Abstract: A fluid delivery system for aspirating liquid from a bottle and conveying the liquid to an analytical instrument while allowing ambient air or gas to enter the bottle to replace the aspirated liquid. The bottle opening is sealed by a valve. A tube extends from the valve to the liquid within the bottle. A coupling component is removably connected to the analytical instrument and to the valve for operatively connecting the instrument to the tube.

Abstract: Nucleic acid probes and primers are described for detecting fungi that cause disease in humans and animals, as well as spoilage of food and beverages. These probes can detect rRNA, rDNA or polymerase chain reaction products from a majority of fungi in clinical, environmental or food samples. Nucleic acid hybridization assay probes specific for Acremonium sp., Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus glaucus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus unguis, Aspergillus ustus, Beauveria sp., Bipolaris sp., Blastoschizomyces sp., Blastomyces dermatitidis, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii, Candida kefyr, Candida krusei, Candida lusitaniae, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Chrysosporium sp., Cladosporium sp., Coccidioides immitis, Cryptococcus neoformans var gattii serotype B, Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A, Cryptococcus laurentii, Cryptococcus terreus, Curvularia sp., Fusarium sp.

Abstract: A novel method for conjugating haptens, ligands or luminescent labels to polynucleotides has been developed. This method involves the formation of a mixed anhydride, followed by reaction of the mixed anhydride intermediate with a nucleophilic group-containing polynucleotide in a DMF/water solvent system. The resulting compound finds usefulness especially in the gene probe area.

Abstract: A reagent pack for keeping fluids with or without suspensions mixed or suspended upon rocking. The reagent pack has at least one chamber divided into separate sub-chambers with a throat region between them defined by baffles for agitation of suspended reagent during rocking of the reagent pack. A continuous lid sealable to the pack has membrane sealed apertures in the lid for allowing access to the underlying chambers and sub-chambers by withdrawal needles. A tray is configured to hold multiple side-by-side reagent packs on respective slides that slide in and out for insertion and withdrawal of the packs. During operation, the tray and associated packs are rocked such as by being periodically inclined with respect to horizontal, providing reagent agitation.

Abstract: A solid shale, multi-use electrochemical sensor having an electrically nonconductive substrate, a working electrode, and a semi-permeable membrane covering the working electrode. The working electrode includes an electrically conductive material adhered to a portion of the substrate. A first portion of the conductive material is covered with an electrically insulating dielectric coating, and a second portion of the conductive material is covered with an active layer. The active layer includes a catalytically active quantity of an enzyme carried by platinized carbon powder particles, which are distributed throughout the active layer. A sensor package for incorporating a sensor is provided.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for transportation and processing of multiple protocol assays within an automated immunoassay analyzer instrument. The apparatus includes a cuvette ring movably coupled to a magnet ring. In one embodiment, the magnet ring and cuvette ring are provided having circular shapes. A temperature controlled housing is disposed about the cuvette and magnet rings to provide a rotary incubation and particle separation chamber. The cuvette ring holds a plurality of cuvettes each of which may have a different assay disposed therein. The cuvette ring advances the cuvettes around the circumference of the incubation chamber. A plurality of discrete processing centers for aspiration and dispensing fluid samples, reagents and wash fluids are disposed at predetermined positions about the incubation chamber.

Abstract: A planar, solid-state electrochemical oxygen sensor having a substrate, conductive strips deposited on the substrate, and a dielectric layer insulating portions of the conductive strips except those portions which define a working electrode and at least one second electrode. The working electrode may be defined by an open printed region of the dielectric, or by a needle-punched or laser-burned hole or opening in the dielectric which exposes a small region of one of the conductive strips. A solid electrolyte contacting the electrodes is covered by a semipermeable membrane which may comprise an acrylonitrile butadiene copolymer or an acrylate-based copolymer. A sample chamber is defined by the membrane, a cover member, and a gasket therebetween, and has a volume of from about 1 to about 2 .mu.m. The gasket is formulated from the highly cross-linked polymerization product of epichlorohydrin. All sensor components are selected such that a sensor operable for at least 2 days under normal conditions is produced.

