Abstract: The invention concerns polymerase chimeras which are composed of amino acid fragments representing domains and which combine properties of naturally occurring polymerases that are advantageous with regard to a particular application. It has surprisingly turned out that the domains from the various enzymes are active in the chimeras and exhibit cooperative behavior. In addition the present invention concerns a process for the production of the chimeras according to the invention and the use of these chimeras for the synthesis of nucleic acids e.g. during a polymerase chain reaction. Moreover the present invention concerns a kit which contains the polymerase chimeras according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for withdrawing samples of liquid samples for analytical elements. The capillary-device channel is essentially formed by a carrier, a cover and optionally an intermediate layer between the cover and carrier. A notch is located in one of the surfaces forming the channel capable of capillary liquid transport at the edge of the test element forming the sample application opening so that one side of the edge of the test element forming the sample application opening is at least partially discontinuous and the surface opposite to the notch is exposed. It also concerns a method for withdrawing a liquid sample into an analytical element with the aid of a device according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the determination of apoptotic products in samples taken from patients in which apoptosis is induced as a result of disease or therapy, which is characterized in that the concentration of the apoptotic products in samples taken from patients is correlated with the effectiveness of the therapy and thus serves as a follow-up for the therapy. The serum samples are taken at various times and determined. The present invention in particular concerns a method in which the concentration of nucleosomes is determined in serum samples of tumour patients in order to assess the effectiveness of tumour therapy. Furthermore the present invention also concerns the use of a method according to the invention to determine the effectiveness of therapy in tumour patients who are subjected to a radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment as well as in patients after an acute ischaemic event or after hypothermia treatment.

Abstract: The use of polyalkylene oxide modified reagents is disclosed in a method for the detection of an analyte or in suitable reagent kits for such methods.

Abstract: A process for selecting human cells for the production of human proteins by endogenous gene activation allows human proteins to be produced in economically feasible quantities and in a form suitable for producing a pharmaceutical composition. Also disclosed is a process for producing human proteins in a cell line identified in this matter.

Abstract: The invention concerns human cells which, due to an activation of the endogenous human EPO gene, are able to produce EPO in an adequate quantity and purity to enable a cost-effective production of human EPO as a pharmaceutical preparation. Furthermore the invention concerns a process for the production of such human EPO-producing cells, DNA constructs for the activation of the endogenous EPO gene in human cells as well as a process for the large-scale production of EPO in human cells.

Abstract: A method and a device for removing an analytic consumable product, in particular a test element, from a storage container having chambers which are sealed by foils from which the consumable product is pushed out by means of a plunger (7) can be optimized in that the magnitude of the thrusting force exercised by the plunger (7) during its forward motion can be controlled in dependence on the plunger (7) position.

Abstract: A system suitable for collecting a body fluid, in particular blood from a body region of a person to be examined which comprises a lancing device which is suitable for holding a lancet, a lancet magazine for storing two or several lancets which has a transport device for the lancets and has an opening into which the lancing device can be inserted to remove a lancet from the lancet magazine, and two or several lancets, and which comprises a method for removing a lancet from a lancet magazine in which a lancet located in the lancet magazine is manually or automatically transported into a removal position in the interior of the lancet magazine, a lancing device is partially inserted into the opening provided in the lancet magazine in the process of which the lancing device automatically grips the lancet located in the removal position when it is partially inserted and the lancing device with the gripped lancet is removed from the lancet magazine.

Abstract: The invention relates to human cells which are capable, on the basis of an activation of the endogenous human EPO gene, of producing EPO in a sufficient amount and purity to make possible a cost-effective production of human EPO as a pharmaceutical preparation. The invention furthermore relates to a method for the preparation of such human EPO-producing cells, DNA constructs for the activation of the endogenous EPO in human cells, and a method for the large technical production of EPO in human cells.

