Claims
- 1. An article comprising:
an enclosure have a first aperture and a second aperture; a first feed fitting, wherein said first feed fitting is received by said first aperture; a first spring-biasing element, wherein said first spring-biasing element mechanically couples to said first feed fitting; a second feed fitting, wherein said second feed fitting is received by said second aperture; and a second spring-biasing element, wherein said second spring-biasing element mechanically couples to said second feed fitting; wherein:
said first spring-biasing element, said first feed fitting, said first aperture, said second aperture, said second feed fitting and said second spring-biasing element are aligned along a first axis.
- 2. The article of claim 1 wherein:
said first spring-biasing element exerts a first force; said second spring-biasing element exerts a second force; and said first force and said second force collectively place said enclosure in compression.
- 3. The article of claim 1 wherein said enclosure comprises a first housing and a second housing, wherein said first and second housing are coupled to one another.
- 4. The article of claim 3 wherein:
said first housing has a first end and a second end; said first housing is relatively larger at said second end and relatively smaller at said first end; said second housing has a first end and a second end; said second housing is relatively larger at said second end and relatively smaller at said first end; and said first housing and said second housing engage one another at said relatively larger second ends.
- 5. The article of claim 4 wherein:
said first aperture is disposed at said first end of said first housing; and said second aperture is disposed at said first end of said second housing.
- 6. The article of claim 5 wherein:
said second end of said first housing is substantially open thereby defining a relatively large aperture compared to said first aperture at said first end of said first housing; and said second end of said second housing is substantially open thereby defining a relatively large aperture compared to said second aperture at said first end of said second housing.
- 7. The article of claim 4 wherein each of said first housing and said second housing have a conical shape.
- 8. The article of claim 6 further comprising a membrane, wherein:
said membrane is disposed between said first housing and said second housing proximal to said relatively large aperture of each of said first housing and said second housing; and said membrane separates said enclosure into two chambers: a first chamber that is defined within said first housing and a second chamber that is defined within said second housing.
- 9. The article of claim 8 wherein said membrane is selected from the group consisting of live tissue, synthetic tissue and synthetic tissue with cells attached.
- 10. The article of claim 8 wherein:
said first feed fitting has a first end and a second end; said first spring-biasing element couples to said first end of said first feed fitting; said second end of said first feed fitting has a first opening; and said second end of said first feed fitting is received by said first aperture of said enclosure so that said first opening communicates with said first chamber.
- 11. The article of claim 10 further comprising a tube, wherein said tube extends into said first chamber through said first opening of said first feed fitting.
- 12. The article of claim 11 further comprising a fluid control system, wherein:
said fluid control system is coupled to said tube; said fluid control system supplies fluid to and receives fluid from said first chamber; and said fluid control system is coupled to analytical devices.
- 13. The article of claim 1, further comprising a frame, wherein:
said frame has two spaced-apart rails; said first spring-biasing element is coupled to one of said spaced-apart rails; and said second spring-biasing element is coupled to the other of said spaced-apart rails.
- 14. An article comprising:
a first housing and a second housing, wherein said first housing and said second housing are coupled to one another, wherein:
said first housing has a first interior volume, a small aperture, and a large aperture; said second housing has a second interior volume, a small aperture, and a large aperture; and said first housing and said second housing are coupled proximal to said large apertures; a first feed fitting, wherein said first feed fitting has an opening and said first feed fitting is received by said small aperture of said first housing; a first plurality of tubes, wherein said first plurality of tubes pass through said opening in said first feed fitting and extend into said first interior volume of said first housing; a second feed fitting, wherein said second feed fitting has an opening and said second feed fitting is received by said small aperture of said second housing; a second plurality of tubes, wherein said second plurality of tubes pass through said opening in said second feed fitting and extend into said second interior volume of said second housing; a first spring-biasing element that mechanically couples to said first feed fitting; and a second spring-biasing element that mechanically couples to said second feed fitting.
