Patent EP0187699A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0187699A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Automatic chemistry machine
Assignee: BTG International Ltd
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Filing: 1986-01-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-01-06
Abstract
Abstract An automatic chemistry machine particularly suitable for the automatic sequencing of DNA on the microlitre scale includes a source of reagents, a common means to transfer by contact microlitre quantities of reagent, below 5 microlitres, and a rotatable reaction surface to which said quantities of reagent are transferable, means to control the transfer means to access and contact specific spaced areas of the reaction surface, and means to control the rotation of the surface with regard to the transfer means action, the surface being formed to constrain flow of transferred reagent quantities over the surface and in a reaction area to mix under centrifugal action on faster rotation of the surface.
Inventors
- 👤 William John Martin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 04:06
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N35/00; B; B01; B01J; B01J19/00; B01J19/0046; B01J2219/00; B01J2219/00274; B01J2219/00277; B01J2219/00279; B01J2219/00306; B01J2219/00313; B01J2219/00479; B01J2219/00488; C; C40; C40B; C40B60/00; C40B60/14; G01N2035/00346; G01N2035/00435; G01N2035/00465; G01N2035/00495; G01N2035/00504; G01N35/02; G01N35/04; G01N2035/0439; G01N2035/0446; G01N2035/0449; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/11; Y10T436/111666; Y10T436/14; Y10T436/142222; Y10T436/143333
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
An automatic chemistry machine including: a rotatable reaction surface and means to support and rotate said surface, means to deposit reagents on said surface by contact, said surface including a smooth reaction area with alongside elongate radially extending flow constraining means to constrain said deposit reagents on rotation of the surface to flow freely over the reaction area in a radial direction and mix.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
An automatic chemistry machine including: a rotatable reaction surface and means to support and rotate said surface, means to deposit reagents on said surface by contact, said surface including a smooth reaction area with alongside elongate radially extending flow constraining means to constrain said deposit reagents on rotation of the surface to flow freely over the reaction area in a radial direction and mix.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A machine according to Claim 1 in which the means in the surface to constrain the reagents is at least one raised part.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A machine according to Claim 2 in which the raised part of the surface is one of a ridge, rib and wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A machine according to Claim 1 in which the means in the surface to constrain the reagents is at least one groove.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
A machine according to Claim 4 in which the groove is straight.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
A machine according to Claim 4 in which there are groups of grooves.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A machine according to Claim 1 in which the surface is of disc form and the means in the surface to constrain the reagents are each in part at least radial of the disc.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A machine according to Claim 1 including in said surface at least one open recess to receive reagents constrained to flow over the surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A machine according to Claim 1 in which the means to deposit reagents deposits only controlled microlitre quantities by contact of a liquid-carrying probe with said surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
78 words
A machine according to Claim 9 in which the surface is a disc with a plurality of said constraining means each in part at least radial of the disc and in which the means to deposit reagents is movable over the disc and to a supply of reagents and operable to access specific spaced parts of the surface to deposit reagents from said supply by contact to be constrained to flow in a reaction area on said rotation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
A machine according to Claim 10 in which the means to deposit reagents is movable radially over the disc to specific parts of a reaction area spaced along a radius and the disc is selectively rotatable to bring specific parts to be contacted by the means to deposit reagent.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to Claim 1 in which the means to rotate the reaction surface is effective to rotate the surface at a first reagent deposition speed and second, higher, reagent mixing speed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to Claim 12 in which the reagent deposition speed is a stepping motion.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
184 words
An apparatus to carry out chemical reactions under automatic control, the apparatus supporting side-by-side a rotary reagent store and a rotary reaction surface with a contact reagent transfer means operable along a path radial over the surface to transfer selected reagents from the store for deposit on the reaction surface at selected respective positions by contact with the surface, the reaction surface being supported for rotation at a first, loading speed and at least a second higher, mixing speed, the reaction surface being formed to constrain the flow of reagents over the surface and in a reaction area to mix on rotation of the surface at a higher speed, the apparatus further including means to drive the reagent store, transfer means and reaction surface and control means settable and operable to co-ordinate the drive of the store, transfer means and surface to produce desired selective transfer of reagents to respective surface positions, the control means being further settable and operable to rotate the surface at a higher speed to mix the reagents and thereafter selectively transfer further reagent to the surface for further mixing.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
184 words
