CA1176036A - Combined washer and aspirator device - Google Patents
Combined washer and aspirator deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA1176036A CA1176036A CA000414074A CA414074A CA1176036A CA 1176036 A CA1176036 A CA 1176036A CA 000414074 A CA000414074 A CA 000414074A CA 414074 A CA414074 A CA 414074A CA 1176036 A CA1176036 A CA 1176036A
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- intake
- fluid
- combined washer
- aspirator device
- outlet
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Abstract
A B S T R A C T
This disclosure relates to an improved washer and aspirator device having removable intake members which can both wash and aspirate the wash water from the solid bocy member. More particularly, this disclosure relates to an improved combined hand washer and aspirator apparatus which is utilized in conjunction with an immunoassay apparatus and procedures which employ beads.
This disclosure relates to an improved washer and aspirator device having removable intake members which can both wash and aspirate the wash water from the solid bocy member. More particularly, this disclosure relates to an improved combined hand washer and aspirator apparatus which is utilized in conjunction with an immunoassay apparatus and procedures which employ beads.
Description
_ckground Of The Invention_ This invention relates to an improved washer and aspiratox device having removable intake members which can both wash and aspirate the wash water from a solid body 5 mel~ er. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved combined hand washer and aspirator apparatus which is utilized in conjunction with an immunoassay apparatus and procedures which employs beads.
In the process of conducting laboratory testing for 10 diseases it is often necessary to wash and rinse the detection media with rinsing solutions and subsequently to remove the rinsing solution from a container into which a detection means and the media to be detected, such as a serum, is placed. For example, one immunoassay procedure in 15 which the device may conveniently be utilized as a hepatitis detection procedure generally known as Ausria II-125 system which utilizes a solid phase radioimmunoassay techniques to measure Hepatitis Associated Anti~en (HAA) levels in serum.
In this procedure, plastic beads are coated with guinea pig 20 antibody which are supplied in a kit form. Patient serum is added and during incubation, any antigen from this serum is fixed to the antibody. When antibody tagged with iodine-125 is added, it binds to any antigen on the bead creating an antibody-antigen-antibody "sandwich". This procedure is the 25 subject of an article entitled "Prevalence of Hepatitis B
Virus Antigen As Revealed By Direct Radioimmune Assay With 125 I-Antibody" appearing in The ~ourna~ of Immuno~ogy, Vol. 109, No. 4, October, 1972, p. 334. When conducting the foregoing procedure it is necessary to evacuate the serum 30 which is placed in a small well-like container of a tray which also contains the bead. Further ! it is necessary that each well and bead be rinsed and that the procedure of rinsing and evacuation be repeated any given number of times.
United States Patent No. 3,949,771 describes a washer and 35 aspirator which can wash and remove the wash solution from
In the process of conducting laboratory testing for 10 diseases it is often necessary to wash and rinse the detection media with rinsing solutions and subsequently to remove the rinsing solution from a container into which a detection means and the media to be detected, such as a serum, is placed. For example, one immunoassay procedure in 15 which the device may conveniently be utilized as a hepatitis detection procedure generally known as Ausria II-125 system which utilizes a solid phase radioimmunoassay techniques to measure Hepatitis Associated Anti~en (HAA) levels in serum.
In this procedure, plastic beads are coated with guinea pig 20 antibody which are supplied in a kit form. Patient serum is added and during incubation, any antigen from this serum is fixed to the antibody. When antibody tagged with iodine-125 is added, it binds to any antigen on the bead creating an antibody-antigen-antibody "sandwich". This procedure is the 25 subject of an article entitled "Prevalence of Hepatitis B
Virus Antigen As Revealed By Direct Radioimmune Assay With 125 I-Antibody" appearing in The ~ourna~ of Immuno~ogy, Vol. 109, No. 4, October, 1972, p. 334. When conducting the foregoing procedure it is necessary to evacuate the serum 30 which is placed in a small well-like container of a tray which also contains the bead. Further ! it is necessary that each well and bead be rinsed and that the procedure of rinsing and evacuation be repeated any given number of times.
