Abstract: An analytical device for automated determining of a measured variable of a liquid sample comprises: a liquid storage, which includes one or more liquid containers for one or more liquids; a measuring cell for accommodating the liquid sample, especially a liquid sample, to which has been added one or more liquids from the liquid storage, and a measuring arrangement for providing one or more measurement signals correlated with the measured variable; an electronics unit, which includes a control unit for control of the analytical device and for determining the measured variable based on the measurement signals provided by the measuring arrangement; and a handling unit including a supply- and dosing, or metering, system for supplying and metering the liquid sample and liquids from the liquid storage into the measuring cell, wherein the analytical device includes at least one exchangeable cassette, into which are integrated at least parts of the liquid storage and/or at least parts of the handling unit.

Abstract: A system for characterizing and optimizing refinery feedstock blends according to their corrosivity is provided. Refinery feedstocks can be characterized based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, mass changes of carbon steel samples, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. The characterization can be carried out via any of impedance, spectroscopic measurements, and continuous measurements of mass changes of carbon steel samples with a crystal microbalance over a range of temperature, e.g., from ambient to 750° F. The system can be employed in any of refinery, terminal, and laboratories, using models and/or hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks.

Abstract: Methods for determining one or more optimum gradient parameter values for the separation of components in liquid chromatography (LC) systems are disclosed. Liquid chromatography (LC) systems capable of determining one or more optimum gradient parameter values for the separation of components in a liquid chromatography column are also disclosed.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus for measuring a predetermined physical property of a liquid measuring sample comprises a preparing unit in which a plurality of materials including at least a liquid material are mixed; a supply route which supplies the liquid material to the preparing unit; a withdrawing unit which withdraws the measuring sample from the preparing unit into the supply route, the measuring sample being prepared to contain the liquid material supplied to the preparing unit via the supply route; and a measuring unit which measures the predetermined physical property of the measuring sample withdrawn into the supply route by the withdrawing unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for off-line concentration determination of components liquid hydrocarbon mixtures such as crude or heavy oil. A sampling unit continuously delivers a sample volume to a fluid flow path while a temperature control module maintains the sample at a predetermined setpoint temperature. A homogenization module helps prevent sample stratification while a flow control module maintain a constant sample flow rate. A spectrometer is communicably coupled to an optical transmission cell to transmit and receive radiation. The transmission cell includes collection optics to capture and aggregate non-collimated radiation emerging from the cell, for transmission to the spectrometer. The spectrometer measures sample spectra at a predetermined rate of flow of the sample volume through the transmission cell. A processor is configured to capture and use the spectra in combination with a model of spectra for the hydrocarbon mixture.

Abstract: A potentiometric sensor with suppressed leak current on the surface of an electrode and improved for a dynamic range and a response speed, in which a redox compound is immobilized through insulative molecules on the surface of a gold electrode, and a current between a source and drain of an insulated gate field-effect transistor along with reaction between an oxidized substance or a reduced substance produced by the reaction of a measured substance in a sample solution injector for supplying the sample solution containing the measured substance and an enzyme and a redox compound on the surface of the gold electrode, is monitored on real time to measure the change of the surface potential.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining at least one property of fluids related to oilfield operations may include an optical calculation device for measuring light having interacted with the fluid (e.g., flowing fluids and flames). The flame may be fueled, at least in part, by the stream of fluid from the subsurface well. Methods may include directing interacted light that comprises light having passed through a fluid relating to an oilfield operation to an iris; performing a regression calculation on the interacted light with an optical calculation device responsive to the interacted light incident thereon to produce at least one output light signal; and determining at least one property of the fluid from the at least one output light signal.

Abstract: A device for determining a density of a fluid including a mechanical resonator, a driver/receiver unit arranged to provide an actuation to the mechanical resonator, sense a response of the mechanical resonator to the actuation, and provide an output signal representing the response; and an evaluation unit. The evaluation unit of the device is arranged to determine an oscillation distribution from the output signal, determine a resonance frequency estimate from the oscillation distribution, and determine the density of the fluid based upon the resonance frequency estimate. The device enables a more accurate determination of the fluid density for fluids including immiscible components (thus forming a heterogeneous mixture), like a water-oil emulsion, or a fluid with occluded gas.

