DE2838646A1 - LEAKAGE METER FOR PROTEINFACTIONS - Google Patents

Description

Density meter for protein fractions

The invention relates to a density meter, i.e. a device for determining the color intensity of

2 5 substances distributed on a carrier. In particular, it is used to determine the amount of protein fractions a particular fluid, such as blood, which is usually electrophoresed to clinical Purposes have been deposited.

Particularly in the field of clinical diagnosis, it is known that electrophoresis is a determination of the changes in the amount of some serum proteins. at a certain amount of serum (its

35 total protein content has been previously determined) applied to a carrier, for example cellulose acetate. Under

VI / ud

909812/0819

Deutsche Bank (Munich) KIo. 51/61070

Dresdner Bank (Munich) Account 3939

Postal check (Munich! Klo. 670-43-804

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Creation of a certain potential difference and use Special cells with electrolytes, the serum proteins migrate at different speeds accordingly their electrical charge, weight, dimensions, etc.

along the beam. The strip is then "developed" by immersing it in a solution of a specific dye, which, while attaching to the proteins, highlights those fractions into which they have been divided, namely through the intensity of the coloration for the quantitative distribution of the proteins. In particular, the split the proteins applied to a cellulose acetate carrier into five groups: albumin and alpha 1, alpha 2, beta and gamma globulins. The quantitative determination of each Proteins lifted out on the strip is carried out by means of a density meter, which measures the intensity of the Measures color and calculates the percentage and / or absolute value of all proteins present.

The density meters currently in use can be shown schematically as follows: A horizontal one Shifting system with constant speed guides the carrier between a monochromatic light source and a photocell, the output of which is proportional to the color and thus the concentration of proteins to a Po-5 tentiometer-XY-recorder is applied (on whose ordinates the optical densities in relation to the displacements of the proteins are represented), as well as to a computing system, which determines the minimums of the light absorption processes the data and transmits it to a visual display or the percentages directly by means of a printed display and / or the g / 100 ml values of each protein fraction issues. However, the known density gauges do not indicate which fraction or group they belong to Information refer to (percentages or gr / 100 ml) and it is therefore the task of the surgeon to provide the numerical information of the

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to be assigned to the respective fraction or protein group. aside from that In some pathological cases, the number of fractions into which the proteins are divided can be larger than the one that usually occurs (AlUmUn and Alpha 1, alpha 2, beta and gamma globulins); this means, that one or more factions have further subdivided themselves. Give the well-known leak gauges does not indicate which of the factions have been further subdivided, and this determination is then incumbent on the Opera- expensive. and its ability and experience.

In addition, the known density gauges are provided with scales of different sensitivity, which can be selected by the surgeon in order to adapt the instrument to the color intensity of the layers, if these are colored too much or too little: hence the need, sometimes several layers before the correct sensitivity is found.

The object of the invention is to provide a leakage meter which is capable of performing with the greatest possible Probability of determining the individual fractions and sub-fractions of proteins based on their displacement and assign them with the generally known letters used to identify the various protein fractions describe. Another purpose of the present invention is the creation of a density meter, which is able to indicate the identification letters the information (+) "or (-).

add, which indicate that the fraction examined has a higher or lower value compared to the normal value.

Another purpose of the present invention is the creation of a tightness meter that uses a needle

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Printing device used both for graphical representation and for printing the alphanumeric information.

Yet another purpose of the present invention is to provide a leakmeter which is suitable is, by means of appropriate changes, the absorption curve and the entered data on a monitor display, as well as record input data, which by means of a keyboard and which are different from those with which it is equipped.

Another purpose of the present invention is to produce a very compact, functional one and easy-to-use leak tester.

These and other purposes, which emerge from the following detailed description, are made possible by means of a density meter obtained, which essentially has the properties that the recording device is a printing device with a needle print head and that the Abneiimer (reader) and the printing unit by means of stepper motors via a microcomputer with at least one microprocessor operate.

