METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WASH, RESUSPENSION, RECOLLECTION AND LOCALIZATION OF MAGNETIZABLE PARTICLES IN ASSAYS USING MAGNETIC SEPARATIONTECHNOLOGY

• Main Authors: BUSHNELL, STEVEN E, MALEK, MICHAEL L, KIRCHICK, HOWARD J, GARYANTES, TINA K
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 10.11.1997
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLIDMATERIALS OR FLUIDS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROMSOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; MEASURING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS; SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATICTABLES OR JIGS; TESTING; TRANSPORTING

Method and apparatus for enabling resuspension wash and magnetic localization of sample components bound to particles with magnetic properties in reaction vessels during separation and wash for enhanced chemiluminescent signal generation in biomedical assays. The assays involve moving reaction vessels past magnetic arrays that partially localized the particles prior to passing a gap where washing occurs, with or without resuspension, after separating out the unbound particles and liquid. The band of particles is further localized by a focusing magnet at the end of the array prior to dosing the vessel with acid for chemiluminescent purposes. A block of soft magnetic material is employed in place of a magnet in the gap to minimize magnetic strength at the gap. Trimmed magnets adjacent the gap cause left, then right, particle shifting that localizes the magnetizable particles. The gap enables improved resuspension by wash, whereas the localized particles enable more efficient resuspension by reagent.