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.

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.