The invention is described in more detail using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing the

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the invention

Tightness meter shows;

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a reader

for moving lines in two mutually perpendicular directions using computational

shows controlled stepper motors;

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3 shows a view of the reader in the direction of arrow III for the sake of clarity with omission of parts, shows.

In the figures, 1 denotes a carrier, consisting for example of cellulose acetate, on which there are one or more electrophoretic coatings, each of which supports the analysis of different types of serum listened.

The carrier 1 is placed on a frame 2 which is provided with a pair of elastic slats, which hold its ends.

The carrier 1, which is placed on the frame 2, is inserted into rigid guides 3 and closes in the end position a microswitch 4, which allows the preparation of the leakage meter for its function.

By means of the carrier 1 arranged in this way, the scanning of the first electrophoretic strip can be carried out by means of of the customer (reader), which is designated as a whole by 5 and a generally U-shaped rigid frame has, the lower part of which is denoted by 6, while the arms or stands are denoted by 7 and 8, respectively. A stepper motor 9 is mounted on the stand 7, which drives a screw 10, the other end of which is empty in the other Stand 8 is running. The worm passes through a corresponding threaded hole in a block 11, which seated on a carriage 12, which is adjustable in high-precision guides 13, which along the parallel Edges of the lower part 6 are arranged. It is obvious that the drive of the screw 10 is the adjustment of the carriage 12 in the direction A causes which of the

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Sampling of the electrophoretic record.

The carriage 12 has a generally L-shape, the lower part being indicated by 14 and the vertical part Part with 15.

A stepper motor 15A is mounted on the leg 15, which drives a cantilevered screw 16, which has a corresponding threaded hole in a block 17, which is attached to a second slide 18 is. This second carriage moves along precision guides 19 of the lower part 14 of the first Carriage 12.

The second carriage 18 is essentially C-shaped (see FIG. 3), the underside 20 holds a monochromatic or non-monochromatic light source 21, with an optical part (condenser) 21A, and an opposite leg 22 in alignment with the light source 21, a photoelectric converter 23 has, for example a photocell or a photodiode. From the foregoing it follows that the second Slide is adjustable perpendicular to the first slide.

This vertical movement is used to read subsequent layers that are parallel to the first layer to make possible.

The density meter according to the invention is also provided with a printing unit 24 which is not suitable for printing on, for example, paper that is responsive to a stop only the curve of optical density or light absorption corresponding to that analyzed on a case-by-case basis electrophoretic strip, but also a range of data, such as E.g .: date, reference number, percentages

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the latter, the normal values of proteins and others Information that can be useful to the operator. The printer used is the DMTP-6 SERIES type from Practical Automation Inc. of Trap Falls Road, Shelton, Connecticut 06484 - USA, and described in sheet 911.

This printing unit is provided with a magnetic print head 2 5 with 7 needles DM 101, and the paper feed is controlled by a stepper motor 28 concerned.

In the known printing unit, the drive of the head 25 takes place by means of a synchronous motor, while in the Embodiment instead of this motor a stepping motor 29 is used; electronics are also through one for the performance of the printing unit, i.e. the arrangement of the stepper motors more suitable replaced, such as control only one needle of the print head when recording the graphic representation and the lettering with different Characters, such as the Greek alphabet, in the labeling.

The density meter also has a keyboard for entering data by hand, which will be explained later will. The keyboard 30 is provided with input electronics (data input memory) 31, which also to the photoelectric converter 23 via a voltage-frequency converter 32 and a counter 33 (input counter) is connected.

The following are also connected to the electronics 31:

a) the various control devices, such as the microswitch 4 and microswitch 35, 36, 3 6a for switching on and off Final switch-off of the carriages 12, 18 of the reader 5; b) the printing unit 24;

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c) the stepper motors 9 and 15A of the reading unit according to Figures 2 and 3;

d) Light-emitting diodes 37 for indicating the functional state of the leakage meter, as well as a visual display device 38.

