Connection-type treatment system for micro solution and method of

Abstract

A connection type fluid transfer and treatment system apparatus and method for efficiently and continuously executing transfer and treatment of small or micro amounts of sample solutions without substantial transfer loss, which includes a first microsolution reaction microtube having one open end and a second closed end, a second microsolution target microtube having substantially the same shape as the first microtube also having one open end and one closed end, and a connector for connecting together the open ends of the first microtube to the open end of the second tube. The connector includes a foramenous membrane support, which removably receives chemically or biologically treated membranes for applying a predetermined treatment to a solution while passing the sample solution from the first microtube to the second tube. Alternately, a 'single use only' connector having disposed therein a membrane pretreated with a quantitative amount of reagent may be used for certain treatment operations. The single use only connector is used once and then discarded. An appropriate color indicator in the connector or membrane would serve to indicate whether the connector had been used. The sample is typically filtered through the membrane by centrifugation. The assembly also includes special adapters for receivingly engaging the dual tube/connector transfer system during centrifugation. The system permits handling microliter quantities of reactive solutions in biochemical analyses, treatments and assays without use of micropipets, without the usual loss of solution. An enzyme microsolution test kit system and method of use comprising one or more micro solution microtubes containing a predetermined quantity of a known, preferably lyophilized, reagent pre-coated on the microtube walls is disclosed.