Reaction vessel for immunological analysis of aerosols

A reaction vessel for determining a toxic substance adhering to aerosols in an air sample, the reaction vessel comprising:

• an elongated body having proximal and distal ends and enclosing a space defining at least a collection chamber, a reaction chamber and a measurement chamber in a sequential through-flow direction obtainable by attachment of a vacuum source to said distal end, wherein:
• (a) said collection chamber contains
• at least a first breakable ampule filled with a liquid reagent for solubilizing and separating said toxic substance from said aerosols in order to transport said toxic substances into said reaction chamber;
• a collecting layer comprising a semi-permeable means where said toxic substance adhered to said aerosols is deposited, arranged downstream from said first ampule, said semi-permeable means being permeable to said solubilized and separated toxic substance but impermeable to said aerosols;
• and,
• a first flow barrier disposed between said collecting layer and said reaction chamber for delaying liquid transport until said vacuum source is applied to pull said solublized and separated toxic substance therethrough into said reaction chamber;
• (b) said reaction chamber contains
• an immunoreactive charge comprising
• a predetermined amount of a labelled reagent comprising a detectable label conjugated to said toxic substance or an analog thereof, said labelled reagent being complexed with
• (ii) a solid phase carrier material having immobilized thereon an immunoreactant which specifically binds to said toxic substance and said labelled reagent, such that any said solubilized and separated toxic substance entering said reaction chamber displaces said labelled reagent from said particles in proportion to the amount of said toxic substance present in said air sample;
• and,
• a second flow barrier disposed between said reaction chamber and said measurement chamber for delaying liquid transport from said reaction chamber for a defined reaction time until said vacuum source is applied to pull any displaced labelled reagent into said measurement chamber;
• and,
• (c) said measurement chamber contains a color generating system which reacts with said displaced labelled reagent to produce a colored product in proportion to the concentration of said toxic substance in said air sample.