Processing apparatus for a chemical reaction pack

Claim 2

A processing apparatus for transferring a liquid between chambers of a chemical reaction pack having blister-like chambers formed therein, comprising: a support surface for supporting a chemical reaction pack in a substantially horizontal plane; pressure applicators supported above said support surface for acting on said reaction pack to transfer fluid between adjacent chambers; means for operating said pressure applicators through a range of movement extending across said reaction pack, said operating means comprising a shaft having said pressure applicators arranged thereon and which advances said pressure applicators across the support surface while maintaining a substantially constant orientation between said pressure applicators and said support surface; and temperature-control elements movable with said pressure applicators and operable upon said reaction pack.

Claim 3

The processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said operating means further comprises a non-rotatable bracket supporting one end of said shaft, an axially elongated worm gear extending in a direction generally orthogonal to said shaft and threadably engaging said bracket, and means for rotatably driving said worm gear.

Claim 4

The processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said operating means further includes rack and pinion means arranged at opposite ends of said shaft for ensuring that the shaft advances across said support surface while maintaining a substantially constant orientation with said support surface throughout the range of movement of said pressure applicators.

Claim 5

The processing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said rack and pinion means comprises a gear rack extending generally orthogonal to said shaft, and a pinion gear intermeshed with said rack and mounted on said shaft.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said operating means further includes bearing means carried by said shaft for facilitating movement of said shaft across said support surface while maintaining a substantially constant orientation between said shaft and said support surface.

Claim 7

A processing apparatus for transferring a fluid between blister-like chambers in a chemical reaction pack, comprising: a support surface for supporting a plurality of chemical reaction packs in side-by-side and end-to-end relation relative to each other; a plurality of rollers supported above said support surface and in alignment with blister-like chambers on said reaction packs; drive mechanism means for moving said rollers across said support surface to operate against said reaction packs and facilitate transfer of fluid therethrough, said drive mechanism means comprising at least two spaced apart generally parallel shafts with a first series of rollers arranged endwise on a first shaft and a second series of rollers arranged endwise on a second shaft, and wherein said drive mechanism means advances said shafts with said rollers arranged thereon across said support surface while maintaining a substantially constant orientation relative to said support surface; and temperature-control means carried in advance of said rollers for thermally treating the fluid transferred through said reaction pack.

Claim 8

A processing apparatus for transferring a fluid between blister-like chambers in a chemical reaction pack, comprising: a support surface for supporting a plurality of chemical reaction packs in side-by-side and end-to-end relation relative to each other; a plurality of rollers supported above said support surface and in alignment with blister-like chambers on said reaction packs; drive mechanism means for moving said rollers across said support surface to operate against said reaction packs and facilitate transfer of fluid therethrough, said drive mechanism means comprising at least two spaced apart generally parallel shafts with a first series of rollers arranged endwise on a first shaft and a second series of rollers arranged endwise on a second shaft, and wherein said drive mechanism means advances said shafts with said rollers arranged thereon across said support surface while maintaining a substantially constant orientation relative to said support surface; and temperature-control means carried in advance of said rollers for thermally treating the fluid transferred through said reaction pack.

Claim 9

The processing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said support surface is apertured to accommodate temperature-control elements beneath said reaction packs.

Claim 10

The processing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said drive mechanism means comprises a non-rotatable bracket arranged at one end of each shaft, an axially elongated and rotatable worm gear passing through and engaging each of said brackets, and means for rotatably driving said worm gears.

Claim 11

The processing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said drive mechanism means further includes rack and pinion means arranged at opposite ends of each shaft for facilitating advancement of said shafts across the support surface while maintaining a substantially constant orientation relative to said support surface, each rack and pinion means comprising a gear rack extending substantially perpendicular to the respective shaft, and a pinion gear mounted at an end of the respective shaft to intermesh with said gear rack.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said drive mechanism means further includes a rail adjacent to said gear rack and fixedly arranged relative to said support surface, and bearing means carried by said shaft such that said bearing means rides on said rail.