U.S. patent application number 10/899995 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-02 for self-sealing apparatus for chemical reaction vessel.
Invention is credited to Stephan Rodewald.
Application Number | 20060021673 10/899995 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35730791 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060021673 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rodewald; Stephan |
February 2, 2006 |
Self-sealing apparatus for chemical reaction vessel
Abstract
According to an aspect of the invention, an apparatus for
self-sealing of a reaction vessel, such that the reaction vessel
may be repeatedly accessed by a fluid transfer mechanism and
subsequently self-sealed, is detailed. The reaction vessel has an
access opening, and the apparatus comprises a cap, a ball which is
comprised of a magnetizable material (such as a ferrous metal), and
a ring magnet. The cap is sized to fit over the reaction vessel
access opening, and has an access port. The cap has an internal
surface which faces the reaction vessel, and an external surface,
which faces away from the reaction vessel. The ball is sized to fit
over the cap access port, such that a portion of the ball seats
partially in the cap access port on the cap internal surface, thus
sealing the cap access port. According to an aspect of the
invention, the ball may be comprised of a ferromagnetic material,
or a magnetizable material that is preferably magnetized. The ring
magnet produces a magnetic field, and is mounted to the cap on the
cap external surface. The ring magnet is spaced from the cap such
that the magnetic field is sufficient to hold the ball in the cap
access port, and to reseat the ball in the cap access port after
the reaction vessel is accessed.
Inventors: |
Rodewald; Stephan; (Canal
Fulton, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company;Intellectual Property Law Department -
D/823
1144 East Market Street
Akron
OH
44316-0001
US
|
Family ID: |
35730791 |
Appl. No.: |
10/899995 |
Filed: |
July 27, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/127 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01L 2400/0616 20130101;
B01J 2219/00344 20130101; B01L 3/50825 20130101; B01J 2219/00346
20130101; B65B 7/2835 20130101; B01J 2219/00315 20130101; Y10S
141/01 20130101; B01J 2219/00335 20130101; B01L 2300/042 20130101;
B01L 2300/049 20130101; B01L 2400/0633 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/127 |
International
Class: |
B65B 1/04 20060101
B65B001/04 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for self-sealing of a reaction vessel having an access
opening, such that the reaction vessel may be repeatedly accessed
by a fluid transfer mechanism, and subsequently self-sealed,
comprising: a cap sized to fit over the reaction vessel access
opening, and having an access port therein, wherein said cap has an
internal surface which faces the reaction vessel, and an external
surface, which faces away from the reaction vessel; a fastening
mechanism for fastening said cap to the reaction vessel; a ball
sized to fit over said cap access port, wherein the ball is
comprised of a magnetizable material such that a portion of said
ball seats partially in said cap access port on said cap internal
surface, sealing said cap access port; and a ring magnet which
produces a magnetic field, wherein said ring magnet is mounted to
said cap on said cap external surface, and spaced from said cap
such that the magnetic field is sufficient to hold said ball in
said cap access port, and to reseat said ball in said cap access
port after said reaction vessel is accessed.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fastening mechanism
comprises a threaded portion on said cap and a mating threaded
portion on the reaction vessel.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fastening mechanism
comprises a pressure fit between said cap and the reaction vessel,
such that said cap may be snapped on to the reaction vessel.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fastening mechanism
comprises clamping a plate over said cap, thus clamping said cap
onto the reaction vessel.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sealing gasket
mounted to said cap at said access port, wherein said sealing
gasket is sized to ring said access port, such that said ball will
seat in said sealing gasket.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said sealing gasket is flush
with said cap internal surface.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said sealing gasket is
comprised of an elastomeric material.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ball is magnetized.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ball is a dipolar
magnet.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cap internal surface is
conical in shape wherein said cap access port is closest to said
ring magnet.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reaction vessel has walls,
wherein the access port has a center line, wherein said cap is
mounted to the reaction vessel walls, wherein there is a distance
between said access port and the reaction vessel walls, and wherein
said ball has a diameter which is less than the distance between
the center line of said access port and the reaction vessel
walls.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ring magnet is integral
to said cap.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a guiding mechanism
mounted to said cap external surface for guiding said fluid
transfer mechanism into said access port.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said guiding mechanism is a
funnel shape.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said ring magnet is integral
to said cap, and said guiding mechanism comprises said cap external
surface being tapered at said access port.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a septum mounted to
said cap external surface.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reaction vessel has walls,
and wherein said cap is mounted to the reaction vessel walls, said
apparatus further comprising a cap gasket, wherein said cap gasket
is mounted to said cap internal surface, between said cap internal
surface and said reaction vessel walls.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cap is comprised of an
elastomeric material.