United States Patent No. 3,949,771 describes a washer and 35 aspirator which can wash and remove the wash solution from
- 2 - 1176~36 a container for a detection device; simultaneously wash and hold the solid body member out of contact from a container for the solid body; fit easily within the confines of a small well and can afford a rinsing technique without spattering or spillage; and be utilized in combination with readily available sources of vacuum and pumping mechanisms.
The present invention provides an improved washer and aspirator which provides in addition to the above-described attributes of the prior art device, a washer-aspirator having insertable and removable intake membersto facilitate cleaning procedures and an improved design and constructionto limit pressure variances across the fluid passages thereby increasing the accuracy of the amount of wash solution delivered by the device.
Summary Of The Invention The present invention relates to a hand-held combined washer and aspirator deyice having a solid body member and removable fluid intake channel. The body member is fabricated from two separate body sections comprising an intake body section defining an intake fluid passage and an outlet body section defining an outlet fluid passage.
The intake fluid passage connects to a source of vacuum and the outlet fluid passage connects to a source of fluid under positive pressure such as from a pumping device, From the outlet body section extend nozzle members defining a fluid outlet channel in fluid communication with the outl~t fluid passage. From the intake fluid passage a removable intake member having a probe defining a fluid intake channel in fluid communicaticn with said intake fluid passage as well as an orifice extends through the compartment, outlet fluid passage and fluid outlet channel. The removable intake member is retained and positioned in the body member by a frictional retaining means operatively associated with said intake and outlet body sections so as to permit said intake channel to be in fluid communication with the intake _ 3 _ 1'17 ~ ~ 3 6 fluid passage. The orifice in the probe has an internal wall surface with oppositioning means to limit movement of a solid body member and hold the solid body member in a spaced manner from the wall surface of the orifice so as to permit fluids to flow around the solld body member as it is retained by means of the vacuum source in the central fluid intake channel. In a preferred manner, the fluid intake and outlet channels are formed from an insertable and removable intake member having a probe and outer tubular member concentrically positioned. When the combined washer and aspirator device is to be utilized in conjunction with the washer and retention of a spherical body member, the orifice is provided with a concave indentation with projections extending from the wall of the probe so as to position a spherical solid body member in a spaced distance from the wall of the orifice. To effec-t outward flow of fluid from the nozzle, the outer tubular member is spaced a short distance from the end wall of the orifice and the remo~able intake member has deflecting surfaces in the probe portion so that the fluid is caused to deflect at approximately a 45 angle from the longitudinal axis of the nozzle. The combined washer and aspirator device preferably has a multiplicity of nozzle members which are designed to fit within small wells of a plastic tray and to be easily manipulated by the human hand.
Brief Description Of The Drawings A better understanding of the present combined washer and aspirator device will be accomplished by reference to the drawing wherein.
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the combined washer and aspirator device operatively connected to a fluid source as well as a source of vacuum.
FIGURE 2 is an assembly view of the combined washer and aspirator illustrating the intake and outlet section and the removable intake member.
FIGIJRE 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the combined washer and aspirator with a portion broken " 1176~i36 away and with other portions in operative engagement with well members of a tray.
FIGUR~ 4 is a view in vertical section of the combined aspi,rator and washer illustrating one of the nozzle members in operati.ve communication with a well of a tray and a ball member retained in the orifice of the device, FIGURE 5 is a partial enlarged partial view of one of the nozzle members of the combined washer and aspirator device illustra-ting the removable in~ake member and outer concentric tubular member and the passages formed therein.
FIGURE 6 is an end view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.
Description Of The Preferred Embodiment Proceeding to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the combined washer and aspirator device 10 generally is operatively connected to a source of fluid 12 by means of a pumping deyice 11 and intake lines 14 and 18. Aspirator de~ice 10 is also in fluid communication with a vacuum source 15 which is inter-connected through outlet lines 13, 48 and 49 to two yacuum trap bottles 16 and 17.
