Immunoassays of psychoactive drugs including psychotomimetic drugs, narcotic drugs, and tetrahydrocannabinols and treatment methods based on the antigenic properties of protein conjugates of these drugs. These methods are based upon treating the psychoactive substances as haptens and utilizing their protein conjugates to produce antibodies to the psychoactive materials themselves. The immunoassay methods include both agglutination and agglutination-inhibition reactions. The treatment methods include treatment of both exogenous, administered drugs (such as cannabinols, LSD, heroin and morphine) and endogenous substances (such as N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and 5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, by active immunization and also passive immunization including immunodialysis and immunoadsorption treatment methods. Devices are disclosed for carrying out the immunodialysis and immunoadsorption methods.

Claims

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An immunological method for removing from a living mammal a hapten in the blood of said mammal, comprising a step of connecting in the blood circulatory system of said mammal a hapten-removing device, said device comprising inlet means and outlet means for connecting said device into said circulatory system, chamber means for defining a flow passage between said inlet means and said outlet means, a matrix in said chamber, and an antibody to said hapten linked to said matrix, said antibody binding said hapten to said matrix as said blood passes through said chamber, and a further step of separating said hapten from said antibody to regenerate said antibody for further use in said device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said matrix comprises the interior wall of a length of plastic tubing defining said chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said matrix comprises spiral structure means in said chamber for requiring said blood to flow in a thin layer over the surface of said spiral structural means.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said matrix comprises a fill of plastic beads in said chamber.

5. An immunological method for removing from a living mammal an antibody in the blood of said mammal, comprising a step of connecting in the blood circulatory system of said mammal an antibody-removing device, said device comprising inlet means and outlet means for connecting said device into said blood circulatory system, chamber means for defining a flow passage between said inlet means and said outlet means, a matrix in said chamber, and an antigen for said antibody linked to said matrix, said antibody binding to said antigen, hence to said matrix, as said blood passes through said chamber, and a further step of separating said antibody from said antigen to regenerate said antigen for further use in said device.

6. An immunological method for removing from a living mammal an antigen in the blood of said mammal, comprising a step of connecting in the blood circulatory system of said mammal an antigen-removing device, said device comprising inlet means and outlet means for connecting said device into said circulatory system, chamber means for defining a flow passage between said inlet means and said outlet means, a matrix in said chamber, and an antibody to said antigen linked to said matrix, said antibody binding said antigen to said matrix as said blood passes through said chamber, and a further step of separating said antigen from said antibody to regenerate said antibody for further use in said device.

7. An immunological method for extracting from a living mammal a hapten in the blood of said mammal, comprising

(1) connecting in the blood circulatory system of said mammal a hapten-removing device, said device comprising a first chamber and a second chamber; a semipermeable membrane separating said first chamber from said second chamber; inlet means and outlet means for connecting said first chamber in the circulatory system of said mammal; a liquid phase containing antibodies to said hapten in said second chamber, said membrane being permeable to said hapten and being impermeable to said antibodies; and closed regenerative means connected in a fluid circuit with said second chamber, said regenerative means comprising a third chamber,

(2) drawing at least a portion of said liquid phase from said second chamber to said third chamber,

(3) changing the pH of said liquid phase in said third chamber for releasing said antibody from said hapten, and

(4) returning said antibody to said second chamber and preventing said hapten from returning to said second chamber.

8. An immunological method for extracting from a living mammal an antigen in the blood of said mammal, comprising

(1) connecting in the blood circulatory system of said mammal an antigen-removing device, said device comprising a first chamber and a second chamber; a semipermeable membrane separating said first chamber from said second chamber; inlet means and outlet means for connecting said first chamber in the circulatory system of said mammal; a liquid phase containing antibodies to said antigen in said second chamber, said membrane being permeable to said antigen and being impermeable to said antibodies; and closed regenerative means connected in a fluid circuit with said second chamber, said regenerative means comprising a third chamber,

(2) drawing at least a portion of said liquid phase from said second chamber to said third chamber,

(3) changing the pH of said liquid phase in said third chamber for releasing said antibody from said antigen, and

(4) returning said antibody to said second chamber and preventing said antigen from returning to said second chamber.

9. An immunological method for removing from a living mammal a hapten in the blood of said mammal, comprising connecting in the blood circulatory system of said mammal a hapten-removing device, said device comprising passage means for said blood; an antibody to said hapten in said device; and exposure means in said device for exposing said hapten to said antibody and for preventing said antibody from entering said circulatory system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said hapten is psychoactive.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said hapten is taken from the group consisting of psychoactive N,N-dimethyltryptamines, psychoactive phenanthrene alkaloids, psychotomimetic indoles and psychoactive amphetamines.

12. A device for removing a hapten from the blood circulatory system of a mammal comprising a first chamber and a second chamber; a semipermeable membrane separating said first chamber from said second chamber; inlet means and outlet means for connecting said first chamber in the circulatory system of said mammal; a liquid phase containing antibodies to said hapten in said second chamber, said membrane being permeable to said hapten and being impermeable to said antibodies; and closed regenerative means connected in a fluid circuit with said second chamber, said regenerative means comprising a third chamber, means for drawing at least a portion of said liquid phase from said second chamber to said third chamber, means for changing the pH of said liquid phase in said third chamber for releasing said antibody from said hapten, means for returning said antibody to said second chamber, and means physically for preventing said hapten from returning to said second chamber.

13. A device for removing an antigen from the blood circulatory system of a mammal comprising a first chamber and a second chamber; a semipermeable membrane separating said first chamber from said second chamber; inlet means and outlet means for connecting said first chamber in the circulatory system of said mammal; a liquid phase containing antibodies to said antigen in said second chamber, said membrane being permeable to said antigen and being impermeable to said antibodies; and closed regenerative means connected in a fluid circuit with said second chamber, said regenerative means comprising a third chamber, means for drawing at least a portion of said liquid phase from said second chamber to said third chamber, means for changing the pH of said liquid phase in said third chamber for releasing said antibody from said antigen, means for returning said antibody to said second chamber, and means physically for preventing said antigen from returning to said second chamber.

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