APPARATUS FOR PREPARATION AND ANALYSIS OF ELECTROPHORETIC CARDS

Abstract: A series of adjacent basins extending in a transversal dir­ ection and containing different treatment substances is prov­ ided. A conveyance device moves the electrophoretic cards successively from one basin to the next immersing them in the respective treatment substances.

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus for the preparation and anlysis of electrophoretic cards, i.e. of cards of paper or other material used to support blood specimens subjected to electrophoresis. Apparatuses based on noncontinuous immersion of individual electrophoretic cards in a receptacle filled from time to time with a treatment substance and then emptied and again filled with a different substance are known. These known apparatuses have the drawback of involving idle time for empting and filling of the receptacle and hence long analysis times and especially high consumption of substance. Other known apparatuses operate on a single continuous strip made to travel progressively through a series of treatment areas. In this case however the longitudinal extension of the apparatus is considerable and in general unacceptable or one or more treatment phases must be foregone. US-A-3353470 discloses a device for automatically developing dental X-ray plates, in which the plates are individually held in vertical planes and moved along said planes through a succession of treatment basins. In this case also the longitudinal extension of the apparatus is too long. DE-A-2047300 discloses an apparatus for treatment of films, in which a plurality of film supports are continuously moved through a number of positions in each treatment basin. Different treatment times for the several electrophoretic cards cannot be selected. An object of the present invention is to accomplish an apparatus for the preparation and analysis of individual electrophoretic cards which would not require long and expensive emptying and filling operations and would display at the same time limited longitudinal dimensions. Another object of the present invention is to accomplish an apparatus which allows selection of different treatment times of the several electrophoretic cards. In accordance with the invention said objects are achieved by means of an apparatus as defined in claim 1. An advantage of the apparatus in accordance with the invention lies in the fact that the cards may be subjected to the whole series of treatments called for, once by immersion in a basin, then by immersion in another basin and so on without the necessity of performing emptying and refilling operations of the basin for replacement of the treatment substance. Precious time is thus saved and loss of substance is avoided. It is furthermore possible to receive simultaneously but independently in a same basin a plurality of cards to be subjected to treatment. In this manner, as a card finishes said treatment it can be transferred to another basin for the following treatment while the other cards continue the first treatment for the same or different time. A further advantage is that the cards, in the same manner as the basins, are arranged transversely to their direction of movement. This makes it possible to limit the longitudinal dimensions of the apparatus as much as possible, keeping the outside dimensions within acceptable limits even in the presence of all the desired treatments. These and other characteristics of the present invention together with the related advantages will be made clear by the following description of a possible practical embodiment thereof illustrated by way of example in the annexed drawings wherein: FIG. 1 shows a diagram in elevation of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, and FIG. 2 shows a diagram in plan view of the same apparatus. The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a base plate 1 on which are mounted all of the various compartments and devices which make up said apparatus. In particular there are provided on the plate 1 two spaced chambers 2 and 3 extended in a transversal direction (FIG. 2) between which is fixed in a raised position (FIG. 1) a support and sliding plate 4 for a frame 5 sliding and extractable in a transversal direction. Said frame bears a first basin 6 with several side by side seats 7 to receive frames 8 for support of the individual electrophoretic cards, a second basin 9 with a single seat 10 to receive one frame 8 at a time and a third basin 11 similarly provided with a single seat 12 for a frame 8. As shown in FIG. 2 all the abovementioned basins are extended in a transversal direction in relation to the direction of development of the apparatus. The plates 4 function also as a support for a fixed basin 13 equipped with means (not shown) of filling and draining the treatment substance. In the basin 13 specific seats for reception of the frames 8 are not provided. On the base plate 1 beside the chamber 2 is provided an area for loading and electrophoretic treatment of the blood specimens to be analyzed and which is indicated in broken lines and designated generally with reference number 14. A detailed description thereof will not be given since for the purposes of the present invention any even known structure may be used. Again on the base plate 1, this time beside the chamber 3, there are provided two more chambers 15 and 16 side by side with the second of which is associated a reader 17 which is movable vertically and horizontally with means noted in themselves indicated collectively by reference number 18. To move the frames 8 and the related electrophoretic cards from one to the other of the basins 6, 9, 11 and 13 and of the chambers 2, 3, 15 and 16 as well as through the loading and electrophoretic area 14 there is provided a conveyance device 19 which extends from one end of the apparatus to the other and comprises basically a moving element 20 capable of vertical movement under the control of a first screw 21 and horizontal movement under the control of a second screw 22. The moving element 20 includes a pair of pincers 23 (FIG. 2) for grasping and holding a frame 8. In operation the basins 6, 9, 11 and 13 are designed to receive respective treatment substances in liquid state while the chambers 3, 16 and 15 are designed for the final operations of air drying, reading and drainage. The chamber 2 serves finally for elimination of excessive buffer substance with which the electrophoretic card is soaked initially as will be made clearer below. The treatment substances with which are filled the basins 6, 9, 11 and 13 making use of the extractability of the sliding frame 5 vary with the type of analysis to be made. The sequence of operations performed during the analysis varies therewith. Specific nonlimiting examples are set forth below. 1. Analysis for seroprotein The basin 6 is filled with a buffer solution in which are immersed with the related frames 8 the cards designed to support the blood specimens to by analyzed. The basin 9 is filled with a liquid coloring substance, the basin 11 is filled with a liquid transparentizing substance and the basin 13 is finally filled with a liquid decoloring substance. After this initial preparation the apparatus is started for analysis of blood specimens which are in turn arranged in suitable seats in the loading and electrophoretic area 14. More precisely, the moving element 20 of the conveyance device 19 is activated to go and take a frame 8 and then the respective card soaked with buffer solution from a preselected seat 7 in the basin 6. The card taken is then immersed temporarily in the chamber 2 where with the optional aid of appropriate means of removal all excess buffer solution is eliminated. The card thus prepared is transferred to the treatment area 14 where it receives the blood specimens to be analyzed and subsequently subjected to electrophoretic treatment. This causes formation of small colored traces the pattern of which depends on the composition of the blood sample treated and hence is indicative of the presence and concentation of the various components of the blood. The moving element of the conveyance device 19 then takes the treated card from the loading and electrophoretic area 14 and inserts it in the basin 9 immersing it in the coloring substance contained therein. The card is then moved to the basin 13 where the decoloring substance eliminates the color from the entire card except at the blood traces, which keep the coloring received. This is due to the different reaction of the blood traces in contact first with the colorant and then the decolorant. The card is then immersed in the transparentizing substance contained in the basin 11 receiving thus a treatment which makes it entirely transparent except for the blood traces, which keep their coloring. At this point the card is ready for the final operations which consist of air dessication performed in the chamber 3, reading by the reader 17 in the chamber 16 and finally unloading of the card, which has now been analyzed, performed in the chamber 15. The sequence described is then repeated for all the other cards which have remained meanwhile immersed in the buffer solution in the basin 6. 2. Analysis for haemoglobin The same preparation and the same sequence of operations as for the seroprotein analysis are performed. Final reading gives of course different results. 3. Analysis for lipidograms Preparation is distinguished from that for the above analysis in that the basin 9 is filled with a fixing solution, the basin 11 is filled with a liquid coloring substance and the basin 13 is filled with water. Correspondingly, at the end of the electrophoretic treatment the cards are first immersed in the fixative solution in the basin 9, then in the coloring solution in the basin 11 and finally in the water in basin 13. The final operations are the same.

