Source: http://www.google.com/patents/USRE34841?dq=Xerox+%2B+%22centroid
Timestamp: 2016-10-24 11:20:22
Document Index: 607585113

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 5', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1']

Patent USRE34841 - Micro-cuvette unit for facilitating the identification of samples - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsThere is disclosed a micro-cuvette unit comprising a plurality of components in the form of a matrix which is arranged so that the cuvettes may be handled as one unit. The structural body of the micro-cuvette unit comprises a rectangular frame which is designed so that a plurality of cuvette components...http://www.google.com/patents/USRE34841?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent USRE34841 - Micro-cuvette unit for facilitating the identification of samplesAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUSRE34841 EPublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/951,719Publication dateJan 31, 1995Filing dateSep 25, 1992Priority dateMar 1, 1979Also published asDE3005508A1, DE3005508C2, US4319841Publication number07951719, 951719, US RE34841 E, US RE34841E, US-E-RE34841, USRE34841 E, USRE34841EInventorsOsmo A. Suovaniemi, Pertti Ekholm, Paul PartanenOriginal AssigneeLabsystems OyExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (9), Referenced by (8), Classifications (12) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMicro-cuvette unit for facilitating the identification of samples
US RE34841 EAbstract
1. A micro-cuvette unit comprising a plurality of cuvettes in the form of .[.a matrix arranged.]. .Iadd.rectangularly shaped cuvette components .Iaddend.so that said cuvettes may be handled as .[.one unit.]. .Iadd.a unit, .Iaddend.wherein the structural body of the micro-cuvette unit comprises a rectangular frame part .Iadd.having a rectangular opening .Iaddend.which is designed so that a plurality of .Iadd.rectangular .Iaddend.cuvette components may be fitted .[.to.]. .Iadd.into .Iaddend.said frame one after the other, each .Iadd.rectangular .Iaddend.cuvette component comprising a plurality of cuvettes arranged in the form of a line or matrix and connected to each other directly or by means of .[.sufficient discs whereby.]. .Iadd.support discs, .Iaddend.said .Iadd.rectangular opening of said .Iaddend.frame part .[.is.]. .Iadd.being .Iaddend.open in the middle .Iadd.thereof .Iaddend.at least within the area covered by said cuvettes in said .Iadd.rectangular .Iaddend.cuvette .[.components and.]. .Iadd.components, .Iaddend.wherein said .Iadd.rectangular .Iaddend.frame part contains two opposite sides which are provided with connecting means for joining said cuvette components to said frame .[.part.]. .Iadd.part, and .Iaddend.wherein said connecting means between said frame part and said cuvette components are different on different sides of said frame part and on different sides of said cuvette components respectively so as to determine the positions of said cuvette components in relation to each other and to facilitate the identification of samples placed within said cuvettes and preventing said samples from becoming intermixed with one another.
2. The micro-cuvette unit of claim 1 wherein said unit comprises several cuvettes in the form of a matrix arranged so that they may be handled as one unit, said micro-cuvette unit comprising a rectangular frame part, designed so that two or more cuvette components may be fitted to said frame one after the other, each cuvette component comprising a plurality of cuvettes which each contain at lest one optical window in its bottom portion, said cuvette being made of a plastic material which is non-transparent to light measurement except through said optical window.
3. The micro-cuvette unit of claim 1 wherein each cuvette of said cuvette component comprises an optical window in the bottom of said cuvette, said window being protected underneath by a collar that requires said optical window to be narrower than the diameter of said cuvette bottom on order to protect said optical window from scratches and fingerprints and to restrict the diffusion of light. .Iadd.
4. The micro-cuvette unit as described in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprise said support discs on the edges of said cuvette components and recesses on said frame for receiving said support discs. .Iaddend. .Iadd.5. The micro-cuvette unit as described in claim 4, wherein said recesses are provided with openings to facilitate lowering or raising said cuvette components into or out of said frame. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. The micro-cuvette unit as described in claim 1, wherein each cuvette unit has a separate readable code whereby identification of each cuvette unit is facilitated. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. The micro-cuvette as described in claim 1, wherein said rectangular cuvette component comprises a matrix of cuvettes. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. The micro-cuvette unit as described in claim 1, wherein said rectangularly shaped cuvette component is comprised of a plurality of cuvettes arranged in a line. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. The micro-cuvette unit as described in claim 1, wherein each cuvette is coated with protein. .Iaddend.
Enzymeimmunoassays (EIA, ELISA, and EMIT) have replaced, e.g, radioimmunoassay methods because they are mostly sufficiently specific and sensitive for many assays. The equipment needed for them is relatively inexpensive, and mostly already existing in laboratories. The reagents are inexpensive and their storage stability is good, the handling procedures are simple, the assays rapid, and they permit automation, and therein no isotopes or isotope counters are needed.
The microtiter plate is use is a plate of 8�12 matrix, in which the cuvettes are usually marked in the direction of 8 on the matrix from the right to the left from a to hand in the direction of 12 from 1 to 12. The microtiter plates of �12 matrix comprise mainly three types of cuvettes: U-bottom, V-bottom and flat bottom. For the flat bottom cuvettes the abbreviation FB is used, meaning flat bottom. The most common registered microtiter plates are Cooke, Linbro, and Nunc.
Moreover, conventional microtiter plates vary from manufacturer to manufacturer in respect of their outer dimensions, as do the plates of the same manufacturer also vary in respect of their size and uniformity of quality from production batch to production bath.