- 15. The article of claim 14 further comprising a membrane, wherein:
said membrane is disposed between said first housing and said second housing; said membrane and said first housing define a first chamber that comprises said first interior volume; said membrane and said second housing define a second chamber that comprises said second interior volume; and said membrane forms a seal between said first chamber and said second chamber.
- 16. The article of claim 15 further comprising:
a first vent, wherein said first vent is disposed in said first housing and vents said first chamber; a second vent, wherein said second vent is disposed in said second housing vents said second chamber.
- 17. The article of claim 15 further comprising an electrode, wherein said electrode passes through said opening in said first feed fitting and extends into said first chamber.
- 18. The article of claim 15 further comprising a fluid control system, wherein:
said first plurality of tubes and said second plurality of tubes are coupled to said fluid control system; said fluid control system supplies fluid to at least one of said first and second chambers; said fluid control system receives fluid from at least one of said first and second chambers; and said fluid control system is coupled to analysis devices and control devices.
- 19. The article of claim 14 further comprising a device for fixing each tube of said first plurality of tubes in a desired location and orientation within said first chamber.
- 20. The article of claim 14 further comprising a third housing, wherein:
said third housing has an interior volume; and said third housing is flanked by and couples to said first housing and said second housing.
- 21. The article of claim 20 further comprising a first membrane and a second membrane, wherein:
said first membrane is disposed between said first housing and said third housing; said first membrane and said first housing define a first chamber that comprises said first interior volume; said second membrane is disposed between said second housing and said third housing; said second membrane and said second housing define a second chamber that comprises said second interior volume; said third housing, said first membrane, and said second membrane define a third chamber that comprises said third interior volume; and wherein:
said first membrane forms a seal between said first chamber and said third chamber; and said second membrane forms a seal between said second chamber and said third chamber.
- 22. The article of claim 15 wherein said first housing, said second housing and said membrane collectively compose a first multi-chamber enclosure, and further comprising:
a second multi-chamber enclosure; and a frame; wherein said first multi-chamber enclosure and said second multi-chamber enclosure are mechanically coupled to said frame.
- 23. The article of claim 22 wherein:
said frame comprises a first rail and a second rail; said first spring-biasing element is mechanically coupled to said first rail; and said second spring-biasing element is mechanically coupled to said second rail.
- 24. The article of claim 22 further comprising a mother chamber, wherein said mother chamber receives said frame having said first multi-chamber enclosure and said second multi-chamber enclosure.
- 25. An article comprising a multi-chamber enclosure, said multi-chamber enclosure comprising:
a first housing and a second housing, wherein said first housing and said second housing are coupled to one another; a membrane, wherein:
said membrane is disposed between said first housing and said second housing; said membrane and said first housing define a first chamber; said membrane and said second housing define a second chamber; and said membrane seals said first chamber from said second chamber; and a first feed fitting, wherein said first feed fitting:
is coupled to said first housing; is spring-biased whereby it forces said first housing toward said second housing; and conducts a first fluid to said first chamber.
- 26. The article of claim 25 wherein said first feed fitting receives a second fluid from said first chamber.
- 27. The article of claim 26 further comprising a plurality of tubes, wherein said plurality of tubes are placed in communication with said first chamber through said feed fitting.
- 28. The article of claim 25 further comprising a second feed fitting, wherein said second feed fitting:
is coupled to said second housing; is spring-biased whereby it forces said second housing toward said first housing; and conducts a third fluid to said second chamber.
- 29. The article of claim 28 wherein said second feed fitting receives a fourth fluid from said second chamber.
- 30. An article comprising:
a membrane; and a membrane-holding assembly, wherein said membrane-holding assembly comprises:
a membrane-holding frame configured as a loop, wherein:
said loop circumscribes an area; said membrane covers said area and overlaps said loop; and a fastener, wherein said fastener fastens said membrane to said loop.
- 31. The article of claim 30 wherein:
said loop has a circumferential groove; said membrane overlaps said groove; said fastener references itself through said membrane into said groove.