The combined washer and aspirator device 10 is composed of a body member comprising an intake body section 20 and outlet body section 21 having a multiplicity of nozzles 22 with the body sectlons preferably sonic we].ded together and a multiplicity of intake members 27 hav;ng probes 40. Referring specifically to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be seen that the intake body section 20 includes a manifold 31 and seal plate 30 and an outlet body section 21 define generally parallel independent fluid passages 23 and 24 w~ch communicate with outlet line 13 and intake line 14, respectively. This is effected through outlet and intake connectors 25 and 26, respectively, which are preferably sonic welded into outlet and intake body sec-tions 20 and 21 and surround fluid passages 23 and 24. The seal plate 30 ha,s a mul-tiplicity of openings 32 from which extend a seal rim 33. The outlet body section 21 has a multiplicity of openings 34 from which extend a seal rim 35. The intake and outlet body sections 20 and 21 are positioned in a manner to allow a removable intake member 27 to extend from the fluid intake passage 23, through opening 32 of the seal plate 30r across opening 34 of the outlet boay section 21, through fluid outlet passage 24 and through outlet channel 29 in the nozzle 22, ~hen the intake and outlet body systems are aligned in this manner the seal rim 33 extending from the seal plate 30 and seal ring 35 extending from the outlet body section 21, preferably form a compart-ment 36 in which a frictional retaining means, preferably an 0-ring 37 is housed. Each intake member 27 defining an intake channel 28 is retained and positioned in intake body section 20 by frictional retaining means comprising an 0-ring 37 housed in compartment 36 and held on intake member 27. In addition the 0-ring 37 provides a means of sealing and separating the intake and outlet fluid passages 23 and 24. Surrounding intake member 27 in a concentric~
,` ~7~, manner and spaced therefrom is an ou-ter tubular member which, as best shown in FIGURE 4, provides a fluid outlet tubular member ~ extending from the outlet body section 21 having its upper end portion in open communication with the fluid outlet passage. It will also be noted that intake }nember 27 has a probe portion 40 with an orifice 41 for communicating with fluid intake channel 28 and ultimately with fluid intake passage 23.
As best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, nozzle 22 in combination with removable probe portion 40 extending from the end of intake member 27 contains a plurality of passages 43 in communication with fluid outlet channel 29. Passages 43 have deflecting wall surfaces 44 for effecting an out-ward direction to fluid passing outwardly from fluid outlet channel 29.
As bes-t seen in FIGURE 6, probe portion 40 has a concave or semicircular opening 45 havi.ng a somewhat smaller radius of curvature than a spherical ball member such as shown at 47. Referriny specifically to FIGURE 6, it will be seen that probe portion 40 at its orifice 41 has L766.,n36 spaced projections 50 formin~ in effect passageways 52 therebetween.
It should also be pointed out that a shut-off valving device 53 is operatively carried by intake body 5 section 20 for regulating the vacuum source in fluid outlet channel 23, the valving device being connected to connector 25.
Operation A better understanding of the advantages of the 10 combined washer and aspirator 10 will be had by a des-cription of its operation. As indicated earlier, washer-aspirator is preferably designed to be utilized in con-junction with an immunoassay method such as hepatitis detection procedure~ Such a method will generally employ 15 a plastic tray 54 having a multiplicity of well members 55 in which are placed small plastic beads or balls such as 47. These beads are precoated with guinea pi~ antibody.
Patient serum is added into the wells to contact the beads 47. They are later subjected to an incubation period 20 during which any antigen from this serum is fixed to that antibody. The antibody is later tagged with radioactive iodine-125 and it binds to the antigen on the bead creating an antibody-antigen-antibody "sandwich". In order to accomplish the foregoing "sandwich" it is preferable to 25 utilize certain procedures. The plastic tray as well as a dispensing tube for the plastic beads or balls 47 is well known in the art and examples thereof are illustrated in United States Patent No. 3,932,141. The plastic beads 47 will be placed in the wells 55 and will have been contacted 30 with serum. It will be necessary after the incubation period to remove the serum which is advantageously accomplished with the combined washer and aspirator 10. Vacuum line 13 will be interconnected to connec-tor 25 and pumping device 11 will be interconnected to connection 26 by means of 35 intake line 14 The vacuum source 15 will be activated and is preferably left on continuously with valve 53 being open.
