissolution upon filling, and which said binding agent contains one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of a sugar, a polysaccharide, a gelatin, a polyacrylamide, and agarose,the reagent specifically interacts with one or more biopolymers in the sample solution to form complexes, whereby, upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the spectrometer through the walls of the tube, the complexes absorb or emit electromagnetic radiation; and
the coating contains a sufficient amount of the reagent(s) in the coating to permit detection of the complexes by the spectrometer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hollow, elongated, micropipette, which is specially adapted for use in spectrometers and which has an inner wall on which a coating containing a reagent has been deposited, is provided. The reagent is selected from among those that interact with one or more compounds in a sample solution, which is introduced into the micropipette, in order to permit the compounds to be detected by virtue of light absorption or emission by the complexes formed upon interaction of the reagent with the compound of interest in the sample.
Upon introduction of the sample solution into the micropipette, a sufficient amount of the reagent in the coating dissolves in the solution and reacts, either directly or indirectly with a compound or compounds of interest in the solution to render such compound detectable and to permit quantification of the concentration of the compound in the sample. The resulting solution is held in the micropipette for analysis of the light absorption or light emission characteristics of the solution to determine the composition of the solution or the concentration of a particular constituent of the solution.
In preferred embodiments, the coating on the inner surface of the micropipette includes a binding agent or adhesive that delays, preferably for about 5 to 15 sec, the dissolution of the reagent in the solution.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A container, which is constructed so as to be mounted in a spectrometer and which is used for detecting the presence of or quantifying the amount of a biopolymer or biopolymers in a sample solution that is introduced into the container, comprising:
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a micropipette or capillary tube that is transparent to at least a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum emitted and detected by a spectrometer and that is constructed so as to be mounted in the spectrometer whereby light passes through the walls of said tube; and a coating composition deposited on the inner wall of said tube, wherein; the coating contains one or more reagents and a binding agent; wherein the binding agent delays distribution of the reagent in the sample solution for at least about 5 seconds to permit uniform dissolution upon filling, and which said binding agent contains one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of a sugar, a polysaccharide, a gelatin, a polyacrylamide, and agarose, the reagent specifically interacts with one or more biopolymers in the sample solution to form complexes, whereby, upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the spectrometer through the walls of the tube, the complexes absorb or emit electromagnetic radiation; and the coating contains a sufficient amount of the reagent(s) in the coating to permit detection of the complexes by the spectrometer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for uniformly coating a reagent and a binding agent onto the inner wall of a capillary tube which is constructed so as to be mounted in a spectrometer and can be used for quantifying the amount of a biopolymer or biopolymers in a sample solution that is introduced into the capillary tube, because the reagent will specifically interact with one or more biopolymers in the sample solution to form complexes, which complexes upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the spectrometer through the walls of the tube, absorb or emit electromagnetic radiation,
which method comprises: -
introducing a coating mixture in the form of a solution that includes a binding agent and at least one reagent into one end of the tube; drawing said coating mixture through the tube by applying a partial vacuum to the opposite end and removing excess coating mixture therethrough; and subjecting the container to evaporating conditions to evaporate and remove the solvent whereby a uniform coating composition of said reagent attached by said binding agent is formed on the inner wall of the capillary tube. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A container, which is constructed so as to be mounted in a spectrometer and which is used for detecting the presence of or quantifying the amount of a biopolymer or biopolymers in a sample solution that is introduced into the container, comprising:
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a micropipette or capillary tube that is transparent to at least a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum emitted and detected by a spectrometer and that is constructed so as to be mounted in the spectrometer whereby light passes through the walls of said tube; and a coating composition deposited on the inner walls of said tube, wherein; the coating contains a plurality of reagents that specifically interact with one or more compounds in the sample solution to form complexes that emit or absorb electromagnetic radiation; and each reagent is deposited in a discrete and separate location on the wall and remains bound to the wall upon introduction of the sample solution.
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Specification