158 PATENT ABSTRACTS

4624835

M I C R O C E N T R I F U G A T I O N T U B E F O R T H E C O N C E N T R A T I O N O F

S A M P L E S F O R E L E C T R O N M I C R O S C O P Y

Charles P Davis, Robert Outenreath assigned to Board of Regents The University of Texas Sys- tem

A microcentrifugation tube for the preparation of a sample for examination under an electron microscope is disclosed. The tube has a bore ex- tending from the top ofrhe tube to the base of the tube. The bore includes an upper section com- prising inner walls which taper conically inwardly toward the base of the tube at an in- cluded angle of less than 25 degrees and a lower tip extending from the lower end of the upper section to the base of the tube, wherein the lower tip has a cross-sectional shape sized to ac- commodate the slicing of such a sample on a microtome when removed from the tube.

4624915

P O S I T I V E S E L E C T I O N S O R T I N G O F C E L L S

Melvin Schindler, John Holland assigned to Board of Trustees of Michigan State University

A method and apparatus for position selection of viable cells based upon differing chemical or physical properties or dynamic processes using a focussed radiant energy beam, such as a laser beam (11) to kill unwanted cells or to isolate wanted cells is described. The apparatus includes microscope means (14) and cell detection means (27) for identifying the cells to be killed or saved and attenuator means (12) for modifying the beam to prevent destruction of cells to be saved.

4624924

N O V E L C O L L A G E N A S E D I S C O L Y S I N A N D P R O D U C T I O N

M E T H O D T H E R E O F

Akira Endo. Tokyo, Japan assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Yakult Honsha

Disclosed herein is a novel collagenase dis- colysin . It is useful for biochemical researches and the treatment of many diseases caused by collagen, such as hernia of intervertebral disc. It can be produced by culturing a discolysin- producing bacterium belonging to genus of Streptomyces in a culture medium and then col- lecting discolysin from the culture medium.

4628029

M E T H O D F O R T H E C O N V E R S I O N O F A C E L L U L O S I C S U B S T R A T E T O G L U C O S E U S I N G

M I C R O B I S P O R A B I S P O R A , S T R A I N R U T G E R S P & W

Douglas E Eveleigh. Clarence R Waldron, Timoth Bartley assigned to Parsons & Whit- temore Inc

A method is described for the enzymatic sac- charification of a cellulosic substrate to glucose which utilizes fermentation of the substrate with the cellulase enzyme complex-producing, thermophilic microorganism Microbispora bi- spora Rutgers P&W and its mutants. The resistance of M. bispora Rutgers P&W cellulase to end-product inhibition enables conversion ef- ficiency superior to that of known cellulase pro- ducing microorganisms. Continued enzyme activity at elevated temperatures allows broader applicability of enzyme-catalyzed saccharifica- tion than heretofore attained. The micro- organism in its purified form incubated on cellulase, and its cellulolytic mutants, are also disclosed.

4628035

I M M U N O A S S A Y M E T H O D

Daiz Tokinaga, Teruaki Kobayashi, Kazumichi Imai, Hachioji. Japan assigned to Hitachi Ltd

An immunoassay method for measuring a con- centration of an antigen for a short period of time by immobilizing an antibody over the whole zone of an effective supporting matrix for elec- trophoresis and fixing an antigen in a sample to be measured by electrophoresis for the antigen- antibody reaction between said immobilized antibody and said antigen.

~ 2 9 ~ 6

A P P A R A T U S F O R D E L I V E R I N G A C O N T R O L L E D D O S A G E O F A

C H E M I C A L S U B S T A N C E

Micheal L Gruenberg assigned to Endotronics Inc

An apparatus is disclosed which delivers a dosage of a chemical substance preferably to a biological tissue in such a controlled manner that the concentration affecting the biological tissue is known at each and every point in time. The ap- paratus includes a plurality of vessels with each vessel containing a different concentration of the

PATENT

chemical substance. A valve has a plurality of in- lets and a single outlet wherein each inlet is con- nected to a corresponding vessel. The biological tissue is preferably held within a chamber for treatment with the chemical substance. A pump positioned preferably between the valve and the biological tissue provides a transport force for delivering the chemical substance to the tissue. The valve and the pump are controlled by a computer control system which determines which inlet of the valve is fluidly connected to the outlet for providing a preselected concentration of the chemical substance to the tissue such that the concentration of the chemical substance af- fecting the tissue is controlled at each and every point in time.

