Pharmacia Biotech Inc.

David W Walker

James F Jolly

Phillip P Franciskovich

Suzanne B Treml

Brent A Burdick

Robert A DiFrancesco

David R Boyer

Cynthia A Mielke

Chris R Lively

Jean A Heaster

Daniel D Zender

An apparatus for dispensing reagent spheres from a vial includes a housing with an inlet through which the reagent spheres are received from the vial. Within the housing is a dispensing tube which forms a passageway for the reagent spheres and which has a first relatively large section in communication with the inlet and a funnel section in which the passageway reduces in cross section to a narrower linearizing section. The cross sectional area of the linearizing section is only slightly larger than one of the reagent spheres being dispensed. A metering shaft extends across and blocks the linearizing section of the passageway. The metering shaft has a depression for conveying one reagent sphere at a time between portions of linearizing section when the metering shaft is rotated 180 degrees. A gear on the metering shaft meshes with teeth on a plunger which is slidably mounted to the housing. A user pressing the plunger causes the metering shaft to rotate transferring a reagent sphere to a portion of the passageway connected to the outlet of the housing and thereby ejects that reagent sphere from the housing.

Dispenser for dried biological reagent spheres

A dispenser include a housing with an inlet through which reagent pills are received from a vial. Within the housing is a dispensing tube that forms a pill passageway which has a first portion of relatively large cross section adjacent the inlet and a funnel portion in which the passageway reduces in cross section to a narrower linearizing portion. The dispensing tube has a series of ridges on an exterior surface. A metering shaft extends across the linearizing portion and has a depression for conveying one reagent pill at a time between sections of the linearizing portion when the metering shaft is rotated. A gear on the metering shaft is meshes with teeth on a plunger which is slidably mounted in the housing. The plunger also has a member projecting therefrom and against dispensing tube. A user pressing the plunger causes the metering shaft to rotate transferring a reagent pill to a portion of the passageway connected to the outlet of the housing and thereby ejects that reagent pill from the housing. That plunger movement also causes the member to ride over the ridges which vibrates the dispensing tube loosening any pills that become jammed in the funnel portion.

Dried biological reagent pill dispenser with vibrating mechanism

An apparatus, for simultaneously separating multiple samples into their constituents, includes a column manifold which has a plate with a plurality of apertures therethrough. A plurality of support tubes extend from the plate and each support tube has a passage in communication with one of the apertures. The column manifold also includes a fitting to which a vacuum source can the connected, thus enabling the apparatus to be used with both a centrifuge and a vacuum source. A separate separation column is removably received in each support tube and projects through the associated aperture. A collection plate has a plurality of wells arranged so that each well is aligned with a different support tube when the column manifold is placed against the collection plate. This alignment enables each well to receive material expelled from the separation column received in the corresponding support tube.

Multiple column chromatography assembly

A reagent semi-sphere is disclosed comprising at least one biological reagent and a glass forming filler material in a concentration sufficient to facilitate formation of a glassy, porous composition, wherein the reagent semi-sphere is room temperature stable, water soluble, and has a T.sub.g above room temperature. A method is provided for making the reagent semi-sphere comprising providing an aqueous solution of a buffered biological reagent; mixing a glass forming filler material with the buffered reagent solution to form an emulsion wherein the concentration of the filler material is sufficient to facilitate formation of a glassy, porous composition having a predetermined semi-spherical shape; dispensing the emulsion in the form of substantially uniform droplets; collecting the droplets on an inert medium to form semi-spheres; and vacuum drying the droplets, under conditions suitable for maintaining the predetermined semi-spherical shape, to form the reagent semi-sphere; wherein the reagent semi-sphere is room temperature stable, water soluble, and has a T.sub.g above room temperature.

Room temperature stable reagent semi-spheres

Growing community of inventors

Milwaukee, WI, United States of America

David W Walker