Method and device for evaluation of chemical reactions
OwnerHelmut Blum, Wolf-Dieter Herberg +2inventors
InventorsHelmut Blum, Wolf-Dieter Herberg, Ludger Buetfering, Holger Wildt
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Abstract
Disclosed is a system for monitoring chemical reactions, especially for detecting exothermic chemical reactions, comprising a reaction device consisting of a plurality of spatially separated reaction chambers for receiving reaction mixtures, and a dosing device for feeding reaction components of the reaction mixtures into the reaction chambers. The inventive system also comprises at least one sensor device which is sensitive to thermal radiation in order to detect the thermal radiation emitted by the reaction mixtures in the reaction chambers.
Claims41
A system (1) for monitoring chemical reaction processes, in particular for recording exothermic chemical reaction processes, which contains a reaction unit (2) having a multiplicity of spatially separated reaction chambers (3) for receiving reaction mixtures (4) and contains a metering unit (5) for introducing reaction components (6, 7) of said reaction mixtures (4) into said reaction chambers (3),
- characterized in that,
- the system (1) has at least one sensor unit (8) sensitive to thermal radiation for recording the thermal radiation (9) emitted from reaction mixtures (4) present in said reaction chambers (3).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor unit (8) is designed in such a way that the thermal radiations (9) of a plurality of, in particular of all, reaction mixtures (4) can be recorded simultaneously or that a multiplicity of, preferably all, reaction chambers (3) can be monitored simultaneously.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor unit (8) can output electrical measured signals or thermal radiation data, in particular in digital form.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) is designed in such a way that the reaction processes can be monitored continuously, preferably all of them at the same time.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) is designed in such a way that the time course of exothermic reaction processes and/or exceeding a threshold, in particular a temperature, and/or the time for a maximum thermal radiation or temperature to be reached can be recorded and, in particular, displayed.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) has an evaluation unit (11) for evaluating the measured signals or thermal radiation data provided by the sensor unit (8).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that an evaluation unit (11) or the system (1) has a time base (12) for time-correlated monitoring and, in particular, evaluation of the reaction processes.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction unit (2) is designed in a flat and/or plate-like form, the reaction chambers (3) being designed in particular as wells (13).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction unit (2) has at least 10, in particular at least 100 to 200, preferably up to 100 reaction chambers (3), in particular in the form of wells (13), and/or that said reaction chambers (3) have a volume of in each case from 5 to 100 μl, in particular 10 to 50 μl, preferably 10 to 20 μl, and/or are open at the top and can be sealed, where appropriate, and/or that said reaction chambers (3) preferably have circular and U-shaped horizontal and, respectively, vertical cross sections.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction unit (2) is composed of nonmetallic material, in particular plastic.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction unit (2) is designed as a microtiter plate.
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metering unit (5) is designed as a single-channel or multichannel supply system for supplying, in particular in each case simultaneously, reaction components (6, 7) to the reaction chambers (3) and/or supplying said reaction components simultaneously to a plurality of reaction chambers (3), with preferably in each case a single channel (15, 16) being provided for supplying a single reaction component (6, 7).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) has at least one further metering apparatus (5) so as to supply different reaction components (6, 7) independently of one another to the reaction chambers (3).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) has a mixing unit (17) for mixing reaction mixtures (4) contained in the reaction chambers (3).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) has a heating unit (20) for heating the reaction mixtures (4) contained in the reaction chambers (3).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) has a control unit (21) for automatic process control, in particular for controlling the metering unit (5), the sensor unit (8), a mixing unit (17), a heating unit (20) and/or an evaluation unit (11).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) has a display unit (22), in particular a screen, with, in particular, said display unit (22) being connected to an evaluation unit (11) or a control unit (21) of said system (1).
The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system (1) can be used in automated screening methods, in particular in high throughput screening.
The use of a system (1) as claimed in any of the preceding claims for monitoring and/or recording and/or regulating and/or controlling chemical reaction processes, in particular exothermic chemical reaction processes.
The use of a sensor unit (8) sensitive to thermal radiation,
- characterized in that,
- said sensor unit (8) monitors and/or regulates chemical reaction processes of reaction mixtures (4) with respect to exothermicity by recording the thermal radiation (9) emitted by said reaction mixtures (4).
A method for monitoring a multiplicity of chemical reaction mixtures (4), in which method individual reaction components (6, 7) of said reaction mixtures (4) are combined and preferably, where appropriate, homogeneously mixed,
- characterized in that,
- thermal radiation (9) arising is recorded in order to detect the exothermicity of the reaction mixtures (4) emitting said thermal radiation (9).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.