- 1~761~36 The probes 40 will be lowered into the wells 55 of the tray 54 until the orifice 41 surrounds the beads 47 and is partially accommodated in the semicircular opening 45.
Pump 11 will then be activated to draw 5 + 0.2 ml of rinse solution from solution source 12 through intake lines 14 and 18 into fluid passage 24, passing through out-let channel 29 in tubular member 35. As the fluid will flow through outlet channel 29 it will ultimately engage passages 43 and deflecting wall members 44 causing the fluid to assume an outward pattern as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 5, During the foregoing washing step a vacuum will have held spherical ball 47 in orifice 41.
This vacuum is effected by a reduction in pressure in intake channel 28 which is in communlcation with vacuum passage 23 and ultimately with yacuum line 13. The fluid which is drawn through the described vacuum channel 23, passage 23 and line 13 will be deposited in vacuum trap bottle 16 and 17 by means of lines 13 and 48. It should be noted that when the vacuum source is applied, the spherical ball 47 will not be drawn completely into semicircular opening 45.
This is effected by means of projections 50 extending from probe 40 with the spaces between the projections 50 forming passageways 52 for the inward flow of washing liquid. The foregoing procedure of dispensing fluid and aspirating by means of the vacuum source can be effected as many times as desirable, the purpose being to wash the excess serum from all portions of the beads as they are held in a stationary manner. They are later subjected to a counting device for the fixed radioactive iodine. In order to assure that the beads 47 are dry, the vacuum source 15 is left to continue to operate and to hold thekeads against the orifice 41 which will cause a drying of the beads through the aspiration effect. In order to return the beads to the bottom of the tray wells 55 valve 53 is closed which will cause them to move away from the end of the probe 40.
6~36 ~ s previously mentioned, an advantage of -the washer-aspirator device of the present invention is that the intake members 27 can be easily removed thereby facilitatiny the cleaning of the device in general and the intake members 27 in particular. The intake members are removed by pullin~
the probe portion 40 of the intake member away from the body member. To reinsert the intake member 27, one inserts the intake member 27, in the opening of the nozzle 22 defining the fluid outlet channel 29 and pushes the intake member 27 inward until the 0-ring 37 in compartment 36 is in position on the retaining ring S9. The 0-ring 37 serves to both retain and position the intake member 27 in the body member of the device as well as provide a sealing means to effectively separate and seal the intake and outlet fluid passages 23 and 24.
It should be mentioned that in order to equalize the vacuum source over a plurality of beads, there should be provided a bead for every nozzle or probe member. This can be accomplished by using dummy beads where there is no serum to be deposited in a tray well.
Although in the description o the present invention an 0-ring 37 was illustratively employed as the functional retaining means, one skilled in the art can readily ascertain other functional retaining means such as an indent means that will be suitable when employed in the washer-aspirator device of the present invention.
It will be recognized tha-t while a multiplicity of nozzles 22 and probes 40 are utilized in a single row with the nozzles positioned adjacent each other, these can be extended or arranged in double rows from a single header or body member in any geometric fashion and with any number of probes including only a single one. The combined aspirator and washer 10 can be advantageously utilized in any type of operation where a washing and aspirating of the washing fluid is to be accomplished~ Further, it is not necessary that the washing take place prior to the aspirating but -the aspirating effect could be utilized even prior to washing such as for the removal of fluid _ 9 ~ 76~36 prior to the washing step. The intake and outlet body sections 20 and 21 as well as the nozzle members 22 are plastic injection mok~ed. Although ABS-plastic is employed as the plastic material of choice, other rigid or semirigid materials capable of being injection molded may be utilized depedning upon the purpose to which the device is -to be utilized. The intake members 27 are generally fabricated from stainless steel, although aluminum or other rigid material may be used. The probe portion 40 may be fabricated from stainless steel, ABS-plastic or any suitable rigid material. Pump 11 is of the type which will automatically force a controlled quantity of fluid in nozzles 22. The preferred pump is a vial filler sold by National Instrument Company of Baltimore, Maryland, under the trademark Filamatic~. However, any type of automatic, sequentially regulated pump can be employed.
