Fisher Scientific Company

Erie Scientific Company

Iniziative Marittime 1991, S.r.l.

David J Brigati

Carlo Edward Cuomo

Douglas J Koebler

Sreeramulu Nagubandi

Thomas J Babbitt

Massoud Arvanaghi

Probe cocktails contain a nucleic acid probe and a sulfated polysaccharide as a volume excluding polymer to speed up hybridization rates. Exemplary sulfated polysaccharides are chondroitin sulfate A and C, which can be extracted from cartilage and similar tissues. Compared to synthetic anionic polymers such as dextran sulfate, the probe cocktails can have reduced viscosities and surface tensions, as well as reduced water loss when the cocktail is heated to denature DNA before rehybridization. The reduced viscosity and surface tension are of particular value when entering and exiting narrow spaces, as in some automated analyzers and in capillary gap methodologies.

Hybridization method and composition with alternating polysaccharide of

Compounds of the formula DNB-TZ(P2) (P3) X, wherein TZ is a tetrazolium ring, DNB is 5-(2,4-dinitrophenyl), X is halide and P2 and P3 are each independently halophenyl, nitrophenyl or phenyl. The compound INDT 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) tetrazolium bromide exhibits facile reduction to insoluble chromophoric formazan compared to the chromagen INT. INDT differs structurally from INT 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride by having 2,4-dinitrophenyl instead of phenyl at the 5-position on the tetrazolium ring. The compounds, including INDT, are useful as chromagens for histological staining, as well as in enzyme-amplified staining as a part of immunological or hybridization assays.

Tetrazolium halide compounds and methods

A thin sample on a surface such as a tissue specimen on a microscope slide is exposed to treatment liquid such as a stain, antibody of nucleic acid probe. The treatment is accelerated by exposing the treatment liquid on the surface to infrared radiation. A device is disclosed for placing such slides into a treatment chamber, for example as a plurality of slide pairs held vertically, with treatment liquid held in capillary gaps between each slide pair. An infrared radiation source provides radiation into the treatment chamber to accelerate the treatment of samples on such slide (on one or both surfaces facing each capillary gap) by the treatment liquid.

Method and device for accelerated treatment of thin sample on surface

Two rectangular slides having front and rear faces are held with front faces facing each other. Raised end portions on one or both front faces abut and space the front faces by a distance (e.g., 100 to 250 .mu.m) conducive for reversible capillary action between the slides. Raised island portions on one or both front faces are located at corners opposite the raised end portions. The raised island portions serve to maintain spacing between the front faces, particularly as the ends of the slides opposite to the raised end portions contact an absorbent material. An opening between the raised island portions permits liquid to enter and leave the gap between the front faces.

Microscope slide and slide assembly

Slide pair holder and assembly

A device for holding a horizontal array of discrete aliquots of treating liquid having,

Device for holding horizontal array of liquid aliquots

A sheetlike object with a planar front face, a linear lower edge, a thickness about 0.5-5 mm and a raised pattern on a portion of the front face about 50-500 micrometers forwardly of the front face. For example, a rectangular microscope slide 25 mm wide, 75 mm high and 1 mm thick coated on one side by an adherent coating 50-500 micrometers thick. Two such slides with abutting coating portions of 50-125 micrometer thickness form a capillary gap between the remainder of the planar surfaces of 100-250 micrometer thickness. One such slide with a coating of 100-250 micrometer thickness forms a corresponding gap when placed against a flat (uncoated) slide. A similar raised portion is created by affixing a thin object (e.g., a 150 micrometer thick cover slip) to a portion of a microscope slide. Liquid is drawn into and out of the capillary gap by contacting the edge of the gap with liquids and then by absorbent.

Sheetlike object such as microscope slide

Liquid is applied to a thin sample on a first surface (e.g., a specimen on a microscope slide) by maintaining a second surface parallel to the first to provide a gap therebetween and contacting an edge of the gap with a discrete aliquot of liquid. The liquid can migrate by capillary action into contact with the thin sample, preferably upward from horizontally extending linear edges of the surfaces. Liquid can also be removed by contacting the gap edges with absorbent material. Also disclosed are apparatus for holding a plurality of such surfaces in a vertically extending array and apparatus for holding a plurality of liquid droplets beneath the array. One apparatus can be moved relative to the other to contact the lower gap edges with droplets.

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Edmond, OK, United States of America

David J Brigati