Abstract: A Method and apparatus to accurately measure and display various properties of hydrocarbons and petroleum factions for a small volume of sample in a short period of time in one test with less cost and energy for the analysis by the method of light refection. The refraction of light through the sample is measured and compared to the refraction f the light through vacuum by the apparatus. The method of the invention comprises a property estimation from the apparatus to output a property estimate value. The property estimation means is equipped with a property estimation model for evaluating the property estimate value outputted from the property estimation model. The method is incorporated into standard or otherwise any refractive index test apparatus or refractometer to provide accurate measure of the thermodynamic and transport properties of pure hydrocarbons and undefined multicomponent mixtures such as petroleum factions.

Abstract: A new method is presented for characterizing the associative properties of a solution of macromolecules at high concentration. Sample aliquots spanning a range of concentrations are injected sequentially into a light scattering photometer. Equilibrium association constants and association stoichiometry are derived from an analysis of the angular and concentration dependence of the scattering signals. Thermodynamic nonideality, which becomes important at high concentrations, is dealt with in the analysis in a simplified manner which is applicable to multiple associated species.

Abstract: Naturally present chloride concentration in natural water is utilized for the development of the technique to gauge the performance of percolation tanks in space and time. The chloride mass balance technique is simple, sensitive, reliable and yet powerful enough to resolve the temporal variation due to the effect of silting or climate factors. The percolation efficiency data of percolation tanks can aid in the formulation of guidelines for selection of suitable sites for future tanks with greater efficiency. Otherwise unscientific construction of percolation tanks in sites that yield poor percolation efficiency is uneconomical, and the very purpose of their construction will be forfeited. Thus the technique developed using chloride mass balance in tank water for evaluation of tank performance is highly economy oriented.

Abstract: A device (100) for analyzing measurement data having a plurality of data sets (206), each data set (206) being assigned to a respective one of a plurality of measurements, each data set (206) having multiple features (208) being indicative of different fractions of a fluidic sample, the device (100) comprising a cluster determining unit (108) configured for determining feature clusters (350) by clustering features (208) from different data sets (206) presumably relating to the same fraction, a spread determining unit (110) configured for determining for at least a part of the feature clusters (350) a spread (352) of the features (208) within a respective feature cluster (350), and a display unit (112) configured for displaying at least the part of the feature clusters (350) together with a graphical indication of the corresponding spread (352).

Abstract: Various methods for visualization of output from a liquid-liquid chromatographic instrument are provided. One or more analytes detected by a liquid-liquid chromatographic instrument are visualized by providing a data set comprising a plurality of data points corresponding to one or more analytes detected by the instrument, wherein the data points comprise at least one parameter related to a K-value or a parameter from which a K-value can be determined. A K-value is calculated for at least a portion of the data set, and at least a portion of those K-values transformed by a reciprocal transformation to generate output data having a transformed K-value, wherein the transformed K-value is a real number for all K undergoing the transformation, thereby ensuring that all analytes detected by the instrument are plotted in a single chromatogram. The output data is provided to a user.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring optimum water-quality and informing quality of water 100 measures an amount of impurities of water, keeps to renew an optimum value by a lowest amount of the impurities until the present use, compares the optimum value with the present amount of the impurities measured in the water and informs the result.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the determination of the concentration of a non-volatile analyte in an aqueous sample medium, with the use of an optical sensor which contains a luminescent dye and is calibrated at the user site by means of a single-point-calibration. To enable the user to completely dispense with all calibration media a luminescence measurement value is obtained at the user site with the sensor in contact with the aqueous or bloodlike sample medium, which value is referenced to the relative characteristic obtained at the factory site and to a measured dry calibration value obtained at the user site, the concentration of the non-volatile analyte being deduced from these data.

Abstract: Various embodiments of an oil monitoring apparatus are provided. In one embodiment, an oil monitoring apparatus includes a probe and an analyzing module in-line connected to the probe. The probe includes: a first sensor for measuring respective optical intensities of a light passing through the oil at respective red, green and blue wavelength ranges; a second sensor for measuring a water content; and a third sensor for measuring a temperature of the oil. The analyzing module calculates and monitors chemical deterioration of the oil, total contamination of the oil, a relative saturation of the oil by water and temperature of the oil based on the output signals of the first and third sensors. The oil monitoring apparatus monitors various parameters relating to the deterioration of the oil and to the physical properties of the oil.

