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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,

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.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A self-sealing 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, said cap having an access por

What is claimed is: 1. A self-sealing 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, said cap having an access port located above said reaction vessel access opening when said cap is attached to said reaction vessel, wherein said cap has an internal surface which faces the reaction vessel, and an external surface, which faces away from the reaction vessel, wherein the reaction vessel is a serum vial having a neck portion and a body portion, wherein the body portion of the reaction vessel has a greater diameter than the neck portion of the reaction vessel, wherein the reaction vessel is further comprised of a septum which is mounted to the cap external surface, and wherein the septum covers the access port; a fastening mechanism for fastening said cap to the reaction vessel, wherein said fastening mechanism comprises a threaded portion formed on said internal surface of said cap and a mating threaded portion formed on an external surface of said reaction vessel adjacent said reaction vessel access opening; 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 such as said ball does not directly contact said ring magnet, and to reseat said ball in said cap access port after said reaction vessel is accessed. 2. The self-sealing reaction vessel 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. 3. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 2 wherein said sealing gasket is flush with said cap internal surface. 4. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 2 wherein said sealing gasket is comprised of an elastomeric material. 5. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 1 wherein said ball is magnetized. 6. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 1 wherein said ball is a dipolar magnet. 7. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 1 wherein said cap internal surface is conical in shape wherein said cap access port is closest to said ring magnet. 8. The self-sealing reaction vessel 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. 9. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 5 wherein the ball is comprised of an aluminum-nickel-cobalt alloy. 10. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 5 wherein the ball is comprised of a strontium-iron alloy. 11. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 5 wherein the ball is comprised of a neodymium-iron-boron alloy. 12. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 5 wherein the ball is comprised of a samarium-cobalt alloy. 13. An array of a plurality of self-sealing reaction vessels wherein the self-cleaning reaction vessels are as specified in claim 1 and wherein the array of self-sealing reaction vessels are mounted in a micro-titer format. 14. The array of self-sealing reaction vessel as specified in claim 9 wherein the micro-titer format is a 96 block micro-titer format. 15. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 10 wherein the self-sealing reaction vessels are arranged in 8 rows of 12 self-sealing reaction vessels. 16. A self-sealing 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, said cap having an access port located above said reaction vessel access opening when said cap is attached to said reaction vessel, wherein said cap has an internal surface which faces the reaction vessel, and an external surface, which faces away from the reaction vessel, wherein the reaction vessel is mounted in a micro-titer format, wherein the reaction vessel is a serum vial having a neck portion and a body portion, wherein the body portion of the reaction vessel has a greater diameter than the neck portion of the reaction vessel, wherein the reaction vessel is further comprised of a septum which is mounted to the cap external surface, and wherein the septum covers the access port; a fastening mechanism for fastening said cap to the reaction vessel, wherein said fastening mechanism comprises a threaded portion formed on said internal surface of said cap and a mating threaded portion formed on an external surface of said reaction vessel adjacent said reaction vessel access opening; 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 such as said ball does not directly contact said ring magnet, and to reseat said ball in said cap access port after said reaction vessel is accessed. 17. The self-sealing reaction vessel of claim 16 wherein said ball is magnetized. 18. The self-cleaning reaction vessel of claim 16 wherein the micro-titer format is a 96 block micro-titer format.