Abstract: A patient's health may be diagnosed by centrifuging blood samples in a transparent tube, which tube contains one or more bodies or groups of bodies such as floats, inserts, liposomes, or plastic beads of different densities. Each density-defined body carries analyte-capture binding materials such as antigens or antibodies, which are specific to an epitope, or other specific high affinity binding site on a target analyte which target analyte may be in the blood or other sample being tested; and the level of which analyte is indicative of the patient's health. At least one labeled binding material which is also specific to an epitope, or other specific high affinity binding site on the target analyte is added to the sample so as to form labeled binding material/analyte/body complexes in the sample.

Abstract: An escalator or moving walkway handrail is driven by a pair of linear belts which engage opposite sides of the handrail along the return path of travel thereof. The belt that engages the underside of the handrail is a powered drive belt, and the belt that engages the upper-side of the handrail is a pressure or reaction belt. Both belts are held against the handrail by a set of biased pressure rollers which urge the reaction belt against the handrail. The belts serve to convert line contact with the pressure rollers into area contact with the handrail thereby spreading out the driving forces acting upon the handrail.