Abstract: A method for selecting an operative component to combine first and second immiscible phases includes selecting a first operative component and computing the value of the free energy of mixing for it and the first and second immiscible phases. If the computed free energy is greater than zero, the sigma profile of the first candidate is mutated to define a hypothetical sigma profile of a candidate substitute operative component. The free energy of mixing for the substitute and the first and second immiscible phases is computed. The mutation and computation are repeated for a predetermined number of repetitions or until the free energy of the candidate substitute component and the first and second phases is less than zero, whichever first occurs. A material exhibiting a sigma profile corresponding to that of the candidate substitute producing a free energy of solvation less than zero is selected.

Abstract: A system for diagnostic testing may include a meter for performing a diagnostic test on a sample applied to a test media and a container configured to contain test media compatible with the meter. The meter may include a closure portion for selectively closing the opening of the container. The system may also provide mechanisms to disable a power source, an auto-on function of the meter, a diagnostic testing function of the meter, or other function of the meter when it has been determined that a triggering event has occurred. The system may further provide mechanisms to reconfigure the meter to perform a new function when it has been determined that the triggering event has occurred.

Abstract: An analyte testing device is provided for use with a mobile processing device having a camera with a lens, a processor for processing an image captured by the lens. The analyte testing device comprises a casing and a test strip positioner. The test strip positioner positions an analyte containing test strip adjacent to the camera lens to permit the camera to capture an image of the analyte containing test strip. A light source is disposed within the casing. The light source is positioned within the casing to illuminate the analyte containing test strip to facilitate the capture of the image of the test strip. Software is contained within the mobile processing device for performing a quantitative analysis of at least one analyte from the captured image, and providing an output of the results of the quantitative analysis.

Abstract: Disclosed is an assay result reading apparatus, for reading the result of an assay, comprising: a) first and second control thresholds; b) a data processing means for processing an analyte measurement signal indicative of the presence and/or amount of an analyte; and for processing a control signal indicative of whether the assay has been carried out satisfactorily; to: up until a time t1 after commencement of the assay measurement, to compare the control signal with the first control threshold and determine that the assay has been carried out satisfactorily if the control signal exceeds or is equal to the first control threshold, and if the control signal is less than the first control threshold to continue the assay measurement; and at a time t>t1 to compare the control signal with a second control threshold and provide an assay result if the control signal exceeds or is equal to the second control threshold.

Abstract: Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for determining the composition of liquids, including the identity of one or more drugs in the liquid, the concentration of the drug, and the type of diluent using immittance spectroscopy. These devices, systems and methods are particularly useful for describing the identity and, in some variations, concentration of one or more components of a medical liquid such as intravenous fluid. In particular, described herein are devices, systems and methods that may operate in low ionic strength diluents. Also described are methods of recognizing complex immittance spectrograph patterns to determine the composition of a liquid by pattern recognition.

Abstract: A knock detection system for an engine includes an intensity module, a knock threshold module, and a detection module. The intensity module determines an engine vibration intensity during a first period of engine operation. The knock threshold module determines a knock threshold based on an ethanol concentration in a fuel supplied to the engine. The detection module determines whether engine knock has occurred during the first period by comparing the knock threshold and the engine vibration intensity.