The electronics 31 are connected to a microcomputer 39, consisting of an electronics board 39 of the Type SPC 80/10, manufactured by Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, California, USA, and a computer CPU in Connection to a programmed read-only memory ROM, a programmable memory RAM and two clock generators 40 and 41 different frequency.

The computer CPU is provided with an electronic output circuit (data output) 42, which in turn with

a) the stepper motors 9, 15A of the reader according to FIGS. 2, 3, b) with the stepper motors 28, 29 and the head 25 of the printing unit 24,

c) with the 'Ia stature 30, and

d) with the display device 3 8 and the light-emitting diodes

connected is.

The function is as follows:

Assume that a carrier 1 with several electrophoretic parallel strips is in the density meter, as already described, used and the two carriages 12, 18 are placed in their starting position, so the first carriage 12 moved all the way to the left and the second carriage 18 all the way up (referring to FIG. 2).

The operator enters the following data one after the other on the keyboard:

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a) the date of the day by pressing the corresponding number keys and the required spacing symbol 50 and then the "IN" key, so that these data are stored;

b) the length of the previously measured electrophoretic Coating (as well as the key of the comma - point 50 - in the required positions) and then the "IN" key;

c) the axis distance between the electrophoretic coatings (if there is more than one on strip 1) and then the "IN" key;

d) the number of coatings to be analyzed and then the "IN" key;

e) the number of the sequence or the reference number, welehe to be assigned to each electrophoretic coating, and then after each number the "IN" key;

f) the value of the total proteins (previously determined according to another analytical method) with respect to each electrophoretic Coating and after each value the "IN" key.

When the last value is entered, the microcomputer 39 sets the stepping motor 9 in operation, so that the first carriage 12 is adjusted to the right (in Fig. 2), at a constant speed thanks to the corresponding signals input to the stepping motor 9. the Adjustment is canceled when it corresponds to the entered length of the electrophoretic coating. Then the movement is reversed, always at a constant speed. During this return a first scan of the electrophoretic coating. The converter 32 gives different frequencies due to the different absorption of the light beam. These frequencies are entered into the input memory 31 via the input counter 33 entered and set the measure of the current

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optical density (or light absorption) of the analyzed electrophoretic coating. Exceeds the maximum value of the optical densities is the value above which there is no immediate proportionality Absorption of the light and concentration of the substance (i.e. the protein) is brought about by the microcomputer 39 shows the absorption / concentration curve on a line up to a maximum = 3 and stores this information in the memory ROM assigned to it and programmed for it.

Furthermore, the input electronics are active during this reset 31 the computer the information for determining the position of the minima of the absorption curve.

In addition, the microcomputer determines the zero state of the ordinates, that is, the position of the X axis as the reading average at the beginning and at the end of the electrophoretic strip _; and stores this data in the memory RAM. After completion of this adjustment, there is an adjustment in the opposite direction, referred to as a second active adjustment, during which the curve of the electrophoretic coating (i.e. the curve of light absorption) is printed on the paper of the printing unit and then the data or information is printed in alphanumeric form.

In the second pass, the motors 9, 28, 29 are changed via the microcomputer, but more synchronously Speed operated. In detail, the speed of the motor 9 is reduced at the point of greatest light absorption; the motor 28 runs synchronized with the motor 9, while the motor 29 of the head 25 with a The speed opposite to that of the motors 9 and 28 is running. At the lowest possible absorption the microcomputer causes motors 9 and 28 to be switched off briefly, while it sends pulses to motor 29 to

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short, parallel to the Y axis of the curve Segments granted.

In addition, in this state six of the seven needles of the head are not released, which means that with the curve is drawn with just a single needle. " In this phase, a new one is also changed Average determined to determine the smallest values, which are then compared with those v / grounded in the first pass to control the pressure value, so that an actual curve instead of an assumed one is obtained. For the smallest values, as already mentioned, the printing unit moves to the Y axis of the coordinate system, in which the curve lies, parallel lines. The longitudinal movement of the reader 5 stops when the entered Data relating to the length of the line; the stepping motor 15A then comes into effect, which the reader to the second electrophoretic line to be analyzed according to the modalities already described brings to agreement.

