Coulter Corporation

Other

Coulter International Corp.

Miltenyi Biotec, Gmbh

Saftron, Inc.

Thomas R Russell

Wallace H Coulter

Carlos M Rodriguez

Ronald D Paul

Constance M Hajek

Kenneth H Kortright

Robert K Zwerner

James Carey Hudson

Timothy J Fischer

John D Hollinger

Robert J Schmittling

Jorge A Quintana

Camillo D Ricordi

Norma Sue Kenyon

Roobik Azarnia

Robert F Brunhouse

Susan M Fuentes

A separation procedure for separating a selected desired or undesired population from a biological sample utilizing relatively heavy, dense particles and gravity sedimentation. The particles have one or more reactants bound thereto which are specific to and will bind with the selected population. The particles preferably are mixed with the sample by repeatedly causing the particles to settle through a substantial portion of the sample to bind to the selected population. The particles with the bound selected population then are allowed to preferentially settle in the sample and the supernatant including an enriched population is separated from the particles with the selected population bound thereto. The enriched populations in the biological sample supernatant can be further enriched by multiple removal steps.

Method of selection of a population or subpopulation of a sample utilizing particles and gravity sedimentation

A method for performing screening of one or more cell groups of interest obscured by a cell population such as one or more subsets of interest of a WBC population utilizing at least one light sensing parameter. The cell group of interest is enumerated by utilizing microspheres having monoclonal antibodies bound thereto to modify the sensed characteristics of specified cells to differentiate the cell group of interest from the obscuring cell population.

Method and apparatus for screening microscopic cells utilizing light scatter techniques

A method and apparatus for performing screening of obscured or partially obscured cells to enumerate one or more cell population subsets. For example, a whole blood sample or portion thereof is screened to provide the desired analysis of one or more white blood cell population subsets in the sample. A white blood cell population including the obscured subset of interest is first counted, along with a standard population. The standard population can be one of the total number of white blood cell populations, a second white blood cell population which does not obscure the shifted or non-shifted sensed characteristic of the subset of interest, an artificial population formed by microspheres which also do not obscure the shifted or non-shifted sensed characteristic of the subset of interest or a white blood cell population into which the sensed characteristic of the subset will be wholly or partially shifted. The sensed characteristic of the white blood cell population subset of interest then is shifted by binding microspheres having monoclonal antibodies specific to the white blood cell population subset of interest to the cell population. The white blood cell population, and the standard population then are again counted and compared to the original counts to obtain an enumeration of the white blood cell population subset of interest.

Method and apparatus for screening obscured or partially obscured cells

A cell population or subpopulation enrichment procedure for separating undesired populations or subpopulations from a biological sample utilizing relatively heavy, dense particles and gravity sedimentation. The particles have one or more reactants bound thereto which are specific to and will bind with the selected population or subpopulation to be eliminated from the sample. The particles preferably are mixed with the sample by repeatedly causing the particles to settle through a substantial portion of the sample to bind to the selected population. The particles with the bound selected population to be eliminated then are allowed to preferentially settle in the sample and the supernatant including the enriched population or subpopulation is separated from the particles with the population to be eliminated bound thereto. The enriched population supernatant can then be analyzed, utilized as is, have other populations or subpopulations removed or have additional amounts of remaining cells of the previously eliminated populations removed in additional steps.

Method and apparatus for bulk enrichment of a population or

A method and apparatus provide a system for measuring a measurable component in a sample. A sample is introduced into a chamber. A permeable membrane to the measurable component allows the component to pass into a second chamber. In the second chamber the component is measured directly or reacted in the presence of an enzyme to generate a detectable product detected by a detector therein. The second chamber is then flushed. The second chamber is only of a size sufficient to contain enough liquid to wet the detector therein.

Apparatus for measuring analytes in a fluid sample

A separation procedure for separating a selected desired or undesired population from a biological sample utilizing relatively heavy, dense particles and gravity sedimentation. The particles have one or more reactants bound thereto which are specific to and will bind with the selected population. The particles preferably are mixed with the sample by repeatedly causing the particles to settle through a substantial portion of the sample to bind to the selected population. The particles with the bound selected population then are allowed to preferentially settle in the sample and the supernatant including the non-selected population is separated from the particles with the selected population bound thereto. The particles can be heated for sterilization and endotoxin removal.

Method of positive or negative selection of a population or

An optical screening method and apparatus for identifying both the morphology and selected characteristics or properties expressed by cells, such as cancer cells. The cells are combined with one or more different sets of microspheres, each set having a reactant bond thereto which will bind to a specific molecule which can exist on one or more types of cancer cells. The cells and microspheres are formed as a smear on a slide, stained with a histological type stain and optically viewed to identify the type of cells to which the different sets of microspheres do or do not bind. The different sets of microspheres are optically differentiated by having different optical characteristics, such as size, shape, color or combinations thereof. A fast cancer cell screening method or panel is provided by adding different sets of microspheres having different reactants bound thereto to different sample portions and optically screening the different sample smears. The microspheres also can be removed from a sample portion with any cells bound thereto and compared to another non-modified sample portion to ascertain if the cancer cells of interest have been removed from the sample portion.

Method and apparatus for optically screening microscopic cells

A method and apparatus for accelerating at least one definitive biological reaction including increasing the accuracy of determinations made therefrom. The reaction involves selected viable biological cells which are prepared in a small sample volume and rapidly mixed with microspheres having antibody specific at least to specific ones of the cells bound thereto. The microspheres can be magnetic and the bound cells can be magnetically removed to analyze the remaining blood cell populations. The microspheres can be introduced sequentially or simultaneously.

