| 摘要 |
Methods for separating, in a continuous, multizone fluid medium, cells, particles, or other molecules of interest (MOI) from associated or contaminating unwanted materials not of interest (MNOI). The invention involves forced movement of MOI into certain zones having properties which deter the entry of unwanted materials. Differential movement of MOI and MNOI occurs by active counterforces that move MNOI but not MOI. MOI are tagged with magnetic particles and moved with a magnetic field through a fluid, or zones, of higher specific gravity that prevents, by flotation counterforce, unwanted less dense materials from entering.;Surfaces specifically coated with reactants are reactive with the MOI in the tagged magnetic particle complex and of buoyant or other forces are used to remove any unbound material from the surface before reading. Readable labels, in addition to the magnetic particle tagged complex itself, such as enzymes, fluorophors, chemiluminescent materials, radioactive isotopes, chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates and other labels may be used. In most embodiments, materials of interest are delivered to a special final zone for reading or harvesting. The invention applies to many assays, diagnostic tests, separative procedures and chemical syntheses. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method for detecting the presence or absence of an antigen on a blood cell in a liquid medium containing interfering proteins which comprises:
1. providing in a vessel, a mixture of:
a) a continuous liquid medium comprising at least two separate liquid zones of different densities, a first zone of which constitutes a reaction incubation zone and comprises a first liquid and a second zone of which comprises a second liquid, each of said first liquid and said second liquid being contiguous with the other,b) a blood cell sample suspected of having said antigen to be determined,c) an antibody specific for the antigen sought to be determined, andd) magnetic particle tagged moieties which are reactable with said blood cell, to form a movable complex therewith, b) c) and d) being present in a first zone,e) an anti-species immune globulin (ASG) immobilized on an inner surface of said vessel in a second liquid zone having a density greater than the density of the first zone said ASG being capable of reacting with c) above, wherein said liquid in said second zone has a buoyant effect on, and is repugnant to, the presence of interfering proteins, said magnetic particle tagged moieties and said blood cells, 2. allowing a complex of b) and d) to form in a negative test and a complex of b), d) and c) to form in a positive test, all in said first liquid zone, 3. applying a magnetic field to the complexes formed in Step 2 to move them into the second, denser, liquid zone and thereafter moving the complexes into contact with said immobilized ASG therein, wherein said ASG attaches to the antibody portion c) of said complex b) d) and c) if said antibody portion is present, thereby immobilizing said complex of b), d) and c) at said ASG, 4. removing the magnetic field from the immobilized complex, whereby any b) d) complex that may have formed, comprising any unreacted magnetic particles not bound at the ASG site, are dislodged from said ASG site due to the repugnant nature and buoyant effect of said second zone liquid on said unreacted unbound magnetic particles, 5. observing the immobilized ASG surface for the presence or absence of the fixation of cells, a positive test for said antigen sought to be determined being indicated by the fixation of cells. |