19. A method for sealing of a reaction vessel having an access
opening, such that the vessel may be repeatedly accessed by a fluid
transfer mechanism, and subsequently self-sealed, comprising:
sealing said access opening with a cap having an access port,
wherein said cap has an internal surface which faces the reaction
vessel, and an external surface, which faces away from the reaction
vessel, wherein said cap internal surface is tapered from said
access port outward toward the reaction vessel; seating a dipolar
magnetic ball in said access port, wherein said ball is sized to
fit over said access port, such that a portion of said ball seats
partially in said access port, sealing said access port; mounting a
ring magnet which produces a magnetic field to said cap external
surface wherein said ring magnet is spaced from said cap such that
the magnetic field is sufficient to hold said dipolar magnetic ball
in said access port, and to reseat said dipolar magnetic ball in
said access port after said reaction vessel is accessed.
20. The method of claim 19 further comprising a sealing gasket
mounted to said cap at said access port, wherein said sealing
gasket is sized to ring said access port, such that said ball will
seat in said sealing gasket.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein said sealing gasket is flush
with said cap internal surface.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein said sealing gasket is comprised
of an elastomeric material.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein said cap internal surface is
conical in shape wherein said cap access port is closest to said
ring magnet.
24. The method of claim 19 wherein the reaction vessel has walls,
wherein the access port has a center line wherein said cap is
mounted to the reaction vessel walls, wherein there is a distance
between said access port and the reaction vessel walls, and wherein
said ball has a diameter which is less than the distance between
the center line of said access port and the reaction vessel
walls.
25. The method of claim 19 wherein said ring magnet is integral to
said cap.
26. The method of claim 19 further comprising a guiding mechanism
mounted to said cap external surface for guiding said fluid
transfer mechanism into said access port.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein said guiding mechanism is a
funnel shape.
28. The method of claim 26 wherein said ring magnet is integral to
said cap, and said guiding mechanism comprises said cap external
surface being tapered at said access port.
29. The method of claim 19 further comprising a septum mounted to
said cap external surface.
30. Apparatus for use in combinatorial chemistry for self-sealing
of reaction vessels in an array such as a micro-titer plate,
wherein the reaction vessels have an access opening, such that the
reaction vessels may be repeatedly accessed by a fluid transfer
mechanism, and subsequently self-sealed, comprising: a cap sized to
fit over the reaction vessel access opening, and having an access
port therein, wherein said cap has an internal surface which faces
the reaction vessel, and an external surface, which faces away from
the reaction vessel; a ball sized to fit over said cap access port,
wherein the ball is comprised of a magnetizable material such that
a portion of said ball seats partially in said cap access port on
said cap internal surface, sealing said cap access port; and a ring
magnet which produces a magnetic field, wherein said ring magnet is
mounted to said cap on said cap external surface, and spaced from
said cap such that the magnetic field is sufficient to hold said
ball in said cap access port, and to reseat said ball in said cap
access port after said reaction vessel is accessed.
31. Apparatus for self-sealing of a reaction vessel having an
access opening, such that the reaction vessel may be repeatedly
accessed by a fluid transfer mechanism, and subsequently
self-sealed, comprising: an elastomeric cap sized to fit over the
reaction vessel access opening, and having an access port therein,
wherein said elastomeric cap has an internal surface which faces
the reaction vessel, and an external surface, which faces away from
the reaction vessel; a fastening mechanism for fastening said
elastomeric cap to the reaction vessel; a ball sized to fit over
said elastomeric cap access port, wherein the ball is comprised of
a magnetizable material such that a portion of ball seats partially
in said elastomeric cap access port on said elastomeric cap
internal surface, sealing said elastomeric cap access port; and a
ring magnet which produces a magnetic field, wherein said ring
magnet is mounted to said elastomeric cap on said elastomeric cap
external surface, and spaced from said elastomeric cap such that
the magnetic field is sufficient to hold said ball in said
elastomeric cap access port, and to reseat said ball in said
elastomeric cap access port after said reaction vessel is
accessed.
