National Research Development Corporation

Other

Cambridge Enterprise Limited

Elf Atochem S.a.

Cadbury UK Limited

Malcolm Robert Mackley

Andrew Keller

Frederick Charles Frank

Gilles Meunier

Chris Bertelo

Alexander Daniel Edwards

Sarah Jayne Prestwood Pearson

Bart Hallmark

Shama Karu Vaman

Jerome Laffont

Laurent Gervat

Nigel Kenneth Harry Slater

Nuno Miguel Fernandes Reis

Christopher Anton

Gary S Sapsford

Huw R Williams

Jeremy C Hunns

Andrew W Dickens

Colin R Brunold

Malcolm Wilfred Kearsley

Nuno Miguel Reis

Nigel Kenneth Slater

The invention relates to immunoassays, methods for carrying out immunoassays, immunoassay kits and methods for manufacturing immunoassay kits. In particular, the invention has relevance to capillary (especially microcapillary) immunoassay technology.

Immunoassays, methods for carrying out immunoassays, immunoassay kits and method for manufacturing immunoassay kits

The invention provides apparatus for producing an extrudate product including a plurality of capillary channel. The apparatus comprises an extruder having an inlet, a die including an orifice having a predetermined outer shape and a plurality of needles each having a body including an internal conduit for fluid flow. Each needle further comprises an outlet from the internal conduit at an outlet end. The outlet end of each needle is arranged in a predetermined pattern substantially within the orifice of the die and the conduit of each needle is fluidly connected to a fluid source. In use extrudable material is fed into the extruder through the inlet. The extruder forces the extrudable material around the bodies of the needles towards the die and through the orifice in the die to produce an extrudate having substantially the predetermined outer shape. The needles allow fluid to be drawn from the fluid source through the conduit to be entrained in the extrudate product to form capillaries such that the extrudate product includes capillaries therealong in the predetermined pattern. Other aspects of the invention provide a method for producing an extrudate product including a plurality of capillary channels and an extrudate product having a plurality of capillary bores.

Extrudate having capillary channels

Method for producing coagulated polymer latex particles

A postforming process for an oriented film or tape of polymer material, which process comprises subjecting at least one layer of such an oriented film or tape to a pressure greater than ambient pressure while heating the oriented film or tape at a temperature at which partial melting thereof occurs but which does not exceed 145.degree. C.

Process for preparing improved oriented polymer films and tapes

Oriented polymer films, a process for the preparation thereof

Mixing apparatus and processes

Crystalline polymer fibrils having a highly ordered crystalline core surrounded by less ordered crystalline polymer are produced by causing a solution of the polymer to flow through a gauze. The solution is at a temperature below the dissolution temperature of the polymer but above the temperature at which the polymer will crystallize spontaneously in an unstirred solution. The flow rate is selected in relation to the gauze dimensions to impart a sufficiently high longitudinal velocity gradient to the solution flowing through the gauze, preferably about 10.sup.2 sec.sup..sup.-1 or greater.

Oriented crystallization of polymers

Molten crystallizable polymer is extruded through an orifice. Opposite the orifice on the upstream side is a fixed surface arranged so as to provide in the molten polymer a line of uniaxial extension or a plane of pure shear passing through the orifice. The polymer is extruded at a temperature and flow rate such as to cause a core of crystalline polymer to form in the melt along said line or plane. It is particularly suitable for extruding a continuous filament having a highly crystalline core in a generally less crystalline matrix of the polymer.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Malcolm Robert Mackley