US 4,070,249 AGranted

Apparatus for compensating for pressure within a biological test device

AssigneeAmerican Home Products Corporation

InventorsPierre R. Janin, Holger Hagen

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Abstract

A biological testing device comprising a container and plug is disclosed. The container in combination with the plug makes it possible to test a bacterial suspension with a number of different reagents simultaneously. The container which is open at one end has a plurality of microtubes arranged around its lower inside periphery. The plug which fits within the opening of the container distributes the bacterial suspension in substantially equal amounts to each of the microtubes having different testing reagents. A compression compensator adapted for use with the biological testing device is also disclosed. The compensator comprises a chamber which is in communication with the interior of the container when the plug is in place therein. The chamber contains a disc therein which can move in the manner of a piston to increase the volume of the chamber and thereby receive any gas or vapor vented from the testing device during use.

Claims8

Dependent claims

Apparatus for containing fluid vented from the interior of a biological testing device during use thereof, the testing device having a hollow body portion and a member for closing off the interior of the body portion, the closing member having an open passage extending from the interior of the body portion to the external surface of the member for venting fluid from the interior of the body portion, the apparatus comprising:

means forming a tubular chamber having an opening at each of the end portions oppositely disposed along the length of the tubular chamber and having a disc retaining means at its upper end portion;
means for mounting an end portion of the tubular chamber on the external surface of the closing member with an opening of the tubular chamber in communication with the open passage of the closing member;
a disc disposed within the tubular chamber and having its oppositely disposed sides intersecting the length of the tubular chamber, the disc having its periphery in a sliding and sealing engagement with the inner surface of the tubular chamber, the disc being adapted to be displaced along the length of the tubular chamber in response to fluid vented by the open passage from an initial position adjacent the end portion thereof mounted on the external surface of the closing member by the mounting means, the displacement of the disc forming a sealed volume within the tubular chamber in which fluid vented by the open passage can be contained.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.