Helena Laboratories Corporation

Henry A Garsee

Robert J Sarrine

Charles D Kelley

Philip A Guadagno

Tipton L Golias

Eric H Petersen

Earl W Boone

Michael T Everitt

Gene A Butts

Bruce R Petty

James L Pauley

Mark E Merchant

James Robert Markus Sanford

Suzan Robinson

Novel apparatuses and methods for depositing or placing substances on substrates or plates are described. The invention relates to automated and semiautomated apparatuses and methods for controlled volume and precise placement of substances on substrates. Combinations of applicator tips, applicator tip assemblies, applicator reservoirs, applicator holders and movable racks precisely and accurately place samples and testing chemicals on substrates. Applicator tips particularly useful for dunk transfer and deposit processes and for carrying substances are disclosed. Apparatuses for precisely moving applicator holders, applicator reservoirs and tips are disclosed. The methods and apparatuses also have features for pre-loading substances on applicators and applicator reservoirs and precisely delivering the preloaded substances to substrates.

System for the application of samples on a substrate

An apparatus for electrophoresing a sample and for thereafter either scanning in the visible mode or the fluorescent mode, under control of a central processor, to provide scanning densitometry of the electrophoresed sample, and with the fluorescent mode scanning being performed in situ. The apparatus includes a gantry which moves from left to right in the XY plane. The gantry draws, delivers and deposits the samples and reagents, and includes safety devices to prevent the gantry from movement and damage when there are obstructions in the path of the gantry. A fluorescent scanning unit is moved by X- and Y-direction motors to position a photomultiplier over an electrophoresed sample. In this way, the electrophoretic sample can remain fixed in place during sample delivery, ultraviolet exposure and measurement operations.

Automatic electrophoresis apparatus with fluorescent and visible scanning

An electrophoresis apparatus for automatically performing medical assays includes an electrophoresis platform which cooperates with a gantry assembly. The electrophoresis platform and the gantry assembly are movable along paths that are perpendicular to each other. An applicator assembly includes pipettes which transfer fluid samples from a specimen tray to an electrophoresis plate mounted on the electrophoresis platform. The electrophoresis platform then moves to a position into the gantry assembly, where electrophoresis is conducted to separate the samples into different fractions. The electrophoresis platform then moves beneath a reagent pouring station where a reagent is applied to make the separated fractions fluoresce under ultraviolet light. The electrophoresis platform is then moved beneath the gantry assembly again, and an air knife in the gantry assembly spreads the reagent. After incubation and drying of the electrophoresis plate, the electrophoresis platform and gantry assembly are moved relative to one another while the electrophoresis plate is read with the aid of ultraviolet lamps and a photomultiplier tube mounted in the gantry assembly. The gain of the photomultiplier tube is automatically adjusted and the data gathered is automatically edited to remove background noise. The edited results can be printed or displayed on a video monitor. Techniques for calibrating the electrophoresis apparatus are also disclosed.

Automatic electrophoresis method and apparatus

Method for calibrating a piston and cylinder type applicator

An electrophoresis machine is disclosed in which after a microporous support strip and a sample plate are placed in the machine, all electrophoresis processing, scanning and densitometer functions are automatically performed under computer control. The machine includes apparatus for automatic pipetting of liquid samples from the sample plate to the surface of the support strip, apparatus for applying electrophoresis current to the strip while simultaneously cooling it, apparatus for applying and spreading fluorescent staining reagent to the strip, and apparatus for incubating the strip and subsequently drying it. Mechanical aligning apparatus is provided for precisely aligning pipettes with application wells on the sample strip. Electrode bars and reagent spreader bars are provided to apply electrophoresing current to the strip and to spread reagent dumped onto the strip after electrophoresis. Circular indentations as well as rectangular indentations are provided as application wells on the sample strip. Spring loaded rollers are provided to reduce friction variation of a robotic assembly which translates a pipetting assembly between the sample plate and the sample strip. Multiple reagent bottle assemblies are provided for allowing one or more reagents to be dumped onto the strip after electrophoresing of the sample strip. Alternatively, apparatus is provided for spraying reagent onto the surface of the strip.

Automatic electrophoresis apparatus and method

An automatic electrophoresis machine is provided with a path for refrigerated air to pass over the agarose gel of a support medium during the time that electrophoresis current is applied to the support medium. Such apparatus is also provided with means for applying longitudinal electrophoresis current through the gel of the support medium during one time and applying lateral electrophoresis current through the gel of the support medium during another time.

