METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING CHEMICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS AND MIXING, ESPECIALLY WHERE MICROTITER VOLUMES ARE INVOLVED

摘要

A device and method for enhancing the speed and sensitivity of biochemical and immunological reactions performed in manifold vacuum devices. Reactions are carried out in one or numerous wells (25) which are integral parts of a manifold plate (10). The internal space of each well (25) is confluent with a waste fluid collection chamber, usually located beneath the manifold, and connected to a vacuum pump (12). A piston-driven (16) or bellows (40) device repetitively interrupts a low-level vacuum applied during the reaction steps, generating a low and continuously oscillating vacuum across the base of the manifold during the reaction procedure. In turn, this causes the reactants to be continuously mixed as the vacuum repetitively draws and releases the fluid components in the wells (25).