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US 4,254,084 AGranted
Method and apparataus for automatic isoenzyme analysis
OwnerAlvin S. Bluminventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Continuous enzyme analyzer including dispensing of samples, reagents, and wash liquid, and separation of certain molecules into multiple individual streams, and optical flow cell for serial measurements of those multiple streams at progressively greater time intervals. Serial temperature adjustment of the streams to conserve reagents. Improved optical cell structure intergrating mixing, temperature control, and multiple optical flow paths each providing sensing of a portion of the stream at progressively greater time intervals in a single laminated apparatus.
Claims21
Laminated optical apparatus for photometric analysis of fluid in a moving stream comprising:
- upper transparent plate means;
- lower transparent plate means;
- opaque center plate means having a plurality of holes therethrough, said holes providing passages for said moving fluid and also providing the lateral walls of a series of optical measuring cells;
- fluid inlet means for admitting said moving fluid stream into said optical apparatus for measurement of the optical properties of said fluid, said fluid inlet means being fastened into one of said holes in said center plate means;
- fluid outlet means for removal of said moving fluid stream from said cells after said measurement, said fluid outlet means being fastened to one of said holes in said center plate means;
- thin plate means disposed on both sides of said center plate means between said upper transparent plate means and the upper face of said center plate means on one side and between said lower transparent plate means and the lower face of said center plate means on the other side, said thin plate means having shaped slots, said slots in combination with the faces of said transparent plate means and the faces of said center plate means forming fluid flow channels connecting said fluid inlet means, said fluid outlet means, and said holes in said center plate means, thereby providing a continuous fluid flow pathway from said fluid inlet means through a series of optical measurement cells to said fluid outlet means, said optical measurement cells being formed by said upper and lower transparent plate means serving as common end windows and said holes in said center plate means and said slots in said thin plate means serving as individual tubular optical cell bodies;
- upper mask clamp plate means and lower mask clamp plate means positioned against upper transparent plate means and lower transparent plate means respectively, said clamp plate means being opaque and rigid and having holes therethrough to register with corresponding optical measurement cells for passage light, with additional holes for positioning and clamping bolt means for clamping all the aforesaid plate means together in a fluid and light tight manner, thereby facilitating assembly and disassembly for cleaning;
- light source means disposed on one side of said optical cells;
- light measuring means disposed on another side of said optical cells;
- and data processing means connected to said light measuring means to process light measurement information into useful form.
7 more elements
Photometric apparatus for analysis of the change of optical properties with time of a fluid comprising:
- a series of optical cells disposed in a generally circular pattern so that a rotating beam of light will illuminate each cell sequentially;
- a rotating uniform beam of light means for illuminating each of said optical cells sequentially;
- light measuring means for measuring the light leaving each optical cell as a result of said illumination;
- cell connecting fluid channel means providing a continuous path for fluid to pass into and out of a first said optical cell and into an adjacent cell in series and from that cell into the adjacent cell in series so that each portion of fluid travels around in a generally circular path moving from the first said optical cell to each adjacent optical cell in sequence;
- fluid inlet means to admit fluid to the fluid channel leading to said first optical cell;
- fluid outlet means to remove fluid leaving the fluid channel from the last said optical cell in the series;
- fluid moving means to move fluid to be analyzed through said fluid pathway;
- wherein said optical cells are constructed generally optically equal and illuminated by the same light intensity so that a difference in light measured by said light measurement means of light leaving each said optical cell in sequence as a particular portion of fluid moves sequentially from cell to cell around the circle will indicate only change in optical properties of said particular portion of fluid with time from entrance to said first optical cell to exit from said last optical cell.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.