Abstract: An instrumentation network data system that transmits periodically measured instrument parameters or data to work stations residing on a computer network interconnected with the instruments. A processor residing on the network periodically collects and processes data from the instruments at predetermined collection-time intervals. The processor includes a buffering data file to store the processed data. A supervision working station residing on the network periodically accesses the processed data from the buffering data file at predetermined supervision-time intervals and updates a supervision data file in the supervision working station with the processed data.

Abstract: An instrumentation network data system that transmits periodically measured instrument parameters or data to workstations residing on a computer network. A laboratory workstation residing on the network periodically collects and processes data from the instruments at predetermined collection time-intervals. The laboratory workstation includes a buffering data file to store the analyzed data. A supervisor workstation residing on the network periodically accesses the analyzed data from the buffering data file at predetermined supervision-time intervals and updates a supervision data file in the supervisor working station with the analyzed data. At predetermined viewing-time intervals, the supervisor working station can transmit the analyzed data to at least one viewing workstation residing on the network for remote viewing of the analyzed data.

Abstract: A system is provided for detecting a presence or amount of an analyte in a sample. The system may include a detection device detecting a characteristic of a fluid in communication with the sample to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the characteristic of the fluid and a processor coupled to the detection device and determining at least one property relating to the analyte, based on the electrical signal. The system may also include a telephone interface device. The telephone interface device may be coupled to the processor and responsive to the processor to transmit an alarm message indicating the property of the analyte to at least one telephone communication device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for characterizing particulate matter in gases emitted from the exhaust tailpipe of a moving vehicle includes providing a micro-dilution device on the vehicle and, while the vehicle is moving, retrieving samples of the gases and mixing the samples with ambient air with the micro-dilution device, thereby forming diluted samples of the gases containing volatile and non-volatile particulate matter. A particulate analyzer is provided on the vehicle which measures at least one parameter of the volatile and non-volatile particulate matter.

Abstract: A vehicle gas emission analyzer assembly for a vehicle having a passenger compartment includes a gas analyzer system adapted to determine concentration and/or mass flow of at least one exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine. The analyzer may include a particular housing for the gas analyzer system. The gas analyzer system may include a hydrocarbon gas analyzer that is operated at a temperature that is sufficiently high to reduce deposits of hydrocarbon molecules present in the sample gas. The gas analyzer may include an ultraviolet source including a discharge lamp having a discrete emission line at an absorption frequency for a particular nitrogen-based gas.

Abstract: A new apparatus and method for collecting and detecting airborne microorganisms comprises a culturing container containing liquid media capable of growing the suspect microorganisms and a pump for drawing an air sample containing the suspect microorganisms through the liquid media. The suspect microorganisms mix with the liquid media and are subsequently incubated to promote their growth and cause an indication of their presence.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting at least one component gas in a sample includes a radiation source for providing radiation along an optical path in a pre-selected spectral band having at least one absorption line of the component gas to be detected and an optical detector for detecting radiation at the optical path. A sample chamber is positioned in the optical path between the source and the optical detector to contain a quantity of a sample gas. At least one gas cell enclosing an amount of the gas to be detected is fixedly positioned in the optical path in series with the gas chamber. A mathematical relationship is determined between the detected radiation and the concentration of a sample gas filling the sample chamber.

Abstract: A new apparatus and method for collecting and detecting airborne microorganisms comprises a culturing container containing liquid media capable of growing the suspect microorganisms and a pump for drawing an air sample containing the suspect microorganisms through the liquid media. The suspect microorganisms mix with the liquid media and are subsequently incubated to promote their growth and cause an indication of their presence.

Abstract: A new apparatus and method for collecting and detecting airborne microorganisms comprises a culturing container containing liquid media capable of growing the suspect microorganisms and a pump for drawing an air sample containing the suspect microorganisms through the liquid media. The suspect microorganisms mix with the liquid media and are subsequently incubated to promote their growth and cause an indication of their presence.