Method and apparatus for rapid mixing of small volumes for enhancing

A method and apparatus for automatically and rapidly, retrieving, counting and/or analyzing at least one selected white blood cell population and/or subset thereof of a whole blood sample or portion thereof. A volume of a biological sample containing the white blood cells is prepared and at least one reactant specific or preferential at least to some selected biological cells is introduced thereto and rapidly mixed for a short period of time. The opacity and/or volume parameter of the cells can be modified and the mixture is then counted and analyzed in one or more steps to obtain the desired white blood cell population analysis. The biological sample can be a whole blood sample and the reactant can include or be a lyse or a monoclonal antibody bound to microspheres, which will bind to specific ones of the cells or a combination of lyse and microspheres with antibody bound thereto. The microspheres can be magnetic and the bound cells can be magnetically removed for retrieving and analyzing the remaining blood cell population.

Automated analyzer for screening cells or formed bodies for enumeration

The method of this invention is directed to the rapid preparation of a whole blood sample for photooptical analysis. In the preferred embodiments of this method, a whole blood sample, lytic reagent system and immunological stain (optional) are contacted with the sample in a common reaction vessel (i.e. cuvette or test tube), with gentle asymmetric vortex mixing, so as to maintain the particulate matter of the sample at an essentially homogeneous concentration throughout the sample. An aliquot of the contents of the reaction vessel can, thereafter, be analyzed for identification and/or quantification of the analyte of interest. This process is conservative of the various endogenous constituents of the sample since virtually all of the manipulative steps involved in the preparation of the sample occur within a common vessel and any excess (unconsumed or unreacted) reagents and stain need not be separated from the sample during such preparation, thus, avoiding the multiple wash steps traditionally associated with this process. This process is uniquely applicable to the conservative preparation of aged whole blood samples (samples in which the endogenous nutrients have been essentially completely consumed) and whole blood samples from diseased state patients wherein the disease is manifest by changes in the morphology, total number and/or relative concentration of one or more of the lymphocyte sub-populations (i.e. B and/or T-cells).

Conservative whole blood sample preparation technique

An optical screening method and apparatus for identifying and counting cells expressing selected characteristics or properties. The cells are combined with one or more different sets of microspheres, each set having a reactant bound thereto which will bind to a specific molecule which can exist on one or more types of the cells. The cells and microspheres are formed in a known volume on a slide and optically viewed to identify and count the type of cells to which the different sets of microspheres do or do not bind. The cell count then is related to the known volume to provide an absolute cell count. A plurality of different sample portions can be utilized with different reactants to obtain a multipart WBC differential/absolute count. The different sets of microspheres are optically differentiated by having different optical characteristics, such as size, shape, color or combinations thereof.

Method and apparatus for obtaining an absolute white blood cell subset

An optical screening method and apparatus for identifying both the morphology and selected characteristics or properties expressed by cells. The cells are combined with one or more different sets of microspheres, each set having a reactant bond thereto which will bind to a specific molecule which can exist on one or more types of the cells. The cells and microspheres are formed as a smear on a slide, stained with a histological type stain and optically viewed to identify the type of cells to which the different sets of microspheres do or do not bind. The different sets of microspheres are optically differentiated by having different optical characteristics, such as size, shape, color or combinations thereof. A fast cell screening method is provided by the observation of clumping of the cells and microspheres, where present. Also, cells can be screened by utilizing a first reactant which will bind to a specific cell molecule and binding a second reactant to the first reactant, which second reactant is bound to a set of microspheres.

A method and apparatus for automatically and rapidly, retrieving, counting and/or analyzing at least one selected white blood cell population and/or subset thereof of an aged whole blood sample or portion thereof. A volume of a biological sample containing the white blood cells is prepared and at least one reactant specific or preferential at least to some selected biological cells is introduced thereto and rapidly mixed for a short period of time. The total white blood cell populations and lymphocyte population are first electronically counted and then the neutrophil population including the aged neutrophil population is removed from the same or a second sample portion. The opacity and/or volume parameter of the cells then can be modified and the mixture then again is counted and analyzed in one or more steps to obtain the desired white blood cell population analysis. The reactant can include or be a lyse or a monoclonal antibody bound to microspheres, which will bind to specific ones of the cells or a combination of lyse and microspheres with antibody bound thereto. The microspheres can be magnetic and the bound cells can be magnetically removed for retrieving and analyzing the remaining blood cell population.

Method for screening white blood cells

A method and apparatus for automatically and rapidly, retrieving counting and/or analyzing at least one selected population of cells or formed bodies, such as a white blood cell population and at least one subset thereof of a whole blood sample or portion thereof. A volume of a biological medium containing the white blood cells is prepared and at least one reactant specific or preferential at least to some selected biological cells is introduced thereto and rapidly mixed for a short period of time. A multipart blood cell analysis is obtained with a single sensing parameter by depleting at least one WBC subset population. The percentage of a desired WBC population subset or the overlapping of WBC subset populations also can be obtained by subtracting one or more obscuring WBC subset populations. The biological sample can be a whole blood sample and the reactant can include or be a lyse or a monoclonal antibody bound to microspheres, which will bind to specific ones of the cells or a combination of lyse and microspheres with antibody bound thereto. The microspheres can be magnetic and the bound cells can be magnetically removed for retrieving and analyzing the remaining blood cell population.

Growing community of inventors

Miami, FL, United States of America

Thomas R Russell