Abstract: The discovery that apolipoprotein B exhibits spectral features in the mid IR spectrum that make it identifiable within blood serum leads to the invented use of a statistical correlation between a concentration of apolipoprotein-B (apoB) in a sample of blood serum and infrared spectral features of the blood serum sample to produce a test for apoB. A method for providing such a test, and tests produced by the method are taught.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of detecting contamination in an aqueous mass in the vicinity of an operation and indicating the source of the contamination, the method comprising detecting signals which may be indicative of aqueous contamination using a plurality of sentinel species containing sensor units disposed in the aqueous mass in the vicinity, relaying data relating to the signals to an analyser, analysing data received by the analyser, and relaying an analysis result indicative of the existence, severity and source of the contamination to an operator, wherein the method also comprises relaying further data to the analyser selected from data in the group consisting of data relating to the performance of the operation, data relating to environmental releases in the vicinity by parties other than the operator, data relating to the topography of the vicinity, and third party data relating to the properties of the aqueous mass in the vicinity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for measurement of VOC emissions. The apparatus includes at least one memory including computer program code, and at least one processor. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive a plurality of electronic pulses based on a flow of a volatile organic compound-containing liquid through a measurement unit. The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to generate metadata based on the received plurality of electronic pulses, store the generated metadata, and display the stored metadata. The metadata includes information relating to one of a flowrate, a total amount, and a total elapsed time of dispensing the volatile organic compound-containing liquid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multivariate calibration which can be used when the optical system used for that method does not comprise a multi-channel detector such as a CCD sensor or a line array of photodiodes. An optical system without a multi-channel detector doesn't allow to carry out preprocessing steps. Thus there is the need to carry out these preprocessing steps in another way. It is suggested to partially replace the preprocessing step by a measurement of the optical signal, whereby the measurement comprises transmitting or reflecting the optical signal by an optical element, thereby weighing the optical signal by a spectral weighing function. The advantage of the invention is to teach how such an optical system without a bulky and expensive CCD sensor can be used to carry out a multivariate calibration and preprocessing steps.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to control the additives to a chemical composition for use in the oil field services industry. Specifically, a method and apparatus to determine fluid parameters for a fluid, including introducing an inert tracer in a component; forming a fluid comprising the component; observing the concentration of the tracer in the fluid; calculating the concentration of the component in the fluid; and introducing the fluid into a subterranean formation. An apparatus and method to control fluid parameters of interest for an oilfield formulation fluid such as chemical composition including introducing an inert tracer in a component; forming a fluid comprising the component; observing the concentration of the tracer in the fluid; calculating the concentration of the component in the fluid; adjusting a flow rate when forming the fluid in response to the calculating; and introducing the fluid into a subterranean formation.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically monitoring water quality information directly by using sensors to test water in a plumbing system or indirectly by monitoring government or other warnings that can be received wireless or over wireline. In response the system and method identify a water treatment/enhancement protocol and perform this protocol on the water supply in the house/building.

Abstract: A sample analysis system includes a reagent preparation unit and a measurement unit. The reagent preparation unit has: a state detector which detects at least one of a state of the reagent preparation unit and a state of the reagent preparation; and a transmission unit which transmits the detected state information to a computer arranged outside the reagent preparation unit. The computer displays the received state information on a display.

Abstract: Analyte meter protectors, meters that include the same, and methods. In one example, a ketone monitoring system is provided wherein a port protector is used in combination with a meter.

Abstract: The concentration of air or other agents in a fluid delivery line is determined by monitoring agent signals and processing those agent signals along with information regarding the age of each agent signal. The processor determines a primary agent concentration value based on the received agent signal values, with the primary agent concentration value determined by giving greater weight to more recent agent signal values. Where the primary agent concentration value exceeds a primary threshold value, an alarm signal may be activated. The processor also may determine a secondary agent concentration value, which may be determined from the actual agent signal values instead of the weighted agent signal values. Where the secondary agent concentration value exceeds a secondary threshold value, an alarm signal may be activated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the ignitability of fuel, particularly of diesel, biodiesel, gas-to-liquid or biomass-to-liquid fuel, with an unknown fuel quality for an internal combustion engine. Provision is made for the density of the fuel to be ascertained and for the ignitability to be derived from this.

Abstract: A method that uses corrected areas integrated at two different wavelength ranges, 1402-1324 cm?1 and 735-715 cm?1. The invention uses the reduced form of FTIR spectral integration. The invention provides reliable data in the variety of applications regardless of FTIR spectral instability occurring unexpectedly, such as loading sample thickness, sample cell location changes of FTIR light source passes, volume changes during cooling procedure, existence of emulsified water, moisture building on the surface of FTIR crystals.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to model the gravitational field-induced or centrifugal field-induced separation of particles of a dispersion by means of one or more additional force fields that also influence the migration of the particles. Said aim is achieved by detecting and measuring the modified separation behavior with the help of concentration-measuring sensors. The force acting upon the particles can be calculated from the change in velocity of the particles, and the corresponding particle properties can be calculated if the respective field intensities are known.

Abstract: Provided is a potentiometric sensor chip in which the positional relationship among a reference electrode, a measurement electrode, and a sample inlet which enables measurement from the start of a reaction is defined, and further provided is a method for detecting the start time of the reaction. A very small amount of sample is measured with high accuracy. The very small quantity of sample is measured by a rate assay. When a reference electrode (103) is disposed between a sample inlet (102) and a measurement electrode (104), a sample solution arrives at the reference electrode (103) earlier than at the measurement electrode (104), whereby the surface potential of the measurement electrode (104) can be measured simultaneously when the sample solution arrives at the measurement electrode (104) and dissolves a reagent and thereby a reaction starts.