It will thus be seen that through the present invention there is now provided a combined aspirator and washer device which can effectively perform both a washing and drying method as well as a removal of the fluid from a cavity. The combined washer and aspirator device can be utilized in relatively small cavities and can effectively hold the member which is to be washed away from the container cavity. The combined washer and aspirator deyice ls fabri~
cated from a minimum number of parts and is sturdy in its construction. It utilizes a minimum number of moving parts and can be fabricated from many existing components.
The foregoing invention can be practiced by those skilled in the art. Such skilled persons will know that the invention is not necessarily restricted to the particular ernbodiments presented herein. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the terms of the following claims as given meaning by the preceding description.
The present invention provides an improved washer and aspirator which provides in addition to the above-described attributes of the prior art device, a washer-aspirator having insertable and removable intake membersto facilitate cleaning procedures and an improved design and constructionto limit pressure variances across the fluid passages thereby increasing the accuracy of the amount of wash solution delivered by the device.
Summary Of The Invention The present invention relates to a hand-held combined washer and aspirator deyice having a solid body member and removable fluid intake channel. The body member is fabricated from two separate body sections comprising an intake body section defining an intake fluid passage and an outlet body section defining an outlet fluid passage.
The intake fluid passage connects to a source of vacuum and the outlet fluid passage connects to a source of fluid under positive pressure such as from a pumping device, From the outlet body section extend nozzle members defining a fluid outlet channel in fluid communication with the outl~t fluid passage. From the intake fluid passage a removable intake member having a probe defining a fluid intake channel in fluid communicaticn with said intake fluid passage as well as an orifice extends through the compartment, outlet fluid passage and fluid outlet channel. The removable intake member is retained and positioned in the body member by a frictional retaining means operatively associated with said intake and outlet body sections so as to permit said intake channel to be in fluid communication with the intake _ 3 _ 1'17 ~ ~ 3 6 fluid passage. The orifice in the probe has an internal wall surface with oppositioning means to limit movement of a solid body member and hold the solid body member in a spaced manner from the wall surface of the orifice so as to permit fluids to flow around the solld body member as it is retained by means of the vacuum source in the central fluid intake channel. In a preferred manner, the fluid intake and outlet channels are formed from an insertable and removable intake member having a probe and outer tubular member concentrically positioned. When the combined washer and aspirator device is to be utilized in conjunction with the washer and retention of a spherical body member, the orifice is provided with a concave indentation with projections extending from the wall of the probe so as to position a spherical solid body member in a spaced distance from the wall of the orifice. To effec-t outward flow of fluid from the nozzle, the outer tubular member is spaced a short distance from the end wall of the orifice and the remo~able intake member has deflecting surfaces in the probe portion so that the fluid is caused to deflect at approximately a 45 angle from the longitudinal axis of the nozzle. The combined washer and aspirator device preferably has a multiplicity of nozzle members which are designed to fit within small wells of a plastic tray and to be easily manipulated by the human hand.
Brief Description Of The Drawings A better understanding of the present combined washer and aspirator device will be accomplished by reference to the drawing wherein.
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the combined washer and aspirator device operatively connected to a fluid source as well as a source of vacuum.
FIGURE 2 is an assembly view of the combined washer and aspirator illustrating the intake and outlet section and the removable intake member.
FIGIJRE 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the combined washer and aspirator with a portion broken " 1176~i36 away and with other portions in operative engagement with well members of a tray.
FIGUR~ 4 is a view in vertical section of the combined aspi,rator and washer illustrating one of the nozzle members in operati.ve communication with a well of a tray and a ball member retained in the orifice of the device, FIGURE 5 is a partial enlarged partial view of one of the nozzle members of the combined washer and aspirator device illustra-ting the removable in~ake member and outer concentric tubular member and the passages formed therein.
FIGURE 6 is an end view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.