32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the reaction vessel has
walls, and wherein said elastomeric cap is mounted to the reaction
vessel walls, and wherein said elastomeric cap external surface is
planar, and said elastomeric cap internal surface comprises a
protrusion into the reaction vessel, wherein said protrusion makes
a ring of contact with the reaction vessel walls.
33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said elastomeric cap
comprises a chemically inert material.
34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said fastening mechanism
comprises a crimp cap, which is crimped over said elastomeric
cap.
35. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said fastening mechanism
comprises a pressure fit between said elastomeric cap and said
reaction vessel.
36. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said fastening mechanism
comprises clamping a plate over said cap, thus clamping said cap
onto the reaction vessel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is in the field of chemical reaction
vessels. More specifically this invention relates to sealing of
reaction vessels when adding or removing samples.
[0002] In general, addition of reagents to a reaction vessel is
performed either by injection with a syringe and cannula through a
septum, or by opening a port mechanically and adding the material
through the opening. Another method is to use non-septum piercing
disposable pipette tips which are thrust through prescored septa.
This method is used when high accuracy and low cross contamination
is desired, however, the essential prescored septum suffers from
poor sealing properties.
[0003] In the case of addition through the septum, many problems
routinely emerge. There are only a limited amount of times a septum
can be pierced before it starts to leak at an unacceptable rate.
Even one piercing may lead to a leak which could cause the loss of
reagent and/or contamination, and change the outcome of an
experiment in an unacceptable way. In the event that the tainted
experimental result is not appreciated, false conclusions could be
reached. One way the prior art has attempted to overcome this is by
replacing the septum after use in a counterflow of inert gas. This
is a time consuming and complex procedure. Further, septa are
commonly abraded by the piercing action, resulting in septa
particulates contaminating the experiment. Also, where the reaction
vessel is subjected to conditions which produce a relatively high
pressure in the vessel, this pressure commonly needs to vent to
achieve accurate reagent delivery, and the way the septa commonly
seals around the puncturing needle does not allow for adequate
venting. In these situations, special grooved needles may be used,
to allow for venting when the needles pierce the septa. However,
these needles are more expensive, and contaminates may get caught
in the grooves affecting the experiment.
[0004] Opening the port mechanically requires external actuation,
which becomes challenging, complicated, and expensive with larger
arrays of vessels. This is further complicated because any delay in
closing the port allows reagents to potentially escape.
[0005] A sealing mechanism for reaction vessels is desired which
would not deteriorate over time and use, which would not
contaminate the reagents, which could allow for venting of pressure
when necessary, which is self-actuating and self-sealing, and which
would be easily adapted to large arrays of reaction vessels, such
as those used in combinatorial chemistry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to an aspect of the invention, an apparatus for
self-sealing of a reaction vessel, such that the reaction vessel
may be repeatedly accessed by a fluid transfer mechanism and
subsequently self-sealed, is detailed. The reaction vessel has an
access opening, and the apparatus comprises a cap, a ball wherein
the ball is comprised of a magnetizable material or is preferably
magnetized, and a ring magnet. The cap is sized to fit over the
reaction vessel access opening, and has an access port. The cap has
an internal surface which faces the reaction vessel, and an
external surface, which faces away from the reaction vessel. The
ball is sized to fit over the cap access port, such that a portion
of the ball seats partially in the cap access port on the cap
internal surface, thus sealing the cap access port. According to an
aspect of the invention, the ball may be comprised of a
ferromagnetic material or a magnetizable material and may be
magnetized. The ring magnet produces a magnetic field, and is
mounted to the cap on the cap external surface. The ring magnet is
spaced from the cap such that the magnetic field is sufficient to
hold the ball in the cap access port, and to reseat the ball in the
cap access port after the reaction vessel is accessed.
[0007] The present invention more specifically discloses an
apparatus for self-sealing of a reaction vessel having an access
opening, such that the reaction vessel may be repeatedly accessed
by a fluid transfer mechanism, and subsequently self-sealed,
comprising: [0008] a cap sized to fit over the reaction vessel
access opening, and having an access port therein, wherein said cap
has an internal surface which faces the reaction vessel, and an
external surface, which faces away from the reaction vessel; [0009]
a ball sized to fit over said cap access port, wherein the ball is
comprised of a magnetizable material, such that a portion of said
ball seats partially in said cap access port on said cap internal
surface, sealing said cap access port; and [0010] a ring magnet
which produces a magnetic field, wherein said ring magnet is
mounted to said cap on said cap external surface, and spaced from
said cap such that the magnetic field is sufficient to hold said
ball in said cap access port, and to reseat said ball in said cap
access port after said reaction vessel is accessed.