Abstract: A method for discriminating particle groups comprises generating, by a particle analyzer, a particle characteristic distribution histogram in which the abscissa indicates respective channels for representing the characteristics of the particles, and the ordinate indicates the particle count; setting a valid area selection height in the particle characteristics distribution histogram; and generating an equivalent negative histogram based on the set height and the particle characteristic distribution histogram.

Abstract: A method for analysing a mixture M comprising (i) a first monodisperse species, and (ii) a second species having a response coefficient which is distinct from the response coefficient of the first species (i) on at least one detection device, said method comprising the following steps: (A) the mixture M is injected at the inlet of a capillary tube and forced to be transported in said tube by the flow of a carrier liquid induced by a positive hydrodynamic and/or hydrostatic pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the capillary, whereby a phenomenon of Taylor dispersion of the species of the mixture M occurs in the tube; (B) by using a detection device able to detect simultaneously both species (i) and (ii) and placed in the region of the outlet of the capillary tube, a signal reflecting the Taylor dispersion obtained in step (A) is measured; (C) the signal obtained in step (B) is analysed, so as to determine specific contributions of species (i) and (ii) and thereby establishing at least one of the follow

Abstract: A portable liquid design system includes a portable information handling system (IHS) that employs a liquid design application capable of operating in different modes to design different liquids such as corn syrup, espresso, coffee, soda pop and others. The portable liquid design system may include a refractometer to measure the refractive index and temperature of a liquid under test. The liquid design application may apply the measured refractive index and temperature to a 3 dimensional representation of the correlation of refractive index, temperature and concentration (% total dissolved solids) to determine a particular concentration corresponding to the measured refractive index and temperature. A single 3 dimensional scale may apply to virtually all values of interest of refractive index, temperature and concentration for a particular liquid under test.

Abstract: A biosensor system determines the presence and/or concentration of an analyte in a sample using one or more calibrated correlation equations. The analysis may be electrochemical, optical, or a combination thereof. The biosensor system may be implemented using a measurement device and a sensor strip. The measurement device applies test signals to a multi-layered encoding area of the sensor strip. Calibration information is determined from the patterns generated by the interaction of the test signals with the multi-layered encoding area.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a desired property of a fluid downhole is described. In some non-limiting examples, the method comprises receiving an input signal representing sound speed of a fluid downhole, processing the input signal using a correlation equation expressing the desired property in terms of at least sound speed to produce an output signal representing the desired property, and outputting the output signal. In some examples, the correlation equation is derived through a chemometric analysis of a training data set, the training data set comprises a plurality of input values and a plurality of output values derived from said input values, between the desired fluid property and the first measured property, and the output values are calculated from the input values using a series of correlation equations. In at least one example, the desired property is gas oil ratio. In another example, the desired property is gas brine ratio.

Abstract: Systems and methods for end-of-life disabling of a diagnostic test system are described. In one aspect, a diagnostic test system that includes a test unit and a disabling unit. The test unit performs at least one diagnostic test on a diagnostic assay to determine whether at least one analyte is present within a sample. The disabling unit determines a measure of current lifetime of the test unit and disables the test unit in response to a determination that the current lifetime measure meets an end-of-life threshold. In a diagnostic test method, at least one diagnostic test is performed on a diagnostic assay to determine whether at least one analyte is present within a sample. A measure of current lifetime of the test unit is determined. The test unit is disabled in response to a determination that the current lifetime measure meets an end-of-life threshold.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for preventing the failure of a system, which includes one or more pipes, or one or more cooling jackets, or one or more fluid cooled system components carrying a fluid, involves detecting one or more pressure levels of the fluid in the one or more pipes at one or more points, then comparing the detected pressure levels to a corresponding one or more predetermined limitation values. If the detected pressure levels exceed the corresponding limitation values, a shut-down signal is generated. The shut-down signal triggers the adjusting of one or more systems responsible for causing thermal variations of the fluid, preventing the system from failing while allowing the system to continue operation shortly thereafter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for determining concentration of components in a liquid hydrocarbon mixture including hydrocarbons and water flowing through an alkylation process. A fluid flow path conveys the liquid continuously from the alkylation process through a first instrument configured for measuring a property of the liquid mixture, and having responsivities to concentration of the components, which are independent of the concentration of the water. A temperature detector generates temperature data for the liquid, and a second instrument measures another property of the liquid mixture. The instruments have mutually distinct responsivities to concentrations of the components.

