Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Apparatus – Including measuring or testing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-07-03
Redding, David A. (Department: 1744)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Apparatus
Including measuring or testing
C435S304100, C435S304300, C215S247000, C215S266000, C215S312000, C215S320000, C215S341000, C215S329000, C220S367100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255101
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a seal for a reagent flask usable by a blood analyser.
It can be applied, in particular but not exclusively, to the packaging of reagents ready for use or even freeze-dried reagents intended to be restored prior to use with a solvent and/or a diluting agent, such as distilled water.
Normally, the flasks used for this type of application are closed off with a stopper or cap made of an elastic material designed to be able to be perforated by and injection and/or suction needle having a generally bezel-cut pointed end.
This needle has been designed so as to move coaxially to the flask and traverse the stopper or cap and then become engaged inside the flask so as to be immobilised in a suction position in which the suction orifice is situated a short way from the bottom. This distance is determined so as to avoid any clogging and/or deterioration of the needle in contact with the bottom.
It is clear that only the reagent volume situated above the upper end of the orifice of the needle could be sucked up, the volume situated below constituting an unused dead volume. It appears that this dead volume, which depends on the shape of the bottom and the obliqueness of the point of the needle, is relatively large.
Of course, operators have tended to reuse this dead volume by pouring it into another flask or receptacle containing a reagent of the same type. However, this practice is to be prohibited owing to the fact that it constitutes a source of a serious error: it compromises the quality, composition and concentration of the reagent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is thus to reduce to a strict minimum this dead volume.
To this effect, it thus provides a seal including an elastic stopper able to be engaged sealed inside the neck of the flask and having a coaxial channel for the passage of and injection and/or sampling needle, this channel being sealed by at least one ball having a diameter slightly larger than that of the channel.
Advantageously, said channel could be sealed by two balls respectively engaged at the level of its ends.
This solution, which is particularly suitable when the bottom of the flask has a concave bottom, offers a large number of advantages.
Thus, before restoring and/or using the reagent, the channel is sealed at each of its ends and therefore is unable to contain any material able to then alter the quality of the reagent.
Furthermore, this solution makes it possible to use flat end injection and/or sampling needles (not bevel-cut). Thus, when restoring and/or sampling the reagent, the needle passes through the channel by expelling the two balls which fall into the bottom of the flask. The needle then continues to fall so as to finally stop a short distance from the bottom of the concave form. At the end of this fall, the needle could not be sealed by one of the balls: in fact, the two balls, by resting on the concave bottom, take support on each other and thus moved out of center with respect to the axis of the needle. Therefore, they will thus be separated from each other when the needle moves.
This would not occur if only one ball was available.
During restoring, the balls could advantageously play the role of an agitator so as to dilute the freeze-dried substance.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5334178 (1994-08-01), Haber et al.
patent: 5455180 (1995-10-01), Reid
patent: 1 300 463 (1969-07-01), None
patent: 0 560 390 A1 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 1 267 855 (1961-12-01), None
patent: 2 188 565 (1974-01-01), None
patent: 804 824 (1958-11-01), None
Gelin Jean-François
Rousseau Alain
Diagnostica Stago
Drucker William A.
Redding David A.
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