Automatic electrophoresis apparatus

An automatic pipetting apparatus is disclosed having a base on which is mounted a vertical frame supporting a row of positive displacement pipettes which are driven in the up or down direction by an electromechanical mechanism under microprocessor controls. The apparatus includes a base, a track and a carriage longitudinally movable beneath the row of pipettes. The carriage includes an independent translating and position signal generation mechanism. The carriage carries a tray which includes sample chambers, a space to receive a microporous electrophoresis support medium, such as a cellulose acetate strip, a wash well, rinse well and a space to receive blotting paper. The pipettes include a barrel and a plunger capable of aspirating and dispensing from 0.5 to 5 .mu.l of liquid. The barrels move up and down with respect to the base by means of another independent translating and signal generating mechanism. The barrels may be easily replaced from the mechanism if they become damaged or worn from many operating cycles. The apparatus under microprocessor program control, washes, rinses, blots the barrels before and after each application or engagement of the barrels with a liquid or contaminant.

Automatic pipetting apparatus

An electrophoresis machine is disclosed in which after a microporous support strip and a sample plate are placed in the machine, all electrophoresis processing, scanning and densitometer functions are automatically performed under computer control. The machine includes apparatus for automatic pipetting of liquid samples from the sample plate to the surface of the support strip, apparatus for applying electrophoresis current to the strip while simultaneously cooling it, apparatus for applying and spreading flourescent staining reagent to the strip, and apparatus for incubating the strip and subsequently drying it. A T.V. camera, mounted to a flourescent scanning box enclosing the application plate, in cooperation with digital processing equipment, electronically scans electrophoresically longitudinally displaced components of the samples for determining relative component densities. An alternative scanning apparatus including a collimator and photomultiplier is also disclosed.

An improved electrophoresis plate and method of making same includes a plate having an inert substrate and an electrophoretic medium formed on the substrate. The electrophoretic medium includes, as a part thereof, buffer blocks or buffer reservoirs, more specifically, relatively thick deposits of the electrophoretic medium. The electrophoretic medium buffer is positioned in a predetermined location relative to alignment apertures in the substrate. The method of making the electrophoresis plate of the present invention includes priming the substrate with electrophoretic medium and thereafter forming, such as by casting or molding, the electrophoretic medium with the buffer blocks on the primed substrate.

Electrophoresis plate and method of making same

An electrophoresis machine is disclosed in which after a microporous support strip and a sample plate are placed in the machine, all electrophoresis processing, scanning and densitometer functions are automatically performed under computer control. The machine includes apparatus for automatic pipetting of liquid samples from the sample plate to the surface of the support strip, apparatus for applying electrophoresis current to the strip while simultaneously cooling it, apparatus for applying and spreading flourescent staining reagent to the strip, and apparatus for incubating the strip and subsequently drying it. A T.V. camera, mounted to a flourescent scanning box enlosing the application plate, in cooperation with digital processing equipment, electronically scans electrophoresically longitudinally displaced components of the samples for determining relative component densities. An alternative scanning apparatus including a collimator and photomultiplier is also disclosed.

An electrophoresis machine is disclosed in which after a microporous support strip and a sample plate are placed in the machine, all electrophoresis processing, scanning and densitometer functions are automatically performed under computer control. The machine includes apparatus for automatic pipetting of liquid samples from the sample plate to the surface of the support strip, apparatus for applying electrophoresis current ot the strip while simultaneously cooling it, apparatus for applying and spreading flourescent staining reagent to the strip, and apparatus for incubating the strip and subsequently drying it. A T.V. camera, mounted to a flourescent scanning box enclosing the application plate, in cooperation with digital processing equipment, electronically scans electrophoresically longitudinally displaced components of the samples for determining relative component densities. An alternative scanning apparatus including a collimator and photomultiplier is also disclosed.

A computer controlled diagnostic densitometer for analyzing optical density patterns of blood samples or the like scans a sample and generates an analog waveform signal representative of the scanned optical density pattern. The analog signal is amplified, digitized, stored in a memory and is later read from memory to reconstruct a visual display of the waveform for analysis. Several types of optical density pattens may be scanned which result in analog signals of different amplitudes and signal-to-background noise ratios. An improved amplification system automatically preadjusts the gain and reference value of the analog signal prior to digitization in order to substantially eliminate background noise in the signal and produce substantially full scale analog signal values. The gain and reference value preadjustments are performed by a pair of corresponding multipliers which multiply the analog signal by memory-stored digital data which is unique to the type of optical density pattern being scanned. The gain and reference voltage may also be manually preadjusted in order to assure sample-to-sample analysis consistency for samples from the same patient.

Growing community of inventors

Kountze, TX, United States of America

Henry A Garsee