Toyo Soda Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Tosoh Corporation

Yuji Higo

Hidechika Hayashi

Shuji Iwasaki

Satoru Kamada

Hideo Suzuki

Hiroshi Ishida

Masuo Inoue

Enzymatic immunoassay for estimating the concentration of antigen or antibody comprising bringing an antigen-antibody complex, which is labelled by an enzyme and is present heterogeneously in a solution, into contact with a substrate where pH of the solution is so adjusted as to be suitable for the enzyme to be activated and also for measuring the fluorescence of the substrate, measuring the time-variation of fluorescent intensity of the substrate produced by the enzyme reaction, and estimating the concentration of the antigen or the antibody from the slope of the substantially linear portion, on a characteristic curve representing variation of the fluorescence intensity with the time. Fluorescence is measured while magnetic beads with antigen-antibody complex attached are oscillated at a specific frequency.

Enzymatic immunoassay involving detecting fluorescence while oscillating

A carrier for a biologically active component for immunoassay or enzymatic reaction, which comprises:

Carrier for a biologically active component for immunoassay or enzymatic

An automated immunoassay analyzser comprising a transfer route on which test plates each having a plurality of chambers for immunological reaction opened upwards are transferred continually with a constant interval of time, and devices of at least A, B, C and D described below which are arranged on the transfer route from upstream to downstream in the order referred to in which the device A is for injecting the sample comprising a vertically and horizonally driven support, a pipet fixed to the support, and a nozzle tip usable for a single sample and removably attached to the lower end of the pipet, the device B is for B/F separation and the device C is for injecting the substrate solution and both devices are integratedly combined and comprise a vertically and horizontally driven support, a washing tube supported by the support, a temperature controllable solution reservoir block fixed to the support, a substrate injection tube provided to the lower side of the reservoir block, the washing tube and the substrate solution injection tube being arranged in alignment and spaced each other according to the pitch of the cup arrangement, and the device D is for photometry with which to measure optically detectable changes caused in the substrate in the chamber of immunological reaction.

Automated immunoassay analyser

A nozzle device in an apparatus for biochemical reaction, including a biochemical reaction chamber, includes a nozzle having a tip and a porous filter fixed to the tip. The nozzle further includes an outer nozzle tube defining a first bore extending to the tip, a second bore extending through the porous filter and being coaxial with the first bore, an inner tube extending through the first bore to the tip and defining a third bore, the inner tube being tightly fitted into, and extending through, the second bore and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the inner diameter of the first bore to define an annular space in communication with the filter. The third bore is connected to a source of liquid and the annular space is connected with a source of suction, so that a liquid can be discharged to the reaction chamber from the first bore and sucked out of the reaction chamber through the filter.

Nozzle device in an apparatus for biochemical reactions

Process for injecting a minute volume of a solution from a nozzle device by positive pressure applied from a source of compressed air with or without positive pressure applied in parallel from a cylinder device, comprising applying the positive pressure from the compressed air source at least in a final period of injection. The process enables in injecting minute volumes of solution to remarkably decrease the injection error due to a small fraction of solution remaining at the lower end of the nozzle and can be applied to advantage to those apparatus for analyses and measurements which strictly require precision in injection.

Process for injecting a minute volume of a solution and an apparatus

A pipetting device is formed of a supporting frame, a slider mounted on the supporting frame for vertical movement, a plunger type stem having a lower end fittable within the upper end of an approximately inverted cone shaped nozzle tip, the stem being mounted for vertical movement on the slider, and a conduit for supplying the lower end of the stem with an air supply and exhaust device so that the nozzle tip may be communicated with air or air may be sucked therefrom. A rotating cam cooperates with a pin on the slider for vertically moving the slider by a large stroke. An air cylinder has a piston fixed relative to the stem for vertically moving the stem by a small stroke. A lever loosely mounted on the lower end of the stem can engage the nozzle tip for removing the nozzle tip from the stem.

Pipetting device having an automatic mechanism for replacing nozzle tips

A reciprocable vertical shafts 21 has a pyramid shaped lower tip for piercing a sealing foil 8d secured across the top of an analyzer test cup containing an active substance. The edges of the pyramid divide the foil into triangular segments which are pressed against the inner wall of the cup by the cylindrical root portion of the shaft such that they do not engage any of the active substance or interfere with subsequent injections into or withdrawals from the cup.

Sealing foil breaker for analyzer test cups

Sealed analyte test packs or cups 11 disposed in holding trays 21 arrayed in a drawer 42 are individually and selectively transferred to a carrying tray 43 at a coplanar loading station for subsequent conveyance to an automated biochemical analyzing apparatus. An x/y scanning mechanism 46 is disposed above the drawer and tray to implement the transfers using a vacuum head 50 mounted on a movable plate 47 of the mechanism which is lowered onto the seal of a selected test pack and then raised to remove the pack from its holding tray. The plate also mounts an IR photo reflector 49 for detecting the test packs and a bar code sensor 48 for reading the holding tray labels. The array of trays is initially scanned to read their labels and establish a location map in a computer memory, which is subsequently updated during the transfer operations.

Selective test pack feeder for biochemical analyzing apparatus

A stirrer for biochemical reactions comprising a magnetically permeable vessel for containing a solution of biochemically reacting substances, at least one magnetic bead placed in the vessel, and a magnetic device which is installed outside the vessel and generates an oscillating magnetic field acting on the bead. The stirrer is advantageous for stirring the solution of biochemically reacting substances for biochemical reactions without direct contact.

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Nagoya, Japan

Yuji Higo