Analytical apparatus and process

• US 3,865,548 A
• Filed: 03/05/1973
• Issued: 02/11/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jacques Padawer
• Original Assignee: Jacques Padawer
• Inventors: Padawer, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Scovronek, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US05/338,358
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 23/23R,23B,253R,259,292,254R 206/47R,219 356/246 195/127,139 128/2F
• US Class Current: 436/165
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150236 Pistons, i.e. cylindrical bodies that sit inside the syringe barrel, typically with an air tight seal, and slide in the barrel to create a vacuum or to expel blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150244 Rods for actuating or driving the piston, i.e. the cylindrical body that sits inside the syringe barrel, typically with an air tight seal, and slides in the barrel to create a vacuum or to expel blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150389 Hollow piercing elements, e.g. canulas, needles, for piercing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150587 by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/153 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/492 Determining multiple analytes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/808 Optical sensing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/148888 Uric acid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/177692 Oxides of nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/186 Sulfur dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/204998 Inorganic carbon compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 : including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

A low load analytic system is proposed, comprising a cuvette divided into separate chambers by a porous barrier which may be free to move inside the cuvette, and a test reagent in one compartment. The barrier may be floating on the reagent. The barrier may be microporous or be a semipermeable membrane, hydrophobic or hydrophilic, depending on the test. In one mode, the cuvette is the barrel of a hypodermic syringe and the test reagent is held in the far compartment, in the barrel of the syringe. Numerous modifications of the system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus adapted for chemical analysis comprising a cuvette having therein a first porous barrier which serves to compartmentalize said cuvette, and a first test reagent fluid in a first reagent compartment in the cuvette, said barrier being in direct contact therewith, a second porous barrier and a second test reagent fluid being present, the second test reagent being disposed in a second compartment on the side of said second barrier away from said first reagent compartment, the second barrier being in direct contact with the two test reagents.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said porous barriers are maintained in an axially spaced-apart relationship by at least one spacer extending from said first barrier to said second barrier.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said spacer comprises a hollow tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein there is provided a generally cylindrical sled surrounding at least part of said tube, said sled having at least one sealing portion disposed circumferentially around said sled and adapted to substantially seal against the inner wall of said cuvette.

5. An apparatus adapted for chemical analysis comrising a cuvette having therein a first porous barrier which serves to compartmentalize said cuvette, and a first test reagent fluid in a first reagent compartment in the cuvette, said barrier being in direct contact therewith, said cuvette having at least one lens located in an area through which test results are sensed, said cuvette having a curvature in said area, said lens compensating for distortion caused by said curvature.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein there are two said lenses and a source of light directed through both of said lenses.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said two lenses are on opposite sides of said cuvette, and have their axes substantially in alignment, and a third lens having its axis at substantially a right angle to the other axes.

8. A METHOD OF CARRYING OUT CHEMICAL TESTING COMPRISING INTRODUCING A FLUID SAMPLE TO BE TESTED INTO A CHAMBER, SAID SAMPLE BEING IN CONTACT WITH A FIRST POROUS BARRIER AND A SECOND POROUS BARRIER, PERMITTING AT LEAST SOME CONSTITUENTS OF SAID SAMPLE TO PASS THROUGH SAID FIRST BARRIER AND CONTACT A FIRST FLUID REAGENT, AT LEAST SOME OF SAID CONSTITUENTS PASSING THROUGH SAID SECOND BARRIER TO CONTACT A SECOND FLUID REAGENT

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said first reagent and said second reagent are the same.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein said first reagent and said second reagent are different.

11. An apparatus adapted for chemical analysis comprising a cuvette having therein a first porous barrier which serves to compartmentalize said cuvette, and a first test reagent fluid in a first reagent compartment in the cuvette, said barrier being in direct contact therewith, said apparatus having means to provide an electromotive force across said cuvette in the axial direction towards said barrier, whereby said first reagent is driven across said first barrier.

12. An apparatus adapted for chemical analysis comprising a cuvette having therein a first porous barrier which serves to compartmentalize said cuvette, and a first test reagent fluid in a first reagent compartment in the cuvette, said barrier being in direct contact therewith, said cuvette comprising the barrel of a hypodermic syringe having a needle point extending from one, the test reagent being in the far compartment relative to the needle point, the first reagent compartment being in the plunger of said syringe.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein there is provided a second reagent compartment containing a second reagent, a second porous barrier in contact with said second reagent compartment and said reagent therein, a sample chamber in said syringe adjacent said point, both said first barrier and said second barrier in contact with said sample chamber and the sample contained therein.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said reagents are different, whereby two different tests can be run simultaneously on said sample.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein there is provided a second compartment in said plunger, said second compartment containing a reference fluid.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said plunger is of reduced cross-section adjacent the end of said plunger nearest said point, said barrier being on the reduced cross-section of said plunger, the plane of said barrier being parallel to the axis of said plunger.

17. An apparatus adapted for chemical analysis comprising a cuvette having therein a first porous barrier which serves to compartmentalize said cuvette, and a first test reagent fluid in a first reagent compartment in the cuvette, said barrier being in direct contact therewith, said cuvette comprising the barrel of a hypodermic syringe having a needle point extending from one end, the test reagent being in the far compartment relative to the needle point, there being a chamber in the plunger of said syringe, said chamber containiNg a reference fluid.