After the curve has been drawn, the data is printed out under the control of the microcomputer based on the information available in the associated memories.

The printing of the data is taken care of by the printing unit 24 by means of the heads, of which all seven needles and the two stepping motors 28 , 29 are used in this phase, which are each synchronized with the advance of the paper and the movement of the print head 25.

In this example, the data sent to the printing unit are: those originally entered on the Ί & stator 30 Data; the given order; the value of

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optical density corresponding to the highest peak of the curve and during the first adjustment of the reader; the determined percentages of the individual proteins with the corresponding designation and the normal values as well as the g / 100 ml specification, with a plus or minus sign each after it is added whether the stated percentages are above or below normal; the total percentage and total weight; the ratio of albumin to globulin and a classification of the character lines based on a comparison with some entered in the memory clinical values.

The fixed percentages of each protein are made over a total integration process of the optical density curve or the optical absorption determined on the basis of a series of partial integration processes of this curve between two successive ones Minima and the percentage ratio between the partial integrals and the total integrals as well as in assignment a ratio for one protein instead of another (in the case of subfractionation of the protein fractions), if both minima, between which the partial integration is carried out, in a section of the curve or the electrophoretic strip, in which only proteins of a certain group are present (i.e. the group of albumins, alpha globulins, etc.).

The weights are determined by multiplying the individual percentage fractions by the total weight the protein entered on the keyboard. The ratio of albumins / globulins is immediately detectable Process, just like the rest of the data.

If 5 data for precisely defined pathological cases are stored in the memories assigned to the microcomputer

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it is possible to use the computer to compare these data with those from the analysis originate, and derive information regarding the presence of certain pathologies, which is on paper can be recorded by means of the printing unit.

The invention is also applicable for reading the coatings on any carrier where the scanning by means of fluoroscopy or mirroring and / or chromatic development by means of dyes is.

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Claims (7)

Claims 1J density meter for the analysis of electrophoretic Layers, particularly for use in diagnostics, with a layer relative to electrophoretic layering portable reader, a device for recording courses for absorption or optical density and a computing device for the percentages or absolute fourths of each fraction of the electrophoretic stratification, characterized in that the recording device is a printing unit (24) with a needle head (25) and that both the reader (5) and the printing unit by means of Stepper motors (9, 15A) controlled by a microcomputer (39) with at least one microprocessor Jpetrie- 30 years. 2. density meter according to claim 1, characterized in that the scanning of the electrophoretic Stacking by means of the reader (5) takes place during two displacements of the reader, one of which with constant Speed and the other is executed at a variable speed. 909812/0319 VI / ud Deutsche Bank (Munich) Account 51/61070 Dresdner Bank (Munich) Account 3939844 Posischeck (Munich) account 670-43-804 - 2 - B 9189 3. density meter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the reader (5) has a further Stepper motor for a transition from analyzing one stratification to another, parallel to it on the same Has carrier. 4. Leakage meter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reader (5) has a first carriage (12) operated by a first stepping motor (9) via a coupling with a worm, and a second carriage (18) mounted on the first, the second carriage mounted on the first carriage Stepper motor (15A) is driven. 5. density meter according to claim 4, characterized in that the second carriage (18) scanning elements for the electrophoretical layering with a light source (21) and a photoelectric converter (23). 6. Leakage meter according to claim 5, characterized in that the signal coming from the transducer (23) is on a voltage / frequency converter (32) is applied and via an input counter (33) and an input circuit (31) is applied to a microcomputer (CPU) with memories (ROM, RAM), which via an output circuit (42) the Stepper motors (9, 15A) and the printer head (25) controls. 7. density meter according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the second pass the stepper motors (9, 15A) of the reader and of the printing unit with a speed that is changed in connection with the absorption operate. 909812/0819