Description Of The Preferred Embodiment Proceeding to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the combined washer and aspirator device 10 generally is operatively connected to a source of fluid 12 by means of a pumping deyice 11 and intake lines 14 and 18. Aspirator de~ice 10 is also in fluid communication with a vacuum source 15 which is inter-connected through outlet lines 13, 48 and 49 to two yacuum trap bottles 16 and 17.
The combined washer and aspirator device 10 is composed of a body member comprising an intake body section 20 and outlet body section 21 having a multiplicity of nozzles 22 with the body sectlons preferably sonic we].ded together and a multiplicity of intake members 27 hav;ng probes 40. Referring specifically to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be seen that the intake body section 20 includes a manifold 31 and seal plate 30 and an outlet body section 21 define generally parallel independent fluid passages 23 and 24 w~ch communicate with outlet line 13 and intake line 14, respectively. This is effected through outlet and intake connectors 25 and 26, respectively, which are preferably sonic welded into outlet and intake body sec-tions 20 and 21 and surround fluid passages 23 and 24. The seal plate 30 ha,s a mul-tiplicity of openings 32 from which extend a seal rim 33. The outlet body section 21 has a multiplicity of openings 34 from which extend a seal rim 35. The intake and outlet body sections 20 and 21 are positioned in a manner to allow a removable intake member 27 to extend from the fluid intake passage 23, through opening 32 of the seal plate 30r across opening 34 of the outlet boay section 21, through fluid outlet passage 24 and through outlet channel 29 in the nozzle 22, ~hen the intake and outlet body systems are aligned in this manner the seal rim 33 extending from the seal plate 30 and seal ring 35 extending from the outlet body section 21, preferably form a compart-ment 36 in which a frictional retaining means, preferably an 0-ring 37 is housed. Each intake member 27 defining an intake channel 28 is retained and positioned in intake body section 20 by frictional retaining means comprising an 0-ring 37 housed in compartment 36 and held on intake member 27. In addition the 0-ring 37 provides a means of sealing and separating the intake and outlet fluid passages 23 and 24. Surrounding intake member 27 in a concentric~
,` ~7~, manner and spaced therefrom is an ou-ter tubular member which, as best shown in FIGURE 4, provides a fluid outlet tubular member ~ extending from the outlet body section 21 having its upper end portion in open communication with the fluid outlet passage. It will also be noted that intake }nember 27 has a probe portion 40 with an orifice 41 for communicating with fluid intake channel 28 and ultimately with fluid intake passage 23.
As best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, nozzle 22 in combination with removable probe portion 40 extending from the end of intake member 27 contains a plurality of passages 43 in communication with fluid outlet channel 29. Passages 43 have deflecting wall surfaces 44 for effecting an out-ward direction to fluid passing outwardly from fluid outlet channel 29.
As bes-t seen in FIGURE 6, probe portion 40 has a concave or semicircular opening 45 havi.ng a somewhat smaller radius of curvature than a spherical ball member such as shown at 47. Referriny specifically to FIGURE 6, it will be seen that probe portion 40 at its orifice 41 has L766.,n36 spaced projections 50 formin~ in effect passageways 52 therebetween.
It should also be pointed out that a shut-off valving device 53 is operatively carried by intake body 5 section 20 for regulating the vacuum source in fluid outlet channel 23, the valving device being connected to connector 25.
Operation A better understanding of the advantages of the 10 combined washer and aspirator 10 will be had by a des-cription of its operation. As indicated earlier, washer-aspirator is preferably designed to be utilized in con-junction with an immunoassay method such as hepatitis detection procedure~ Such a method will generally employ 15 a plastic tray 54 having a multiplicity of well members 55 in which are placed small plastic beads or balls such as 47. These beads are precoated with guinea pi~ antibody.
