Manifold vacuum device for biochemical and immunological uses

A microtiter tray-vacuum chamber combination comprising:

• a manifold plate formed to define a series of fluid-impermeable wells having substantially cylindrical walls and fully open at their lower ends, each wall having a planar, annular base portion at its lower end, and
• a series of separate hydrophobic, liquid-permeable membrane means each secured to and sealed to the lower surface of a said base of one said well, for closing the lower end of said well along a flat plane and for enabling said wells to contain a reagent sample to be tested without leakage so long and only so long as no significant pressure differential exists between the upper and lower surfaces of said membrane and said membrane's lower surface is retained free from contact with an absorbent material, each said membrane means having an outer periphery separated from the outer periphery of all adjacent wells, so that fluid cannot migrate from one to another,
• a lower receptacle beneath said manifold plate providing a vacuum chamber with an imperforate floor underlying said plate, said lower receptacle providing an outlet from said vacuum chamber, and
• a gasket sealing said plate to said lower receptacle and enclosing the vacuum chamber.

A laboratory assembly, comprising:

• a manifold plate formed of plastic to define a series of small volume, fluid-impermeable, smooth-bore wells, each well having a capacity of about 25-100 microliters and being fully opened at its lower end and providing a planar, annular base at its lower end,
• a series of separate hydrophobic, liquid-permeable membranes, each permanently secured to and sealed to the lower surface of a said planar base of one said well to close said well for temporary containment of a liquid comprising reagent samples nonreactive with said plastic and said membrane during incubation and the like, while being sufficiently spaced from the membranes of all adjacent wells to prevent liquid migration thereto,
• each said membrane providing passage through it of said liquid without binding a reagent from said liquid, when subjected to significant pressure differential above and below said membrane, and
• solid-phase support means for bonding biological coreactants, supported loosely in each said well by a said membrane for binding a selected reagent from a said liquid inserted in its said well,
• a lower receptacle beneath said manifold plate providing a vacuum chamber underlying said plate, said receptacle providing an outer from said vacuum chamber, said receptacle providing an imperforate floor for said vacuum chamber,
• a gasket sealing said plate to said receptacle and enclosing the vacuum chamber,
• a source of vacuum suction of sufficient strength to draw the liquid of said reagent samples through the fluid-permeable membranes leaving a reactant bonded to said coreactants on said solid-phase support means in said wells, and
• connecting means leading from said vacuum chamber to said vacuum source.