Particle facilitated testing
AssigneeUniversity of the West of England, Bristol
InventorsRichard William Luxton, Janice Helen Kiely, Patrick Wraith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Magnetic particles are distributed across a fluid flow by applied magnetic field to interact with a test substance in fluid. Alternatively or additionally, particles, which may be magnetic, are combined with cells and energy, e.g. ultrasonic energy, is applied to cause the particles to create a lysate. Alternatively or additionally, the size of a quantity of magnetic particles is assessed by its impact on the tuning mechanism of a controlled oscillator that is affected by the particles.
Claims42
1-86. (canceled)
Fluid testing apparatus comprising a binding site to which can attach magnetic particles which have become associated with a target substance in the fluid, an oscillator circuit comprising inductance and capacitance in resonant combination to set the frequency of the circuit's output signal and adjustment means for altering the capacitance, wherein the inductance is influenced by the quantity of magnetic particles at the binding site and the adjustment means is arranged to alter the capacitance to maintain said frequency in the face of changes in said quantity.
Apparatus for lysing a cell, the apparatus comprising a chamber for holding the cell to be lysed and means for introducing energy into the chamber, wherein the chamber contains a plurality of particles which may be excited by the energy to enhance lysing of the cell.
Apparatus for testing a fluid, the apparatus comprising magnetic particles, a flow path for fluid and means for exerting magnetic force on the particles to distribute them across part of the flow path such that a test substance in a fluid flowing along the path and through the distribution can alter the particles.
A cell adapted to fit, in a removable fashion, into apparatus for testing for a substance in a fluid, the cell comprising a container holding magnetic particles that are alterable by the substance and means for permitting fluid that might contain the substance to pass through the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.