Automated biological reaction instrument

Abstract

Abstract THIS DISCLOSURE DESCRIBES APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PROCESSING SPECIAL LABORATORY SLIDES CARRYING SPECIFIC ANTIGENIC MATERIAL WITH SAMPLES OF BLOOD SERUM TAKEN FROM PATIENTS TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES IN THE SERUM AS AN INDICATION OF PREVIOUS EXPOSURE TO THE ANTIGEN. SPECIFICALLY, THE DISCLOSURE DESCRIBES THE APPARATUS AS APPLIED TO THE FLUORESCENT TREPONEMAL ANTIBODY (FTA) TEST FOR SYPHILIS USING AN INDIRECT FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE WITH T. PALLIDUM (NICHOLS STRAIN) AS THE ANTIGEN. THE APPARATUS OF THE INVENTION INCLUDES A MECHANISM FOR DISCHARGING FROM A MAGAZINE A NUMBER OF ANTIGEN CARRYING LABORATORY SLIDES ONTO A ROTATING CARRIER AND THE DISPENSING OF SAMPLES OF PATIENTS SERUM ONTO THE LABORATORY SLIDES. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY THE INCUBATION OF THE SLIDE CARRYING THE PREVIOUSLY FIXED ANTIGEN AND THE PATIENTS SERUM FOR SEVERAL MINUTES TO ALLOW THE REACTION OF ANY SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES IN THE SERUM WITH THE FIXED ANTIGEN. THE APPARATUS FURTHER INCLUDES MEANS FOR WASHING TO REMOVE EXCESS SERUM, MEANS FOR INJECTING A CONJUGATE WHICH REACTS WITH THE HUMAN SERUM AFFIXED TO THE ANTIGEN AND CARRIES A FLUORESCENT TAG SUCH AS FLUORESCEIN ISOTHIOCYANATE. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES MEANS FOR FURTHER INCUBATION TO INSURE THE REACTION BETWEEN THE ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY COMPLEX AND THE CONJUGATE FOLLOWED BY FURTHER WASHING AND DISCHARGING OF THE REACTED SLIDES TO AN OFF-LOADING MECHANISM FOR SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION UNDER A LABORATORY MICROSCOPE.

Inventors

• 👤 Gerald F Binnings
• 👤 Theodore N Meyer
• 👤 Mel J Riley

Bibliographic Details