Abstract: A method for the detection of an analyte in a fluid sample using liposomes encapsulating acridinium esters (lumisomes). Hydrophilic polysubstituted aryl acridinium esters are useful as chemiluminescent markers and can be encapsulated within liposome vesicles without significant leakage of the esters from the vesicles. The lumisomes can be coupled to molecules with biological activity, such as antigens, antibodies, and nucleic acids, and used in luminescent assays.

Abstract: A fluid delivery system for aspirating liquid from a bottle and conveying the liquid to an analytical instrument while allowing ambient air or gas to enter the bottle to replace the aspirated liquid. The bottle opening is sealed by a valve. A tube extends from the valve to the liquid within the bottle. A coupling component is removably connected to the analytical instrument anti to the valve for operatively connecting the instrument to the tube.

Abstract: A cap assembly for receiving a stopper and for application to the threaded neck of a bottle. The cap assembly includes a cap and a thrust washer. The cap has an end wall which has a central aperture and a circular side wall which has internal threads. The thrust washer has a base wall with a central aperture and a side wall which has a ridge at its outer end. The thrust washer lies within the side wall of the cap so that the base wall engages the end wall and the side wall extends through the aperture in the end wall and the ridge engages the outer surface of the end wall to retain tile thrust washer on the cap. Tile side wall of the thrust washer is resiliently yieldable to enable the ridge to disengage from the end wall to release the thrust washer from the cap.

Abstract: A solid state, multi-use electrochemical sensor having an electrically nonconductive substrate, a working electrode, and a semi-permeable membrane covering the working electrode. The working electrode includes an electrically conductive material adhered to a portion of the substrate. A first portion of the conductive material is covered with an electrically insulating dielectric coating, and a second portion of the conductive material is covered with an active layer. The active layer includes a catalytically active quantity of an enzyme carried by platinized carbon powder particles, which are distributed throughout the active layer. A sensor package for incorporating a sensor is provided.

Abstract: An analyzer for performing automated assay testing. The analyzer includes a storage and conveyor system for conveying cuvettes to an incubation or processing conveyor, a storage and selection system for test sample containers, a storage and selection system for reagent containers, sample and reagent aspirating and dispensing probes, a separation system for separating bound from unbound tracer or labeled reagent, a detection system and date collection/processing system. All of the subunits of the machine are controlled by a central processing unit to coordinate the activity of all of the subunits of the analyzer. The analyzer is specifically suited for performing heterogeneous binding assay protocols, particularly immunoassays.

Abstract: A solid state, multi-use electrochemical sensor having an electrically nonconductive substrate, a working electrode, and a semi-permeable membrane covering the working electrode. The working electrode includes an electrically conductive material adhered to a portion of the substrate. A first portion of the conductive material is covered with an electrically insulating dielectric coating, and a second portion of the conductive material is covered with an active layer. The active layer includes a catalytically active quantity of an enzyme carried by platinized carbon powder particles, which are distributed throughout the active layer. A sensor package for incorporating a sensor is provided.

Abstract: A valve assembly for a fluid delivery system for aspirating liquid from a bottle. The valve assembly includes a valve housing for insertion into the neck of the bottle, an elastomeric valve and an elongated tube. The valve housing has a primary bore and a secondary bore which extends at an angle to the primary bore. The elastomeric valve has a head portion which lies in the primary bore and a flexible neck portion which lies in the secondary bore and which contains a socket. One end of the elongated tube is located in the socket of the flexible neck portion so that the tube extends through the secondary bore and into the interior of the bottle.

Abstract: A planar bicarbonate sensor has been discovered that has a dried residue internal electrolyte layer comprising a bicarbonate source and a halide salt of potassium, lithium, or sodium. The flow-through sensor is capable of providing bicarbonate level of a liquid sample, and when coupled with a pH sensor, may be used to determine the partial carbon dioxide level in the sample. The sensor provides many commercially desirable characteristics including an adequate lifetime, good response time, and good stability upon first usage.

Abstract: This invention is directed to the novel assay methods utilizing nucleophilic polysubstituted aryl acridinium ester conjugates as the tracers. Conjugates prepared by covalent coupling of novel nucleophilic polysubstituted aryl acridinium esters with biological compounds including small organic molecules such as Vitamin B12, folate, cortisol, estradiol, and thromboxane B2, were found useful in the development of highly sensitive assays for the analytes of diagnostic interest.