US3615222A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for measuring the amount of a component in a biological fluid
Assignee: EIDP Inc
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Filing: 1968-09-04
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Granted: 1971-10-26
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Expires: 1988-09-04
Abstract
Abstract A technique for clinically measuring the amount of a component, such as thyroxine, in a biological fluid, such as serum, of the type in which the amount of such component bound to a binding agent therefor, such as a protein, is measured by measuring the capacity of the binding agent to bind a tracer labeled compound and in which such capacity is measured by the use of a solid particulate adsorbent or absorbent for selectively adsorbing or absorbing the unbound tracer labeled compound from a liquid containing the same together with the bound tracer labeled compound and the bound component, the improvement comprising mixing the solid adsorbent and liquid in a container in which the solid particulate adsorbent is secured to the upper end thereof and the liquid is contained in the lower end, the mixing being carried out by inversion of the container. By this procedure, it is possible to simultaneously mix the solids and liquids of a plurality of specimens and controls and to thereby simultaneously incubate and centrifuge them to insure that all specimens and controls are subjected to identical conditions to thereby minimize errors and the time required to carry out such measurements. The compounds used for carrying out the tests may be conveniently stored and shipped in the same container in which mixing, incubation, centrifuging and tracer measurement are carried out and which is in the form of a transparent or translucent, relatively rigid, tubular vial of a molded resin made up of two parts, in one of which is secured the adsorbent and in the other of which is located the liquid. During shipment and storage one part functions as a cap for the other, which is also capped and when the test is to be carried out, the parts are disassembled and reassembled with the open mouths of the two parts mated together to form a single chamber and with the solids-containing part located above the liquid-containing part so that the solids secured in the upper part do not come in contact with the liquid in the lower part until the container is inverted.
Inventors
- 👤 Louis W Mead
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:43
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01L; B01L3/00; B01L3/50; B01L3/508; B01L3/5082; G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/53; G01N33/536; G01N33/537; G01N33/538; G01N33/74; G01N33/78; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S436/00; Y10S436/807; Y10S436/81; Y10S436/825; Y10S436/826
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
10 words
A method according to claim 1, said adsorbent being charcoal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
8 words
a measured amount of a tracer-labeled compound and
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
205 words
a compound, which has the property of binding said component and said tracer-labeled compound thereto and which binding compound is present in an amount insufficient to bind all said component and tracer compound so that some of said tracer compound is in a free state and some is bound to said binding compound, is mixed with a solid particulate adsorbent for selectively adsorbing the free unbound tracer-labeled compound to thereby separate the bound from the unbound, and in which said liquid mixture and adsorbent are left in contact with each other during a predetermined incubation period to permit said adsorption to occur and are then separated, the solid adsorbent containing unbound tracer compound being thus separated from the liquid containing the bound component and bound tracer compound, and in which the tracer intensity of at least one of said separated adsorbent and liquid is measured, the improvement comprising contacting with each other said liquid mixture and adsorbent in a container, in the upper portion of which container said adsorbent is secured and in the lower portion of which container said liquid mixture is located, said contacting being carried out by inverting the container to cause said liquid mixture to flow into contact with said adsorbent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
124 words
A method according to claim 1, said container being in at least two parts each of which has a closed and an open end and in one of which a liquid containing said tracer-labeled compound is contained and in the other of which said solid adsorbent is secured, adding said component to said liquid, the open end of a first of said two parts being removed from the closed end of the second part and then being removably secured over the open end of said second part with the solid adsorbent located above the liquid mixture, whereby communication is provided between the interior of the parts so that upon said inversion of the container, said liquid mixture flows into contact with said solid adsorbent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 1, said tracer-labeled compound being a radioactive labeled compound.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 4, said binding compound being a macromolecular compound and the particles of said adsorbent being coated with a macromolecule blocking agent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 4, said adsorbent being in the form of a cake of finely divided particles of said adsorbent secured to said container.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method accorDing to claim 6, said cake of adsorbent containing a binder to increase the solids volume and to bind the particles of adsorbent together as a cake and to said container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 4, said radioactive-labeled compound being related in chemical formulation to said component or an analogue thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 8, said component being a polyiodothyronine and said radioactive-labeled compound being a polyiodothyronine at least one iodine atom of which is radioactive.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