[0011] The present invention further discloses a method for sealing
of a reaction vessel having an access opening, such that the vessel
may be repeatedly accessed by a fluid transfer mechanism, and
subsequently self-sealed, comprising: [0012] sealing said access
opening with a cap having an access port, wherein said cap has an
internal surface which faces the reaction vessel, and an external
surface, which faces away from the reaction vessel, wherein said
cap internal surface is tapered from said access port outward
toward the reaction vessel; [0013] seating a dipolar magnetic ball
in said access port, wherein said ball is sized to fit over said
access port, such that a portion of said ball seats partially in
said access port, sealing said access port; [0014] mounting a ring
magnet which produces a magnetic field to said cap external surface
wherein said ring magnet is spaced from said cap such that the
magnetic field is sufficient to hold said dipolar magnetic ball in
said access port, and to reseat said dipolar magnetic ball in said
access port after said reaction vessel is accessed.
[0015] The subject invention also reveals an apparatus for use in
combinatorial chemistry for self-sealing of reaction vessels in an
array such as a micro-titer plate, wherein the reaction vessels
have an access opening, such that the reaction vessels may be
repeatedly accessed by a fluid transfer mechanism, and subsequently
self-sealed, comprising: [0016] a cap sized to fit over the
reaction vessel access opening, and having an access port therein,
wherein said cap has an internal surface which faces the reaction
vessel, and an external surface, which faces away from the reaction
vessel; [0017] a ball sized to fit over said cap access port,
wherein the ball is comprised of a magnetizable material such that
a portion of said ball seats partially in said cap access port on
said cap internal surface, sealing said cap access port; and [0018]
a ring magnet which produces a magnetic field, wherein said ring
magnet is mounted to said cap on said cap external surface, and
spaced from said cap such that the magnetic field is sufficient to
hold said ball in said cap access port, and to reseat said ball in
said cap access port after said reaction vessel is accessed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a front view of a reaction vessel according to an
aspect of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a self
sealing apparatus, according to an aspect of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a cap according to an aspect
of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a cap seating a ball according to
an aspect of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a cap according to an aspect of
the invention.
[0024] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a reaction vessel self-sealing
apparatus according to an aspect of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a cap according to an aspect
of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a cross section from FIG. 7.
[0027] FIG. 9 is a side view of a reaction vessel self-sealing
apparatus installed on a reaction vessel according to an aspect of
the invention.
[0028] FIG. 10 is a cross section from FIG. 9.
[0029] FIG. 11 is a cross section from FIG. 9.
[0030] FIG. 12 is a top view of a cap according to an aspect of the
invention
[0031] FIG. 13 is a cross section from FIG. 12.
[0032] FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a cap according to an aspect
of the invention
[0033] FIG. 15 is a cross section from FIG. 14.
[0034] FIG. 16 is an isometric view of part of an array of reaction
vessels in a micro-titer type device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] Various aspects of the invention are presented in FIGS. 1-14
which are not drawn to scale and in which like components are
numbered alike. Referring now to FIGS. 1-14, according to an aspect
of the invention, an apparatus 5 for self-sealing of a reaction
vessel 70, such that the reaction vessel 70 may be repeatedly
accessed by a fluid transfer mechanism 80 and subsequently
self-sealed, is shown. The reaction vessel 70 has an access opening
72, and the apparatus 5 comprises a cap 20, a fastening mechanism
100, a ball 30, and a ring magnet 40. A preferred embodiment of
this invention is illustrated in FIG. 18A wherein the reaction
vessel 70 is a Wheaton 3 mL glass autosampler vial, wherein the
vessel is capped with a stopper 21 wherein the stopper is a Wheaton
13 mm snap-on stopper with a 3.5 mm center bore, wherein the ring
magnet 40 has an outer diameter of 0.5 inches, an inner diameter of
0.28 inches and a thickness of 0.125 inches wherein the ring magnet
is of grade N40, and is comprised of NdFeB, and wherein the ball 30
is a spherical magnet having a diameter of 0.186 inches, wherein
the spherical magnet is of grade N40 and wherein the spherical
magnet is comprised on NdFeB.