An apparatus to carry out chemical reactions under automatic control, the apparatus supporting side-by-side a rotary reagent store and a rotary reaction surface with a contact reagent transfer means operable along a path radial over the surface to transfer selected reagents from the store for deposit on the reaction surface at selected respective positions by contact with the surface, the reaction surface being supported for rotation at a first, loading speed and at least a second higher, mixing speed, the reaction surface being formed to constrain the flow of reagents over the surface and in a reaction area to mix on rotation of the surface at a higher speed, the apparatus further including means to drive the reagent store, transfer means and reaction surface and control means settable and operable to co-ordinate the drive of the store, transfer means and surface to produce desired selective transfer of reagents to respective surface positions, the control means being further settable and operable to rotate the surface at a higher speed to mix the reagents and thereafter selectively transfer further reagent to the surface for further mixing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to Claim 14 in which the store includes a plurality of storage compartments and the surface includes a plurality of reaction areas.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus according to Claim 15 including means to selectively adjust the temperature of at least one of the storage compartments and surface areas by at least one heating and cooling means and in which said control means is operable to cause said selected adjustment by operation of said means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
84 words
A method of automatically carrying out a sequence of chemical reactions under specific conditions with specific reagents including operating an apparatus according to Claim 16 under said control means to deposit selected reagents on a reaction surface for said reactions, rotate the reaction surface to mix the reagents, adjust the temperature of the reagents and the reaction surface, hold the reaction surface for a reaction time and conditions and deposit further reagents and rotate and hold the reaction surface to meet the reaction conditions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
A reaction surface for an automatic chemistry machine prepared with deposited reagents in selected positions and cooled to a temperature to preserve said reagents for eventual use in a specific chemical reaction.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
A reaction surface for an automatic chemistry machine prepared with deposited reagents in selected positions and cooled to a temperature to preserve said reagents for eventual use in a specific chemical reaction.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A reagent store for an automatic density machine prepared with stocks of reagents for specific reactions and cooled to a temperature to preserve said reagents for eventual use for such reactions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
A reagent store for an automatic density machine prepared with stocks of reagents for specific reactions and cooled to a temperature to preserve said reagents for eventual use for such reactions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
109 words
An automatic chemistry machine for the automatic sequencing of DNA on the microlitre scale including a source of reagents, a common means to transfer, by contact, microlitre quantities of reagent, each below 5 microlitre, and a rotatable reaction surface to which said quantities of reagent are transferable, means to control the transfer means to access and contact specific spaced areas of the reaction surface, and means to control the rotation of the surface with regard to the transfer means action,the surface being formed to constrain flow of transferred reagent quantities over the surface and in a reaction area to mix under centrifugal action on faster rotation of the surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
109 words
An automatic chemistry machine for the automatic sequencing of DNA on the microlitre scale including a source of reagents, a common means to transfer, by contact, microlitre quantities of reagent, each below 5 microlitre, and a rotatable reaction surface to which said quantities of reagent are transferable, means to control the transfer means to access and contact specific spaced areas of the reaction surface, and means to control the rotation of the surface with regard to the transfer means action,the surface being formed to constrain flow of transferred reagent quantities over the surface and in a reaction area to mix under centrifugal action on faster rotation of the surface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
A machine according to Claim 20 in which the surface is a plate radially grooved to receive reagent at spaced parts of the groove.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of carrying out chemical reactions with microlitre quantities of reagents including providing a source of reagents, providing a reaction surface, individually transferring controlled microlitre quantities of reagents for a reaction from the source and depositing said controlled quantities spaced apart on the surface, and causing or permitting the deposited reagents to move together over the surface to bring about a desired reaction.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of carrying out chemical reactions with microlitre quantities of reagents including providing a source of reagents, providing a reaction surface, individually transferring controlled microlitre quantities of reagents for a reaction from the source and depositing said controlled quantities spaced apart on the surface, and causing or permitting the deposited reagents to move together over the surface to bring about a desired reaction.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
11 words
Any novel feature or features alone or in combination herein disclosed.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
11 words
Any novel feature or features alone or in combination herein disclosed.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
14 words
An automatic chemistry machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
14 words
An automatic chemistry machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
19 words
A method of automatically carrying out a chemical reaction substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
19 words
A method of automatically carrying out a chemical reaction substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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