Production of antigens

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING IMMUNIZING AND DIAGNOSTIC ANTIGENS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SUBJECTING AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION CONTAINING INFECTIOUS MICRO-ORGANISMS AND ANTIGENS, TO THE ACTION OF 0.5% TO 5.0% BY WEIGHT OF A 1,2-EPOXIDE OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, EPICLOROHYDRIN, AND EPIBROMOHYDRIN AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 2* C. AND 37* C. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME RANGING FROM NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 8 DAYS AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE TO NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 4 HOURS AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE, THE PERIOD OF TIME OF EXPOSURE OF THE SAID ANTIGEN AND INFECTIOUS MICRO-ORGANISM TO THE SAID 1,2-EPOXIDE BEING CORRELATED WITH THE TEMPERATURE AND CONCENTRATION OF THE 1,2-EXPOSIDE SO THAT THE MINIMUM LENGTH OF TIME OF EXPOSURE OCCURS AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURES AND HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS, AND THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF EXPOSURE OCCURS AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES AND LOWEST CONCENTRATIONS, BEING SUFFICIENT TO RENDER NON-INFECTIOUS THE MICRO-ORGANISMS BUT INSUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE ANTIGENICITY OF THE ANTIGENS PRESENT THEREIN AND AFTER SUCH PERIOD OF EXPOSURE REMOVING FROM THE AQUEOUS SUSPENSION THE REMAINING 1,2-EPOXIDE, AND PREPARING FROM THE SUSPENSION A BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT CONTAINING DIAGNOSTIC AND IMMUNIZING ANTIGENS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREPARING IMMUNIZING AND DIAGNOSTIC ANTIGENS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF SUBJECTING AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION CONTAINING INFECTIOUS MICRO-ORGANISMS AND ANTIGENS, TO THE ACTION OF 0.5% TO 5.0% BY WEIGHT OF A 1,2-EPOXIDE OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, EPICLOROHYDRIN, AND EPIBROMOHYDRIN AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 2* C. AND 37* C. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME RANGING FROM NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 8 DAYS AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE TO NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 4 HOURS AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE, THE PERIOD OF TIME OF EXPOSURE OF THE SAID ANTIGEN AND INFECTIOUS MICRO-ORGANISM TO THE SAID 1,2-EPOXIDE BEING CORRELATED WITH THE TEMPERATURE AND CONCENTRATION OF THE 1,2-EXPOSIDE SO THAT THE MINIMUM LENGTH OF TIME OF EXPOSURE OCCURS AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURES AND HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS, AND THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF EXPOSURE OCCURS AT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES AND LOWEST CONCENTRATIONS, BEING SUFFICIENT TO RENDER NON-INFECTIOUS THE MICRO-ORGANISMS BUT INSUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE ANTIGENICITY OF THE ANTIGENS PRESENT THEREIN AND AFTER SUCH PERIOD OF EXPOSURE REMOVING FROM THE AQUEOUS SUSPENSION THE REMAINING 1,2-EPOXIDE, AND PREPARING FROM THE SUSPENSION A BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT CONTAINING DIAGNOSTIC AND IMMUNIZING ANTIGENS.