The micro-cuvette unit in accordance with the invention consists of several parts. It comprises a rectangular frame part, whose middle part 5 is open and into which smaller units can be placed and which smaller units can be packed into this frame part 1 one after the other in line. The size of the frame part 1 is such that it suitable for being measured in a photometer. The cuvette component 2 involves the advantage of little quantity of rawmaterial per cuvette 4. The matrix size of the cuvette component 2 is smaller than 8�12=96, whereby it satisfies considerably more users.
The optical window 12 of each cuvette 4 is protected by a collar 13, whereby said window's 12 becoming scratched, dirty, or contaminated by finger prints is avoided. Moreover, it should be emphasized that it is considerably easier to manufacture cuvettes of optically higher standard if the cuvette-component matrix is smaller than 8�12, e.g. exactly 4�8 cuvettes. Study results support this opinion, for, e.g., the FP-9 cuvette component (matrix 3�3) is optically homogeneous. Moreover, it has been noticed that the passive fixation of proteins is heterogeneous (from cuvette to cuvette) in a conventional microtiter plate of matrix 8�12, wherein in a FP-9 cuvette component of matrix 3�3 this problem has not been noticed at all, but, on the contrary, the fixation is highly homogeneous from cuvette to cuvette in the same cuvette component and, moreover, from cuvette component to another cuvette component. Images of scanning-electron microscope also speak in favour of homogeneity of 3�3 FP-9 cuvette component, both as untreated (bare plastics surface) and, e.g., as coated with protein (antigen or antibody) or with any other antigen. From ordinary microtitier plates (8�12=96) it has been noticed that there are clear differences in charge between the middle areas and border areas in the plate, which may be exactly the reason for heterogeneous passive absorption on the plastics surface.
FIG. 1 shows the frame part 1 of the micro-cuvette unit as a side view. In FIG. 1, the place for the cuvette component 2 is seen as a recess 9 in the frame part 1. Moreover, e.g. in the way shown in the FIG. G., it is also possible to provide the recess 9 with a space 14 which makes it easier to raise the cuvette component 2 from, and to lower it into, the frame part 1.
In FIG. 2, the frame part 1 is shown from above, whereby it is possible to see the places for cuvette components 2, like from FIG. 1. The number of these places may be, e.g., 3, in which case the matrix size is 4�8. The number of places may equally well be 2, in which case, on the other hand, the matrix size is 6�8, or any other number whatsoever. The individual cuvette components 2 may be provided with separate codes each of them, e.g., readable mechanically and/or visually.
FIG. 3 shows a cuvette component of 4�8 matrix. From the Figure it is possible to see the narrower portions 10, 11 of different widths at different ends of the cuvette component 2, constituting indication of polarity of the cuvette component 2. This indicator of polarity makes it easier to identify the samples and, moreover, samples becoming intermixed with each other is prevented.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS3432275 *Aug 26, 1965Mar 11, 1969Hans Peter Olof UngerDisplay slide for wet biological preparatesUS3713985 *Oct 19, 1970Jan 30, 1973Kantor FDevice and method for testing potency of biological control reagentsUS3773426 *Feb 22, 1972Nov 20, 1973Department Of Health Educ WelfBacterial growth detectorUS3992265 *Dec 31, 1975Nov 16, 1976American Cyanamid CompanyAntibiotic susceptibility testingUS4126418 *Jul 28, 1977Nov 21, 1978Elkay Products, Inc.CuvetteUS4226531 *Aug 29, 1977Oct 7, 1980Instrumentation Laboratory Inc.Disposable multi-cuvette rotorCA1031183A *Nov 12, 1974May 16, 1978Osmo A. SuovaniemiMethod and device for automatic reading and recording of reaction resultsDE2435317A1 *Jul 23, 1974Feb 12, 1976Bodenseewerk Perkin & Co GmbhMultiple cell holder for optical analysis - saving time in insertion and removal of cellsDE2527770A1 *Jun 21, 1975Jan 13, 1977Berndt HelmutSpeciment carrier for agglutination reactions - has mirror backed glass plate with ground glass mask surrounding each specimen holder* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5766554 *Jul 19, 1996Jun 16, 1998Liu; Rui YeImmunoassay plates with desiccant housingUS6383820Feb 22, 2000May 7, 2002Nalge Nunc International CorporationMulti-slide assembly including slide, frame and strip cap, and methods thereofUS6599289Mar 10, 2000Jul 29, 2003Smith & Nephew, Inc.Graft anchorUS6803239May 6, 2002Oct 12, 2004Nalge Nunc International CorporationMulti-slide assembly including slide, frame and strip cap, and methods thereofUS6842241 *Sep 4, 2002Jan 11, 2005Wallac OyMethod for checking the operation of an optical measuring device and checking deviceUS20030086085 *Sep 4, 2002May 8, 2003Raimo HarjuMethod for checking the operation of an optical measuring device and checking deviceUS20070212775 *Jan 12, 2007Sep 13, 2007Finnzymes Instruments OyMicrotiter plate, method of manufacturing thereof and kitUS20080220481 *Sep 5, 2006Sep 11, 2008Finnzymes Instruments OySample Plate Assembly and Method of Processing Biological Samples* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification356/244, 435/288.4, 356/246, 422/501International ClassificationB01L3/00, G01N33/543, G01N35/02, G01N21/03Cooperative ClassificationB01L3/50855, G01N21/03European ClassificationB01L3/50855, G01N21/03RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services