- 32. An article comprising a membrane-holding cassette, wherein said membrane-holding cassette comprises:
a plurality of membrane-holding frames, wherein each membrane-holding frame of said plurality is configured as a loop; and a first holding bridge, wherein said first holding bridge couples each membrane-holding frame to a neighboring membrane-holding frame, and wherein the coupled membrane-holding frames are linear.
- 33. The article of claim 32 wherein said loop has a circumferential groove; and further comprising a plurality of fasteners, wherein each fastener of said plurality thereof is received by said circumferential groove in each membrane-holding frame of said plurality thereof.
- 34. The article of claim 33 further comprising a second holding bridge, wherein said second holding bridge couples each said fastener to a neighboring fastener, and wherein the coupled fasteners are linear.
- 35. The article of claim 34 further comprising a membrane, wherein:
portions of said membrane cover said plurality of membrane-holding frames; and each said portion of membrane is attached to a membrane-holding frame by one of the coupled fasteners.
- 36. The article of claim 35 further comprising:
a frame; a plurality of multi-chamber enclosures, wherein:
said plurality of multi-chamber enclosures are coupled to said frame and are disposed side-by-side; each of said multi-chamber enclosures comprises a first housing and a second housing; said first housing and said second housing are coupled to one another; and one of said portions of membrane, and said membrane-holding frame to which said one portion is attached, is disposed between said first housing and said second housing of each said multi-chamber enclosure.
- 37. A method comprising:
forming a multi-chamber enclosure by installing a membrane between a first housing and a second housing; and coupling at least two spring-biasing elements to said multi-chamber enclosure to place said multi-chamber enclosure in compression.
- 38. The method of claim 37 further comprising attaching said membrane to a membrane-holding frame before said membrane is installed between said first housing and said second housing.
- 39. The method of claim 38 wherein:
two chambers are formed within said multi-chamber enclosure; said membrane and said first housing define a first chamber of said two chambers; and said membrane and said second housing define a second chamber of said two chambers;
the method further comprising placing a fluidic-control system in fluid communication with said first chamber and said second chamber.
- 40. The method of claim 39 further comprising delivering a test compound from said fluidic-control system to said first chamber.
- 41. The method of claim 39 further comprising delivering a buffer from said fluidic-control system to said second chamber.
- 42. The method of claim 40 further comprising withdrawing a fluid sample from said first chamber using said fluidic-control system.
- 43. The method of claim 41 further comprising withdrawing a fluid sample from said second chamber using said fluidic-control system.
- 44. The method of claim 42 further comprising analyzing said fluid sample using an instrument selected from the group consisting of a gas chromatograph, a liquid chromatograph, a mass spectrometer, linked chromatograph and mass spectrometer, capillary electrophoresis and fraction collectors.
- 45. The method of claim 43 further comprising analyzing said fluid sample using an instrument selected from the group consisting of a gas chromatograph, a liquid chromatograph, a mass spectrometer, linked chromatograph and mass spectrometer, capillary electrophoresis and fraction collectors.
- 46. The method of claim 37 wherein said membrane is selected from the group consisting of: esophagus tissue, mucosa stripped from esophagus tissue, stomach tissue, mucosa stripped from stomach tissue, small-intestine tissue, mucosa stripped from small-intestine tissue, large-intestine tissue, mucosa stripped from large-intestine tissue, buccal tissue, nasal tissue, corneal tissue, pulmonary tissue, vaginal tissue, dermal tissue, tissue substitute without an adherent cell-line, and tissue substitute with an adherent cell-line.
- 47. The method of claim 40 wherein said test compound is selected from the group consisting of: drugs, nutrients, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, cosmeceuticals, and xenobiotics.
STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This case claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/334,332, filed Nov. 29, 2001, entitled “Article and Method for High-Throughput Analysis,” which is also incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60334332 |
Nov 2001 |
US |