Patient serum is added into the wells to contact the beads 47. They are later subjected to an incubation period 20 during which any antigen from this serum is fixed to that antibody. The antibody is later tagged with radioactive iodine-125 and it binds to the antigen on the bead creating an antibody-antigen-antibody "sandwich". In order to accomplish the foregoing "sandwich" it is preferable to 25 utilize certain procedures. The plastic tray as well as a dispensing tube for the plastic beads or balls 47 is well known in the art and examples thereof are illustrated in United States Patent No. 3,932,141. The plastic beads 47 will be placed in the wells 55 and will have been contacted 30 with serum. It will be necessary after the incubation period to remove the serum which is advantageously accomplished with the combined washer and aspirator 10. Vacuum line 13 will be interconnected to connec-tor 25 and pumping device 11 will be interconnected to connection 26 by means of 35 intake line 14 The vacuum source 15 will be activated and is preferably left on continuously with valve 53 being open.
- 1~761~36 The probes 40 will be lowered into the wells 55 of the tray 54 until the orifice 41 surrounds the beads 47 and is partially accommodated in the semicircular opening 45.
Pump 11 will then be activated to draw 5 + 0.2 ml of rinse solution from solution source 12 through intake lines 14 and 18 into fluid passage 24, passing through out-let channel 29 in tubular member 35. As the fluid will flow through outlet channel 29 it will ultimately engage passages 43 and deflecting wall members 44 causing the fluid to assume an outward pattern as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 5, During the foregoing washing step a vacuum will have held spherical ball 47 in orifice 41.
This vacuum is effected by a reduction in pressure in intake channel 28 which is in communlcation with vacuum passage 23 and ultimately with yacuum line 13. The fluid which is drawn through the described vacuum channel 23, passage 23 and line 13 will be deposited in vacuum trap bottle 16 and 17 by means of lines 13 and 48. It should be noted that when the vacuum source is applied, the spherical ball 47 will not be drawn completely into semicircular opening 45.
This is effected by means of projections 50 extending from probe 40 with the spaces between the projections 50 forming passageways 52 for the inward flow of washing liquid. The foregoing procedure of dispensing fluid and aspirating by means of the vacuum source can be effected as many times as desirable, the purpose being to wash the excess serum from all portions of the beads as they are held in a stationary manner. They are later subjected to a counting device for the fixed radioactive iodine. In order to assure that the beads 47 are dry, the vacuum source 15 is left to continue to operate and to hold thekeads against the orifice 41 which will cause a drying of the beads through the aspiration effect. In order to return the beads to the bottom of the tray wells 55 valve 53 is closed which will cause them to move away from the end of the probe 40.
6~36 ~ s previously mentioned, an advantage of -the washer-aspirator device of the present invention is that the intake members 27 can be easily removed thereby facilitatiny the cleaning of the device in general and the intake members 27 in particular. The intake members are removed by pullin~
the probe portion 40 of the intake member away from the body member. To reinsert the intake member 27, one inserts the intake member 27, in the opening of the nozzle 22 defining the fluid outlet channel 29 and pushes the intake member 27 inward until the 0-ring 37 in compartment 36 is in position on the retaining ring S9. The 0-ring 37 serves to both retain and position the intake member 27 in the body member of the device as well as provide a sealing means to effectively separate and seal the intake and outlet fluid passages 23 and 24.
It should be mentioned that in order to equalize the vacuum source over a plurality of beads, there should be provided a bead for every nozzle or probe member. This can be accomplished by using dummy beads where there is no serum to be deposited in a tray well.
Although in the description o the present invention an 0-ring 37 was illustratively employed as the functional retaining means, one skilled in the art can readily ascertain other functional retaining means such as an indent means that will be suitable when employed in the washer-aspirator device of the present invention.
It will be recognized tha-t while a multiplicity of nozzles 22 and probes 40 are utilized in a single row with the nozzles positioned adjacent each other, these can be extended or arranged in double rows from a single header or body member in any geometric fashion and with any number of probes including only a single one. The combined aspirator and washer 10 can be advantageously utilized in any type of operation where a washing and aspirating of the washing fluid is to be accomplished~ Further, it is not necessary that the washing take place prior to the aspirating but -the aspirating effect could be utilized even prior to washing such as for the removal of fluid _ 9 ~ 76~36 prior to the washing step. The intake and outlet body sections 20 and 21 as well as the nozzle members 22 are plastic injection mok~ed. Although ABS-plastic is employed as the plastic material of choice, other rigid or semirigid materials capable of being injection molded may be utilized depedning upon the purpose to which the device is -to be utilized. The intake members 27 are generally fabricated from stainless steel, although aluminum or other rigid material may be used. The probe portion 40 may be fabricated from stainless steel, ABS-plastic or any suitable rigid material. Pump 11 is of the type which will automatically force a controlled quantity of fluid in nozzles 22. The preferred pump is a vial filler sold by National Instrument Company of Baltimore, Maryland, under the trademark Filamatic~. However, any type of automatic, sequentially regulated pump can be employed.