Abstract: The present invention concerns processes for the production of dry, partially amorphous products containing biologically active and in particular therapeutically active material which are macroscopically homogeneous substance mixtures, the substance mixtures being selected from at least one substance of each of the groups (i) carbohydrate or zwitterion with a polar residue and derivatives thereof, and (ii) zwitterion with an apolar residue and derivatives thereof, wherein a solution is prepared of the biologically or therapeutically active material and of substances (i) and (ii) and the solution is dried at a product temperature above the freezing point of the solution. In addition the invention concerns new substance mixtures which are obtained by the said process as well as the use thereof in diagnostic or therapeutic methods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to oxidoreductase apoenzyme variants which are enzymatically inactive but have coenzyme-binding properties. Further, the present invention relates to DNA sequences encoding these oxidoreductase apoenzyme variants, expression vectors containing such DNA sequences and the use of these oxidoreductase apoenzyme variants in diagnostic applications.

Abstract: Within oligonucleotides 2-azapurine and especially 2-azaadenine bases form specifically base pairs with guanine. This base pair is of analogous stability as an adenine-thymine but less stable than a guanine-cytosine base pair. Therefore, the incorporation of 2-azaadenine residues into oligonucleotides instead of cytosine leads specifically to hybridization complexes with nucleic acids with homogenous stability. This is useful for the adaptation of the stabilities of different oligonucleotide sequences in all kinds of hybridization techniques, for example in oligomer chip technology.

Abstract: The invention concerns an arrangement for determining the concentration of glucose in a tissue fluid. In the microdialysis technology used for this purpose, perfusate-containing glucose is transported in intermittent delivery pulses through a microdialysis probe inserted into the tissue fluid and dialysate obtained in this process is passed to a measuring cell to record the glucose content. In order to achieve an exact determination of glucose even with a reduced dialysis period, it is proposed that the starting content of glucose in the perfusate is adapted to the glucose content of the tissue fluid by means of a control device in accordance with a command variable derived from the measurement signals of the measuring cell. When the control deviation is negligible the momentary starting content of glucose in the perfusate can be determined as a measure for the glucose content of the tissue fluid.

Abstract: The present invention concerns processes for the production of dry, partially amorphous products containing biologically active and in particular therapeutically active material which are macroscopically homogeneous substance mixtures, the substance mixtures being selected from at least one substance of each of the groups (i) carbohydrate or zwitterion with a polar residue and derivatives thereof, and (ii) zwitterion with an apolar residue and derivatives thereof, wherein a solution is prepared of the biologically or therapeutically active material and of substances (i) and (ii) and the solution is dried at a product temperature above the freezing point of the solution. In addition the invention concerns new substance mixtures which are obtained by the said process as well as the use thereof in diagnostic or therapeutic methods.

Abstract: Within oligonucleotides 2-azapurine and especially 2-azaadenine bases form specifically base pairs with guanine. This base pair is of analogous stability as an adenine-thymine but less stable than a guanine-cytosine base pair. Therefore, the incorporation of 2-azaadenine residues into oligonucleotides instead of cytosine leads specifically to hybridization complexes with nucleic acids with homogenous stability. This is useful for the adaptation of the stabilities of different oligonucleotide sequences in all kinds of hybridization techniques, for example in oligomer chip technology.

Abstract: An object is to provide a dispenser operation verification apparatus and verification method that enables operation with high reliability and high accuracy.

Abstract: An object is to provide a dispenser operation verification apparatus and verification method that enables operation with high reliability and high accuracy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved variants of soluble pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent glucose dehydrogenases (s-GDH), to genes encoding mutated s-GDH, to mutant proteins of s-GDH with improved substrate specificity for glucose, and to different applications of these s-GDH variants, particularly for determining concentrations of sugar, especially of glucose in a sample.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a polypeptide which is composed of the amino acids 1207±10 to 1488±10 of a hepatitis C virus and of less than 20 foreign amino acids and the use of this polypeptide as an antigen in an immunological test.

Abstract: The invention concerns an analytical element for the determination of an analyte containing in or on material which enables liquid transport between zones, a sample application zone and a detection zone located downstream thereof, wherein the detection zone contains a partner 1 of a specific binding pair 1 immobilized in such a manner that it is able to bind to partner 2 of the specific binding pair 1 which is not the analyte when it contacts it, wherein a labelled partner 1 of a specific binding pair 2 is present upstream of the detection zone impregnated on a material such that it can be detached by liquid and is able to bind to partner 2 of the specific binding pair 2 which is not the analyte when this contacts it as well as a method for the determination of an analyte using this analytical element.