Osmotic reaction detector for detecting biological and non-biological reactions
AssigneePalo Alto Research Center Incorporated
InventorsFrancisco Torres, Jonathan Daniels, Meng Lean
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring the presence or absence of interaction between at least a first and second material of interest by measuring osmotic pressure changes in an osmotic cell. Changes in osmotic pressure are determined by measuring the amount of compression exhibited by a compressible, semi-permeable material positioned in the cell.
Claims26
A method for detecting interactions between at least a first and second material of interest, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an osmotic cell;
- b) positioning a compressible, semi-permeable material therein;
- c) introducing into said osmotic cell at least first and second materials of interest, and a carrier fluid, together forming a mixture;
- and
- d) detecting a change in an osmotic pressure in said osmotic cell occurring as a result of a change in state in said osmotic cell of one or more of said at least first and second materials of interest, wherein said change in osmotic pressure is determined by measuring the compression of said compressible, semi-permeable material.
A system for detecting interactions between at least a first material of interest and a second material of interest, said system comprising an osmotic cell for containing a mixture including at least first and second materials of interest and a carrier fluid;
- a compressible, semi-permeable material positioned in said cell and responsive to osmotic pressure changes in said cell;
- and a measurement arrangement configured to measure compression changes in said compressible, semi-permeable material as a result of changes in osmotic pressure in said cell.
A method for detecting reactions, the method comprising:
- measuring osmotic pressure changes in individual osmotic cells positioned in an array of osmotic cells, each cell including a compressible, semi-permeable material positioned therein;
- the cells each containing a mixture including at least two materials of interest and a reference solution, wherein the method of measuring includes measuring the compression of said compressible, semi-permeable material as a result of osmotic pressure changes in said cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.