It will thus be seen that through the present invention there is now provided a combined aspirator and washer device which can effectively perform both a washing and drying method as well as a removal of the fluid from a cavity. The combined washer and aspirator device can be utilized in relatively small cavities and can effectively hold the member which is to be washed away from the container cavity. The combined washer and aspirator deyice ls fabri~
cated from a minimum number of parts and is sturdy in its construction. It utilizes a minimum number of moving parts and can be fabricated from many existing components.
The foregoing invention can be practiced by those skilled in the art. Such skilled persons will know that the invention is not necessarily restricted to the particular ernbodiments presented herein. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the terms of the following claims as given meaning by the preceding description.
Claims (15)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A combined washer and aspirator device having a solid body member fabricated from two separate body sections comprising an intake body section defining an intake fluid passage, an outlet body section defining an outlet fluid passage and including a nozzle member extending from the outlet body section, a removable intake member adapted to be inserted into said nozzle member and spaced therefrom to provide a fluid outlet channel in fluid communication with the outlet fluid passage, said intake member having a probe portion defining an intake channel in fluid communication with the intake fluid passage and an orifice having an internal wall surface, frictional retaining means operatively associated with said intake and outlet body sections to retain and position said intake member so as to permit said intake channel to be in fluid communication with the intake fluid passage, and positioning means operatively associated with said orifice to limit movement of said solid body member in a spaced manner from the wall surface of said orifice, said device also including a vacuum source operatively connected to one of said fluid passages in said body member and a regulated pump means operatively connected to the other of said fluid passages in said body member.
2. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said fluid intake channel and said fluid outlet channel in said nozzle are formed from said intake member and an outer tubular member concentrically positioned.
3. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 2 wherein said outer tubular member in conjunction with said intake member defines said fluid outlet channel and terminates a short distance from said orifice.
4. me combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 3 wherein said intake member is provided with deflecting wall surfaces spaced a short distance beyond the termination of said outer tubular member.
5. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 2 wherein a multiplicity of said nozzle members extend from said outlet body section and said fluid intake channels and said fluid outlet channels are disposed in a concentric manner and communicate with said independent fluid passages.
6. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 5 wherein said nozzles are spaced in a linear manner and are adapted to fit within the confines of a substantially small well member of a tray.
7. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 6 wherein said body member is constructed and arranged to be manipulated by a human hand.
8. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said intake body section includes a manifold and seal plate.
9. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 8 wherein said solid body member includes plastic injection molded intake and outlet body sections sonically welded together.
10. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 9 wherein said intake member includes a plastic injection molded probe portion.
11. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said frictional retaining means includes an O-ring member.
12. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said positioning means in said orifice comprises a concave indentation with projections extending from the wall of said orifice.
13. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 12 wherein said solid body member is spherical in configuration.
14. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 1 wherein said one fluid passage is operatively connected to said intake channel in said nozzle and further includes means to regulate the vacuum source.
15. The combined washer and aspirator device as defined in Claim 14 wherein said regulated pump means is operatively connected to the fluid outlet channel in said nozzle.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US31568881A | 1981-10-28 | 1981-10-28 | |
| US315,688 | 1981-10-28 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1176036A true CA1176036A (en) | 1984-10-16 |
Family
ID=23225612
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000414074A Expired CA1176036A (en) | 1981-10-28 | 1982-10-25 | Combined washer and aspirator device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1176036A (en) |
-
1982
- 1982-10-25 CA CA000414074A patent/CA1176036A/en not_active Expired
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