Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
Apparatus for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said apparatus comprising in combination: means for irradiating said specimen with first radiation in the absorption band of the tag of said product so as to stimulate fluorescent emission from said tag; means for separately irradiating said specimen with second radiation substantially incapable of stimulating fluorescent emission from said tag; means for detecting fluorescent emission from said specimen due to irradiation of said specimen with said first radiation so as to provide a first electrical signal; means for detecting fluorescent emission from said specimen due to irradiation of said specimen with said second radiation so as to provide a second electrical signal; means for scaling said first and second signals with respect to one another by scaling factor; and means for producing as a function of a difference between said first and second signals as scaled, an electrical output signal related to the amount of said antigen in said specimen.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
Apparatus for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said apparatus comprising in combination: means for irradiating said specimen with first radiation in the absorption band of the tag of said product so as to stimulate fluorescent emission from said tag; means for separately irradiating said specimen with second radiation substantially incapable of stimulating fluorescent emission from said tag; means for detecting fluorescent emission from said specimen due to irradiation of said specimen with said first radiation so as to provide a first electrical signal; means for detecting fluorescent emission from said specimen due to irradiation of said specimen with said second radiation so as to provide a second electrical signal; means for scaling said first and second signals with respect to one another by scaling factor; and means for producing as a function of a difference between said first and second signals as scaled, an electrical output signal related to the amount of said antigen in said specimen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scaling factor is the ratio between the amplitude of signals corresponding to the fluorescent emission from said blood serum, in the absence of said reaction product, when said serum is respectively irradiated by said first and second radiations.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for irradiating said specimen with said first and second radiation comprises a laser capable of providing output radiation alternatively centered around at least two different wavelengths.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for irradiating said specimen with said first and second radiation comprises a source of radiation, an interference filter and means for varying the angle at which radiation from said source is incident on said filter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for irradiating said specimen with said first and second radiation comprises a source of radiation at least two different passband filters and means for alternating transmission of radiation from said source through each of said filters.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for producing said output electrical signal comprises a differential amplifier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said apparatus comprising in combination: means for irradiating said specimen with first radiation in the absorption band of the tag of said product so as to stimulate fluorescent emission from said tag; means for detecting said fluorescent emission and for providing an electrical signal responsively thereto; and means for differentiating said electrical signal so as to provide an output signal which is a function of the amount of antigen in said specimen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said apparatus comprising in combination: means for irradiating said specimen with first radiation in the absorption band of the tag of said product so as to stimulate fluorescent emission from said tag; means for detecting said fluorescent emission and for providing an electrical signal responsively thereto; and means for differentiating said electrical signal so as to provide an output signal which is a function of the amount of antigen in said specimen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
131 words
Method for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said method comprising the steps of: stimulating fluorescent emission from said specimen by irradiating said specimen separately with a first beam of radiation capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from the fluorescent tag of said product, and with a second beam of radiation which is substantially capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from said serum but is not capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from said tag; taking at least two different measurements of said emission respectively due to irradiation of said specimen by said first and second beams, and deriving from said measurements an electrical output signal which is a difference signal between said measurements, said output signal being a function of the amount of antigen in said specimen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
131 words
Method for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said method comprising the steps of: stimulating fluorescent emission from said specimen by irradiating said specimen separately with a first beam of radiation capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from the fluorescent tag of said product, and with a second beam of radiation which is substantially capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from said serum but is not capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from said tag; taking at least two different measurements of said emission respectively due to irradiation of said specimen by said first and second beams, and deriving from said measurements an electrical output signal which is a difference signal between said measurements, said output signal being a function of the amount of antigen in said specimen.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
129 words
Method for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said method comprising the steps of stimulating fluorescent emission from said specimen by irradiating said specimen with radiation capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from the fluorescent tag of said product, and during the reaction which produces said product, while said reaction is at a relatively early stage, taking at least two measurements respectively at a first time t 0 early in said stage and a second time t 1 later in said stage; and deriving from said measurements an electrical output signal as the derivative of the change in said measurement over the time interval t 1 - t 0 , said output signal being a function of the amount of antigen in said specimen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
129 words
Method for assaying fluorescently-tagged antibody-antigen reaction product contained in a specimen of blood serum, said method comprising the steps of stimulating fluorescent emission from said specimen by irradiating said specimen with radiation capable of stimulating fluorescent emission from the fluorescent tag of said product, and during the reaction which produces said product, while said reaction is at a relatively early stage, taking at least two measurements respectively at a first time t 0 early in said stage and a second time t 1 later in said stage; and deriving from said measurements an electrical output signal as the derivative of the change in said measurement over the time interval t 1 - t 0 , said output signal being a function of the amount of antigen in said specimen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
Method as defined in claim 9 including the step of scaling said measurements with respect to one another by a scaling factor derived from the relative intensities of fluorescent emission from said blood serum due to irradiation by said first and second beams in the absence of said reaction product.