Abstract: A device for detecting and enumerating microorganisms in a sample substance employs an external container and an internal container inserted into the headspace of the external container. The sample is mixed with liquid growth media in the internal container. Gases generated from the metabolic activity of the microorganisms during incubation expand to the headspace of the sealed external container and interact with an indicator located at a transparent section of the external container. Changes of the indicator are read by an external real time photometer that generates time patterns for analysis. These patterns indicate the presence or absence of microorganisms and assess the level of contamination in the original sample.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring vehicle exhaust emission includes sampling vehicle exhaust and a dilute mixture of vehicle exhaust and ambient air. A first analyzer measures concentrations of gas components of undiluted vehicle exhaust. A second analyzer measures concentration or temperature of at least one exhaust gas component present in the dilute mixture gas component. Flow rate of the dilute mixture, the concentration and/or temperature of the at least one dilute mixture gas component and undiluted gas concentration are analyzed by a microprocessor to produce mass emissions of the vehicle exhaust gas components.

Abstract: A vehicle gas emission analyzer assembly for a vehicle having a passenger compartment includes a gas analyzer system adapted to determine concentration and/or mass flow of at least one exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine. The analyzer may include a particular housing for the gas analyzer system. The gas analyzer system may include a hydrocarbon gas analyzer that is operated at a temperature that is sufficiently high to reduce deposits of hydrocarbon molecules present in the sample gas. The gas analyzer may include an ultraviolet source including a discharge lamp having a discrete emission line at an absorption frequency for a particular nitrogen-based gas.

Abstract: An instrument to detect the presence of live microorganisms is described. The instrument is capable of providing simultaneous optical readings of multiple test vials containing different samples. Spectral variations due to metabolic activity of microorganisms are continuously recorded. An automated calibration scheme compensates for the parametric differences among the test vial locations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring vehicle exhaust emission includes sampling vehicle exhaust and a dilute mixture of vehicle exhaust and ambient air. A first analyzer measures concentrations of gas components of undiluted vehicle exhaust. A second analyzer measures concentration of at least one exhaust gas component present in the dilute mixture gas component. The at least one dilute mixture gas component is a particular exhaust gas component measured by the first analyzer which is also present in ambient air in substantial quantity. Flow rate of the dilute mixture, the concentration of the at least one dilute mixture gas component and undiluted gas concentration are analyzed by a microprocessor to produce mass emissions of the vehicle exhaust gas components.

Abstract: A container (10) adapted for use in the detection of aerobic microorganisms in a sample includes a non-toxic insert (22) disposed within the container (10) for supporting microorganisms adhered thereto and for increasing microbial exposure to oxygenated growth media to enhance microbial metabolism. A method for making the container (10) includes the steps of inserting a non-toxic insert (22) into the container (10) and adding growth media (14). Also, a method of detecting aerobic microbiological growth in a sealed sample container (10) having a headspace (16) and which contains a sample which may contain an unknown microorganism includes the steps of providing a sealed sample container (10) having a headspace (16) and non-toxic insert (22) saturated with microbiological growth media (24), inoculating the insert (22) within the sealed sample container (10), and monitoring metabolism in the container (10) as an indicator of the presence of microorganisms to detect microorganisms in the sample.

Abstract: A new device and method to detect the presence of live microorganisms are described. The device employs a liquid phase which supports microbial growth by utilizing appropriate media. A secondary phase which consists of semi-liquid material forms a barrier layer through which only small particles can diffuse and which prevent the presence of any large particles. Noise-free optical measurements are carried out at the barrier layer which are indicative of metabolic changes associated with microbial growth.

Abstract: A diagnostic microbiological testing apparatus and method includes at least one test tray including a plurality of reaction chambers, a light source disposed proximate to the test tray for directing light, at an excitation wavelength of a fluorescence emitting agent contained within the reaction chambers, at the test tray, a filter for passing therethrough only light generated by a fluorescence emitting reaction resulting from the interaction of the fluorescence emitting agent and a sample, and an imaging mechanism for detecting only the light generated by the fluorescence emitting reaction at the emission wavelength simultaneously from the plurality of reaction chambers.

Abstract: In such a method and apparatus for detecting microbiological growth in a sealed sample container, pressure within the headspace of the container is monitored for detecting rate of change of such headspace pressure. Presence of microbiological growth within the container is indicated as a function of rate of change of headspace pressure. The rate of pressure change is compared with a standard rate for a family of microorganisms., and growth is indicated when the absolute value of the rate of pressure change (which may be positive or negative) exceeds the absolute value of the standard rate (which also may be positive or negative). For detecting microbiological growths which may have differing growth rates, absolute value of rate of pressure change is compared to a plurality of standard rates for differing families of microorganisms.