[0036] The cap 20 is sized to fit over the reaction vessel access
opening 72, and has an access port 22. The cap 20 has an internal
surface 24 which faces the reaction vessel 70, and an external
surface 26, which faces away from the reaction vessel 70. The cap
20 may fit over the reaction vessel in a variety of ways. According
to an aspect of the invention, the fastening mechanism 100
comprises a threaded portion 102 on the cap 20, and a mating
threaded portion 104 on the reaction vessel 10. Thus the cap 20 may
screw onto the reaction vessel 70. In a further aspect of the
invention, the fastening mechanism 100 comprises a pressure fit
between the cap 20 and the reaction vessel 10, such that the cap 20
may be snapped on to the reaction vessel 10. These are just two
examples of fastening mechanisms, and in no way limits the
invention to these methods, as any suitable method of fastening the
cap 20 to the reaction vessel 70 is within the purview of this
invention
[0037] The ball 30 is sized to fit over the cap access port 22,
such that a portion of the ball 30 seats partially in the cap
access port 22 on the cap internal surface 24, thus sealing the cap
access port 22. The ball is essentially spherical in shape.
According to an aspect of the invention, the ball 30 may be
comprised of a ferromagnetic material, or another magnetizable
material and is preferably magnetized. The ball will typically be
comprised of a material that can be permanently magnetized. Some
representative examples of materials that can be used include
metals and ceramics selected from aluminum-nickel-cobalt (alnicos),
strontium-iron (ferrites, also known as ceramics),
neodymium-iron-boron (neo magnets, sometimes referred to as "super
magnets"), and samarium-cobalt. (The samarium-cobalt and
neodymium-iron-boron families are collectively known as the rare
earths.)
[0038] The ring magnet 40 produces a magnetic field, and is mounted
to the cap 20 on the cap external surface 26. The ring magnet 40 is
spaced from the cap 20 such that the magnetic field is sufficient
to hold the ball 30 in the cap access port 22, and to reseat the
ball 30 in the cap access port 22 after the reaction vessel 70 is
accessed. This spacing can be accomplished for example, by using a
spacing washer 42, or by the thickness of the cap 25.
[0039] According to a further aspect of the invention, the
self-sealing apparatus 5 further comprises a sealing gasket 50 such
as an O-ring, mounted to the cap 20 at the cap access port 22. The
sealing gasket 50 is sized to ring the cap access port 22, such
that the ball 30 will seat in the sealing gasket 50.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sealing
gasket 50 is flush with the cap internal surface 24 (see FIGS. 2
and 8). In a further preferred embodiment, the sealing gasket 50 is
comprised of an elastomeric material. In most cases, a sealing
gasket 50 with chemically inert properties is desired, so as not to
risk contamination of the reagents. For example, the sealing gasket
50 may be made of an elastomer which is coated with Telfon.RTM.
polymer or made of a fluoronated elastomer, such as Tefzel.RTM.
fluoronated elastomer. These are just examples which may be
desirable, and in no way are intended to limit the sealing gasket
50 material, as any application suitable material may be used.
[0041] In order to further insure a good seal between the reaction
vessel 70 and the cap 20, according to an aspect of the invention a
cap gasket 29 is mounted to the cap internal surface 24 between the
cap internal surface 24 and the reaction vessel walls 14.
[0042] According to another aspect of the invention, the ball 30 is
magnetized. In a preferred embodiment, the ball 30 is a dipolar
magnet. This allows for a stronger force between the ring magnet 40
and the ball 30, and therefore seats the ball 30 more securely in
the sealing gasket 50.
[0043] To further improve the reseating of the ball 30 after the
reaction vessel 70 is accessed, the cap internal surface 24 is
conical in shape according to an aspect of the invention. In this
configuration, the cap access port 22 is closest to the ring magnet
40, and as the cap internal surface 24 extends away from the cap
access port 22, it gets farther away from the ring magnet 40.
[0044] To insure that the ball 30 does not prevent access by the
fluid transfer mechanism 80, or cause damage or bending of the
fluid transfer mechanism, according to an aspect of the invention
the dimensions of the ball 30 relative to the dimensions of the
reaction vessel walls and the cap access port 22 are controlled.
The cap 20 is mounted to the reaction vessel walls 74, wherein
there is a distance 75 between the center line 110 of the access
port 20 and the reaction vessel walls 74. The ball 30 has a
diameter 32 which is less than the distance 75 between the center
line 110 of the access port 20 and the reaction vessel walls 74. To
further insure that the ball 30 does not prevent access by the
fluid transfer mechanism, or cause damage or bending of the fluid
transfer mechanism, according to an aspect of the invention, the
distance 75 should be greater than the diameter of the ball 30 plus
the radius of the fluid transfer mechanism 80.
