SINGLE-USE PREPARATION SYSTEM FOR SPECIFIC FLUROCHROME LABELING OF CELLS

AUTOMATED MULTIPARAMETRIC MICROSCOPIC CELL ANALY- SIS DEPENDS HEAVILY ON QUANTITATIVE SPECIMEN PREP- ARATION TECHNIQUES. THESE TECHNIQUES USUALLY REQUIRE A LABORATORY SETUP OF SOME COMPLEXITY AND OFTEN REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE TIME. WITH THE AID OF COMPUTER SIMULATIONS, A FULLY AUTOMATED SPECIMEN PREPARATION SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED CON- SISTING OF A SMALL, DISPOSABLE MOLDED PLASTIC DEVICE (THE "SPECPREP") THAT CONTAINS, IN MINIATURIZED FORM, THE LABORATORY ELEMENTS REQUIRED TO QUANTITATIVELY PREPARE CELLS FOR FLOW CYTOMETRY, CELL SORTING, OF A SMALL, SELF-CONTAINED "SPECIMEN HANDLER" THAT WILL ACCOMPLISH THE PROCESSING OF THE SPECPREP UNDER MICROCOMPUTER CONTROL WITHOUT OPERATOR INTERVENTION. THE DEVICE WILL CONSIST OF AN ENTRY PORT, MEASURING SYSTEM, MIXING, STAINING, WASHING, AND PUMPING SYSTEMS, AND A SERIES OR PRELOADED REAGENT RESERVOIRS. A VARIETY OF ENTRY PORTS AND SPECIMEN DELIVERY OPTIONS WILL MAKE THE SPECPREP EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE. AUTOMATION MINIATURIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR VARIOUS TEMPLATES AND PROCESSES WILL BE EXPLORED. MINIATURIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SPECPREP PROCESSING OF MICROBIAL AND NONBIOLOGIC SPECIMENS ALSO WILL BE EXPLORED.