Abstract: A sample is introduced from an injector unit (3) into a mobile phase. One target component is separated into a plurality of vials (67) by a fraction collector (6). Next, a sampler (34) sequentially suctions the eluate from the plurality of the vials (67) and performs an LC analysis on each of the eluate portions, thereby producing a chromatogram. A peak detector (72) calculates the peak area corresponding to the amount of the target component in each chromatogram. A delay estimator (73) extracts the peak area in the fraction having the maximum peak area and the peak areas in the previous and succeeding fractions on the time axis of the foregoing fraction.

Abstract: A measuring system for determination of at least one chemical property in an oil under transportation from a first container to a second container, where a pipe inlet is arranged to withdraw a sample part from the oil in flow and a sample handling arrangement is arranged for guiding a sample from the sample part into and out of at least one chemical property measuring instrument. The measuring system further includes a control computer unit connected to the sample handling arrangement and being programmed to performing a plurality of consecutive measuring cycles, each including i) guiding a sample from the sample part into the at least one chemical property measuring instrument, ii) performing a measurement of the at least one chemical property in the sample, and iii) withdrawing the sample from the at least one chemical property measuring instrument.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for determining concentration of components in a liquid hydrocarbon mixture including hydrocarbons and water flowing through an alkylation process. A fluid flow path conveys the liquid continuously from the alkylation process through a first instrument configured for measuring a property of the liquid mixture, and having responsivities to concentration of the components, which are independent of the concentration of the water. A temperature detector generates temperature data for the liquid, and a second instrument measures another property of the liquid mixture. The instruments have mutually distinct responsivities to concentrations of the components.

Abstract: A calculated vertical velocity sensor signal is determined from a recorded pressure sensor signal. A constructed vertical velocity sensor signal is determined as a linear combination of the calculated vertical velocity sensor signal and a recorded vertical velocity sensor signal in dual-sensor seismic streamer data, using a mixture coefficient as a proportionality constant. An upgoing pressure wavefield component is determined as one half of a difference of the recorded pressure sensor signal and the constructed vertical velocity sensor signal, as a function of the mixture coefficient. An error in the upgoing pressure wavefield component is determined by propagating errors in the recorded pressure sensor signal and constructed vertical velocity sensor signal terms. A value of the mixture coefficient is determined that minimizes the error in the upgoing pressure wavefield component.

Abstract: A computer system. The computer system including a processor and memory unit coupled to the processor, the memory unit containing instructions that when executed by the processor implement a method for monitoring a solution in a tank used to fabricate integrated circuits, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of: (a) collecting data indicating of an amount of copper in a region of a substrate of a monitor, the monitor comprising an N-type region in a silicon substrate, the region abutting a top surface of the substrate, the monitor having been submerged in the solution for a preset time; (b) comparing the data to a specification for copper content of the solution; (c) if the data indicates a copper content exceeds a limit of the specification for copper, indicating a corrective action is required to prevent copper contamination of the integrated circuits; and (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) periodically.

Abstract: In the event of a suspected abnormality in the device, sample or reagent, a laboratory technician had to examine the abnormal reaction process data item by item, and infer the cause of the abnormality, which took effort and time in some cases. Abnormality judgment is assisted using: indicator computation means that computes an indicator indicating a feature parameter of a given waveform by applying a pre-defined evaluation formula to time series data of photometric values; relative indicator computation means that computes a value indicating a relationship of the indicator of target data to the indicator computed in the past; and indicator display means that simultaneously displays a value computed by the indicator computation means and the value computed by the relative indicator computation means.

Abstract: A hand held ion tester includes a housing sufficiently small to be conveniently held in a human hand. A sample chamber is formed in the housing and has a sample inlet in the upper surface of the housing. An ion selective electrode is positioned in the sample chamber so as to be in liquid communication with samples positioned in the sample chamber. A key board and a display are positioned on the upper surface of the housing and a central processing unit contained within the housing is electrically coupled to the ion selective electrode, the key board and the display. The central processing unit is designed and connected to receive signals from the ion selective electrode, process the signals and display processed information on the display.