Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
  • G01N21/251—Colorimeters; Construction thereof
  • G01N21/253—Colorimeters; Construction thereof for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus

Definitions

• the present invention is concerned with an analyzer for the measurement of the properties of reaction mixtures contained in the cuvettes in a set of cuvettes simultaneously out of several cuvettes by means of one or several sources of radiation placed above or underneath the cuvettes and by means of a detector receiving radiation and placed underneath or above each cuvette, the beam of measurement passing substantially in the direc tion of the vertical axis of the cuvette and the set of cuvettes being fitted to the apparatus detachably between the source or sources of radiation and the detectors, either above the source, or sources of radiation or above the detectors.
• the objective of the invention is to provid a compact and simple construction of an analyzer.
• the analyzer in accordance with the invention is characterized in that either the detectors or the source or sources of radiation, respectively, can be fitted detachably or pivotably to the position of measurement above the set of cuvettes.
• the reaction results can be measured in one wide matrix, e.g., in a cuvette-set matrix (cuvette set) in accordance with two Finnish patent applications "Set of cuvettes" filed simultaneously with the present application, or in any other matrix.
• the measurement radiation or any other measurable signal, produced for each sample is passed to each cuvette in the matrix and further to the corresponding detector in the vertical direction by, manually or automatically, first shifting the cuvette-set matrix and then the detector matrix or, when the corresponding detectors are placed underneath the cuvette-set matrix, the measurement-beam matrix corresponding the cuvette-set matrix onto the cuvette-set matrix.
• the present invention is particularly well suited for the measurement of a very high number of reac tion results under circumstances wherein the volumes of the reaction mixtures are little (e.g., 10 to 50 ⁇ 1), and under these circumstances the cuvettes in the cuvette-set matrixes must also be of a small volume and placed close to each other. Under these circumstances, e.g., photometric measurement is successful only by using the method of vertical measurement applied in the FP-9, FP-901 and Titertek Multiscan analyzers (Suovaniemi, Osmo: "Performance and Properties of the Finnpipette Analyzer System", Proceedings of the Second National Meeting on Biophysics and Biotechnology in Finland, 183, 1976).
• the analyzer to be described now is suitable for methods in which measurements based, e.g., on photometry, spectrophotometry, fluorometry, or turbidometry are used.
• the analyzer is highly suitable, e.g., in EIA (enzyme immuno assay) reactions, blood-group serology (e.g. ABO and Rh) , in HLA (human leucocyte antigen) serology, in MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) determinations, like also in other types of ascertaining of the growth or inhibition of growth of micro-organisms, and further in all methods based on the CF (complement fixation) phenomenon.
• EIA enzyme immuno assay
• blood-group serology e.g. ABO and Rh
• HLA human leucocyte antigen
• MIC minimum inhibitory concentration
• FIG 2 shows one cuvette and the source of radiation and the detector placed underneath and above the cuvette, respectively.
• the analyzer comprises a base 1, a frame 2, and a measurement head 8 permanently fixed to the frame, the said measurement head being provided with several optical fibres 9 functioning as sources of radiation.
• the detector matrix 3 is by means of the cable 4 connected to the apparatus. When the apparatus is not in use, the detector matrix 3 is fitted into a recess 18 in the frame placed at the side of the measurement head. The measurement takes place so that the cuvette set 7 is placed onto the measurement head 8 and that the detector matrix 3 is thereupon shifted onto the cuvette set.
• the detector matrix 3 may also be provided with hinges 5 , which pivot in corresponding pieces 6 fitted to the frame.
• the detector matrix is in such a case pivoted around the hinges 5 onto the cuvette-set matrix 7, placed into the measurement head 8, for the time of the measurement and off the cuvette-set matrix after the measurement.
• the beam of measurement comes vertically from the optical fibre 9 of each cuvette, placed in the measurement head, and passes through the corresponding cuvettes 10 placed in the cuvette-set matrix 7 to the detectors 11 in the detector matrix 5, the said detectors corresponding the said' optical fibres 9 and cuvettes 10.
• Figure 2 shows an optical fibre 9 and the bunch of measurement beams 13 departing from same and passing through the cuvette 10 in the cuvette-set matrix, corresponding the said optical fibre, vertically to the detector 11 in the detector matrix, corresponding both the said optical fibre and the cuvette.
• the optical window 16 of the cuvette 10 is placed in a plane different from the plane of the bottom 17 of the cuvette-set matrix, the optical window I ⁇ placed higher than the bottom plane being retained as protected from fingerprints, scratches, and from dirt.
• the cuvette-set matrix may also be measured in an analyzer embodiment in which the detector matrix is stationary or in which some component of the detector matrix moves in the measurement head.
• the cuvette-set matrix can be placed onto the detector matrix, and the measurement-beam matrix is shifted or pivoted onto the cuvette-set matrix, in which measurement-beam matrix there is a source of measurement signal of its own for each cuvette.
• the said shiftings and any other manipulations can also be performed automatically in the way most appropriate in each particular case.
• the measurement radiation may also be produced by means of some appropriate wide source of radiation so that one or, at the maximum, few sources of radiation are required.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Automatic Analysis And Handling Materials Therefor (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=8513644

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Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1981
  • 1981-07-24 EP EP19810902328 patent/EP0056415A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1981-07-24 JP JP50265781A patent/JPS57501198A/ja active Pending
  • 1981-07-24 WO PCT/FI1981/000060 patent/WO1982000356A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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