[0045] Another method of insuring that the ball 30 does not prevent
access by the fluid transfer mechanism 80 is by using a reaction
vessel which has a neck portion 76 and a body portion 78 wherein
the distance 75 in the neck portion may be smaller than the
diameter of the ball 30, but in the body portion 78 the distance 75
is greater than the ball diameter 32. In this configuration, the
neck portion 76 is shorter than the reach of the fluid transfer
mechanism 80. Thus the fluid transfer mechanism 80 may push the
ball 30 down through the neck portion 76 until it reaches the body
portion 78 where it rolls out of the way of the fluid transfer
mechanism 80. The neck portion 76 must be short enough such that
the magnetic field is strong enough to return the ball 30 to its
seated position from the body portion 78. An example of an
appropriate shaped reaction vessel 70 is what is commonly called a
serum vial. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ring
magnet 40 is integral to the cap 20 (see FIGS. 7 and 8).
[0046] These types of reaction vessels are often accessed by a
machine, which does not aim for a specific part of the access
opening 72, but rather a specific point in space where the access
opening 72 is supposed to be. Therefore the accuracy is limited by
human error in positioning the reaction vessels 70, and positioning
of the fluid transfer mechanism 80, such as a cannula, in the
machine. To allow for proper functioning with some error in these
areas, according to a further aspect of the invention, the
apparatus 5 further comprises a guiding mechanism 60 mounted to the
cap external surface 26 for guiding the fluid transfer mechanism 80
into the access port 22 (see FIG. 9). In a preferred embodiment the
guiding mechanism 60 is a funnel shape. This can be done with an
external funnel apparatus, or, where the ring magnet 40 is integral
to the cap 20, the guiding mechanism 60 could comprise the cap
external surface 26 being tapered at the access port 22 (see FIGS.
14 and 15). This is especially useful when large arrays of reaction
vessels, such as when they are arranged in a micro-titer format,
are being accessed simultaneously, such as is commonly done in
combinatorial chemistry (see FIG. 16). One typical micro-titer
format is a 96 block, with rows 8.times.12.
[0047] The self-sealing apparatus may be used in a micro-titer
format. In such a format, the cap 20 may be on the reaction vessel
10 before installation into this format, or the cap 20 may be
located in the top micro-titer plate 90. According to this aspect
of the invention, the cap 20 is mounted to the reaction vessel 70
by the clamping of the top micro-titer plate 90 onto the block of
reaction vessels, and this acts as the fastening mechanism. The
self-sealing apparatus of this invention can be used in conjunction
with virtually any vessel for storing, mixing, and/or reacting
chemical agents. Such chemical reaction vessels are most suitable
for storing, mixing and/or reacting liquid chemical agents and
solid chemical agents that are dissolved or otherwise dispersed in
a liquid. However, the chemical reaction vessel can optionally be
used in conjunction with chemicals that are in the solid or gas
phase. For instance, reaction vessels that are equipped with the
self-sealing apparatus of this invention are particularly useful in
cases where a liquid medium is sparged with a gas.
[0048] To further isolate the reactants in the reaction vessel 70,
according to an aspect of the invention, the self-sealing apparatus
5 further comprises a septum 28 mounted to the cap external surface
26 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). This is useful where it is important that
no gas escape the reaction vessel 70. Combining the septum with the
self-sealing apparatus insures a positive seal even after piercing
the septum, whereas the septum alone may leak after initial or
repeated piercings adversely affecting the reaction.
[0049] According to a further aspect of the invention, the cap 20
may be comprised of an elastomeric material. This elastomeric
material should be chemically inert for best results. In a
preferred embodiment, the elastomeric cap external surface is
planar, and the elastomeric cap internal surface comprises a
protrusion into the reaction vessel, wherein the protrusion makes a
ring of contact with the reaction vessel walls. This ring of
contact helps improve the seal between the cap and the reaction
vessel. A standard serum vial septum may be used as the cap portion
in this embodiment. This standard septum will have to be modified
to have a cap access port. In this embodiment, one method of
mounting the ring magnet would be to mount the ring magnet to an
external plate, such as a micro-titer plate 90. Thus when the
reaction vessel is mounted in the micro-titer format with this
micro-titer plate 90, the ring magnet will be in proper spatial
relation to the ball.
* * * * *