Claims: Apparatus for preparation and analysis of electrophoretic cards, comprising a plurality of substantially parallelepipedal basins (6, 9, 11, 13) for containment of different treatment substances, said basins (6, 9, 11, 13) having longer vertical sidewalls arranged side-by-side, card support means (20) for supporting an electrophoretic card and immersing it into said treatment substances in the basins (6, 9, 11, 13) and card conveying means (19) for conveying said card supporting means (20) from one basin to another at the end of each immersion time of the card in a respective treatment substance, characterized in that said basins (6, 9, 11, 13) comprise stationary seats (7) for accommodating cards in respective vertical planes parallel to said longer sidewalls of the basins for the entire treatment time in the respective basin, said card support means (20) are arranged to hold said electrophoretic card in a vertical plane coinciding with a respective one of said stationary seats (7) and to move it vertically in said plane into and out of said seat (7), and said conveying means (19) are arranged to move said card support means (20) perpendicularly to said vertical plane of the eletrophoretic card. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that a first basin is designed to contain a buffer solution with which said cards are preliminarily soaked. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that said first basin includes a plurality of seats to receive cards side by side. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that a second basin is designed to contain a coloring substance or alternatively a fixative solution. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that a third basin is designed to contain a transparentizing substance or alternatively a coloring substance. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that a fourth basin is designed to contain a decoloring substance or alternatively water. Apparatus in accordance with claims 2-6 characterized in that said first, second and third basins are mounted on an extractable frame while the fourth basin is mounted in a fixed position and equipped with means for loading and unloading the treatment substance. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that it comprises also a chamber for elimination of excessive buffer solution. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that it comprises also chambers side by side for drying, reading and unloading of the cards.

Inventors: NARDO, PIETRO
Applicants: NARDO, PIETRO
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G01N27
IPC codes: G01N27