4 6 2 9 ~ 7

P O S I T I V E S E L E C T I O N S O R T I N G O F C E L L S

Melvin S Schindler, John Holland assigned to Board of Trustees of Michigan State University

A method and apparatus for positive selection of viable cells based upon differing chemical or physical properties or dynamic processes using a focussed radiant energy beam, such as a laser beam (l l) to kill unwanted cells is described. The apparatus includes a microscope 04) with a photomultiplier (27) which is used to selectively detect light from certain cells produced by an at- tenuated laser beam irradiating the cells for iden- tifying the cells to be killed or saved. Based upon identification, selected cells to be killed are ex- posed to the unattenuated laser beam.

4629688

H O M O G E N E O U S S P E C I F I C B I N D I N G A S S A Y M E T H O D

Robert C Bolguslaski, Robert Carrico. James E Christner assigned to Miles Laboratories Inc

A test composition, device, and method for their use in a homogeneous specific binding assay which employs a substance having reactant ac- tivity, i.e., a reactant, as a labeling substance in the detection ofa ligand in a liquid medium. The test composition and device comprise a con- jugate formed of a specific binding substance coupled to the reactant. The reactant advan- tageously is an enzymatic reactant such as an en- zyme substrate or coenzyme. The activity of the conjugated reactant as a constituent of a pre- determined reaction is affected by reaction bet- ween the specific binding substance in the conjugate and a specific binding counterpart thereto. The presence of a ligand in a liquid

ABSTRACTS 159

medium may be determined using competitive or displacement binding or sequential saturation techniques wherein the specific binding sub- stance in the'conjugate is the ligand or a specific binding analog thereof, or using a direct binding technique wherein the specific binding substance is a specific binding partner of the ligand. The ef- fect of the specific binding reaction on the ac- tivity of the conjugated reactant is related to the presence or amount of the ligand in the liquid medium tested.

~ 2 9 ~ 9

B I N D I N G A S S A Y W I T H A M P L I F I E D R E A D - O U T A N D

G A S - P H A S E D E T E C T I O N

Steven E Diamond, Francis J Regina assigned to Allied Corporation

At the conclusion of a selective binding assay (e.g.. immunological or nucleic acid), an enzyme is present in modulated concentration and/or ac- tivity to moderate a chemical reaction such as the cleavage of o-nitrophenyl- beta-D- galactopyranoside. After a controlled period,, the enzymatic product is transferred to the gas phase and concentrated relative to other compo- nents in the enzymatic reaction mixture, such as by extraction into ethyl ether, injection into a gas chromatography column and detection by flame ionization or electron capture. Kits for such assays are also disclosed.

4629690

H O M O G E N E O U S E N Z Y M E S P E C I F I C B I N D I N G A S S A Y O N

N O N - P O R O U S S U R F A C E

Litai Weng, fan Gibbons, Edwin Ullman as- signed to Syntex (U S A ) Inc

Enzyme channeling assay is provided employing a solid non-porous surface to which is bound a member of a specific binding pair and an en- zyme. A complementary member of a specific bi- nding pair is conjugated to second enzyme, so that the amount of second enzyme which becomes bound to said solid non-porous surface by the binding of a specific binding pair(s) is related to the amount of analyte in the liquid as- say medium with which the solid surface is in contact. The first and second enzymes are related by the product of one being the substrate of the other. The turnover of the substrate formed by one of the enzymes results in a detectable pro- duct, which can be related to the amount of ann- lyre in the medium.