Abstract: The present invention refers to a method for atomic absorption spectroscopy of an analyte which is contained in a sample to be analyzed and which is converted into free atoms in an absorption volume of an atomizer, said method comprising the steps of (a) position- and time-dependent measuring of the atomic absorption over the cross-section of the absorption volume and (b) simultaneous determination of surface temperatures of the atomizer.

Abstract: An automatic pole-zero (APZ) adjustment circuit for an ionizing radiation spectroscopy system. An output of a preamplifier is sampled to identify the decay time constant of the preamplifier output. A correction based upon the identified decay time constant is generated by a correction signal generator and applied through either an analog pole-zero adjustment network or a programmable digital shaping filter to accomplish pole-zero correction.

Abstract: An automatic pole-zero (APZ) adjustment circuit for an ionizing radiation spectroscopy system. An amplitude histogram of an acquired spectrum is obtained. The shape of a selected peak from the amplitude histogram is analyzed for peak shape distortion indicating the existence of undershoot or overshoot. An analog correction signal generated by a pole-zero adjustment network is added to cancel existing undershoot or overshoot, thereby minimizing distortion of the peak shape. In an alternate embodiment, the correction signal is a digital transformation algorithm applied to a programmable digital shaping filter, thereby digitally minimizing distortion of the peak shape.

Abstract: An autosampler for manipulating a specimen container is disclosed. At least one specimen container tray, having a plurality of recesses for receiving a specimen container, is removably fixed to a ground plate. A specimen container manipulating device is positioned on top of the ground plate and adjacent to the specimen container tray. The specimen container manipulating device comprises a gripper comprising a gripper housing and a plurality of gripping fingers extending distally from the gripper housing. The gripping fingers are held in place by a member which is movable inside the gripper housing between an upper and lower position. The gripping fingers are movable between an open and closed position, such that, when in the closed position, the gripping fingers grip and hold the specimen container. Shape memory metal is positioned inside the gripper housing and connected to the movable member for controlling movement of the gripping fingers between the open and closed positions.

Abstract: Constituents such as oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin are monitored non-invasively in an animal organ such as a brain with a spectrometric instrument by passing radiation through the organ. An input beam has a plurality of discrete wavelengths modulated with radio frequency. Output radiation is received by a detector from which output amplitude and output phase are determined for each wavelength. Absorption coefficient is computed from the amplitude and phase, and concentrations of constituents are thereby calculated.

Abstract: A optical fiber terminator comprising: a cylindrical housing having a through bore that is cylindrical at one end and conical at the other end, a frusto-conical collet mounted inside the conical bore where the collet has a stepped cylindrical through bore with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of an industry standard ST ferrule; and, a means to receive and retain an industry standard ST termination attached to the end of the housing having the conical bore. The housing and collet assembly provide a means for precisely placing the tip of the optical fiber ferrule in both a radial and axial direction to facilitate using standard ST terminations.

Abstract: An array of ion detectors (30) comprising a plurality of pickup electrodes (20, 34) for receiving ions; a substrate (32); a plurality of insulators (22, 35) positioned respectively between said pickup electrodes (20, 34) and said substrate (32); a plurality of charge storage areas (12, 38) for storing charge received by said pickup electrodes (20, 34), wherein each area (12, 38) is connected to a particular pickup electrode (20, 34) and means (44) for determining the amount of charge collected by each charge storage area.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a differential analysis method and apparatus wherein a sample and reference are subjected to an externally applied disturbance, such as temperature change, in accord with a prescribed function comprising the sum of a linearly changing part and a periodically changing part, and the measured differential signal is processed into real and imaginary components relating, respectively, to the energy storage and energy loss portions of the signal.

Abstract: A digital signal averager for averaging data collected by an analog detector is provided. The digital signal averager includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog detector output to a digital signal for processing, a timing device for generating delayed timing pulses for sequencing operation of the digital signal averager, an averaging device for summing and storing data. The delayed timing pulses allow data to be acquired by the ADC at a series of variably offset timing sequences relative to a trigger pulse. Offsetting the data acquisition timing sequences by time slices smaller than the actual sample rate of the ADC allows data to be acquired at a higher effective sampling rate. One complete series of offset timing sequences provides a data set containing all the information which would be acquired by a ADC having a faster sampling rate.