A method according to claim 4, in which said component measurement is achieved by carrying out said method with one or more biological fluid specimens to be tested in one or more of said containers and one or more controls in one or more other of said containers and comparing the radioactivity measurements of the specimen with the control, the mixing and incubation of the liquid mixtures and solid adsorbents in said containers being carried out simultaneously by inverting said containers simultaneously to suspend said adsorbent particles in said liquid mixtures.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 10, said control and specimen being incubated and centrifuged simultaneously in said containers under like conditions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 11, the radioactivity of said control and specimen being measured while they are located in the containers in which they were mixed, incubated and centrifuged.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 11, the incubation conditions of said control and specimen being kept the same by retaining said containers in like positions with respect to inversion or noninversion during simultaneous incubation thereof, after which said containers are simultaneously centrifuged for the same time while retained in like positions with respect to inversion or noninversion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method according to claim 11, in which a plurality of specimens of biological fluid and one or more controls are mixed, incubated and centrifuged simultaneously in different containers and in the same way by inverting the containers in which they are contained simultaneously and retaining the containers in like inverted or noninverted positions at all times during incubation and centrifuging.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
171 words
A container for use in testing for a component in a biological fluid, in which materials for use in said testing may be stored and shipped and in which said testing may be carried out, said container comprising at least two parts, in one of which a measured amount of a liquid containing a tracer-labeled compound is contained and in the other of which a measured amount of a solid particulate adsorbent for such tracer-labeled compound is secured, each of said parts having a closed end and an open end closed by a closure for shipment and storage, the open end of a first of such parts being removably mated over the open end of a second of said parts with the adsorbent located at the upper portion of the mated parts and the liquid located at the lower portion of the mated parts, whereby communication is provided between the interior of the parts so that upon inversion of the mated parts said liquid flows into contact with said solid adsorbent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A container according to claim 15, in which said particulate adsorbent is in the form of a cake of finely divided adsorbent particles bonded to an inner wall of said other part.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
A container according to claim 16, said particulate adsorbent comprising protein coated charcoal particles.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
217 words
A container for testing for a component of a biological fluid, in which materials for use in said testing may be stored and shipped and in which said testing may be carried out, said container comprising at least two parts each of which has a closed end and an open end and in one of which a measured amount of a liquid containing a tracer-labeled compound is contained and in the other of which a measured amount of a particulate solid adsorbent for such tracer-labeled compound is secured, the open end of a first of said parts removably seCured over the closed end of a second of said parts with the open end of said second part being closed by a removable closure, whereby the assembly of said container parts containing said liquid and said solid adsorbent may be shipped and stored, said open end of said first part also being removable from said closed end of said second part and removably matable over the open end of said second part with the adsorbent located at the upper portion of the mated parts and the liquid located in the lower portion, whereby communication is provided between the interior of the parts so that upon inversion of the mated parts said liquid flows into contact with said adsorbent.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
A container according to claim 18, said tracer compound comprising a radioactive-labeled compound.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A container according to claim 18, made of a transparent or translucent relatively rigid resin.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
40 words
A container according to claim 18, said liquid being contained in said second part, said removable closure forming a liquidtight seal with the open end of said second part, said mated open ends of said parts forming a liquidtight seal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
63 words
A block having a plurality of wells therein receiving a plurality of containers according to claim 18, with the open ends thereof mated so that the adsorbent is located at the upper portions of said containers and the liquid is located in the lower portions thereof, whereby all of said containers may be simultaneously inverted by inverting said block with said containers therein.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
A container according to claim 18, said solid adsorbent being in the form of a cake of fine particles of said adsorbent bonded to said other part of said container.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
A container according to claim 23, said adsorbent containing a water-soluble binding compound adapted to bind said particles together and to said other part of said container.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A container according to claim 18, said adsorbent being secured at the closed end of said other part.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
A container according to claim 25, the internal wall of said other part where said adsorbent is located being corrugated to aid in securing said adsorbent against being dislodged.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
54 words
A container according to claim 18, said container being in the form of a cylindrical vial made up of two vial parts constituting said first and second parts, the open end of said first part being adapted to be sealably mated alternatively over the closed end and the open end of the second part.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
A container according to claim 27, the closed end portions of said vial parts having a plurality of external circumferential ribs.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3072362A
Cited
US3397965A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-25 | 1975-04-26 | 1975-10-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-25 | 1979-04-26 | 1979-10-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-25 | 1983-04-26 | 1983-10-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |