Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating an acid or base, e.g. for chromatographic analysis of anions. For generating a base the method includes the steps of providing a cation source in a cation source reservoir, flowing an aqueous liquid stream through a base generation chamber separated from the cation source reservoir by a barrier (e.g. a charged membrane) substantially preventing liquid flow while providing a cation transport bridge, applying an electric potential between an anode cation source reservoir and a cathode in the base generation chamber to electrolytically generate hydroxide ions therein and to cause cations in the cation source reservoir to electromigrate and to be transported across the barrier toward the cathode to combine with the transported cations to form cation hydroxide, and removing the cation hydroxide in an aqueous liquid stream as an effluent from the first base generation chamber. Suitable cation sources include a salt solution, a cation hydroxide solution or cation exchange resin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sampling chemicals prevents exposure of laboratory personnel to the chemicals being tested and to volatile solvents or chemicals that may be mixed with the tested chemicals. The apparatus includes a sampling line connected to the source of the chemicals, a cooling means for reducing the temperature of the chemicals, and a sample holder for containing the sampled chemicals. In the method, the chemicals are removed from their source, cooled, and contained in the presence of a shortstop chemical, i.e. a chemical designed to terminate any chemical reaction that may be taking place when the chemicals are sampled. The apparatus also captures and contains any volatile solvents or chemicals that may be mixed with the chemicals being tested.

Abstract: A culture package system comprising a package preferably in the form of a container containing one or more conventional culture media dishes containing solidified culture media. Each dish includes a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall and a removable cover having a bottom wall and a peripheral side side wall which is loosely telescoped over the dish. A plurality of the dishes are preferably provided in inverted stacked relation in the container. A cover is hermetically sealed to close the container. The interior of the package has a gaseous atmosphere having less than 1% oxygen. An oxygen absorber is placed in the package to facilitate maintaining the atmosphere at less than 1% oxygen. Preferably a moisture absorber is also placed in the package. The package is made of plastic material which is impermeable to oxygen and moisture and preferably is in the form of a container which has a base wall and a peripheral wall and a cover sealed thereto.

Abstract: Assay device structures for a device where fluid flows from a one region to another. The device structures comprising one or more capillarity-inducing structures; where the capillarity-inducing structure induces capillary force along an axis that is essentially perpendicular to the axis along which capillary force induced in another region of the device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to cost effective analytical instruments for determining the presence or amount of an analyte in a sample. The analytical instruments utilize an assay cartridge which has a sample receiving port and a rotatable carousel containing a plurality of reagent wells. Each reagent well includes a piston element for delivery of reagent to a test surface. The instrument is capable of indexing the assay cartridge to deliver sample and reagents to a test surface in a predetermined and flexibile manner, thus providing an assay protocol which is specific to the type of sample under analysis. The invention also relates to components, features, disposables, reagent delivery systems, accessories, and methods for using such instruments. Appropriate applications include infectious disease testing, cancer detection and monitoring, therapeutic drug level monitoring, allergy testing, environmental testing, food testing, diagnostic testing of human and veterinary samples, and off-line process testing.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting and detecting chemicals contained in a fluid includes a sorbent element, at least one chemical sensor, a first pump for pumping fluid through the sorbent element and a second pump for pumping fluid to the chemical sensor. The sorbent element contains a sorbent material and a heating element. The first pump pumps fluid into the sorbent element thereby collecting the chemicals on the sorbent material. The heating element provides heat to the sorbent element to desorb the chemicals from the sorbent material. The chemicals desorbed from the sorbent material are then pumped out of the sorbent element and to the chemical sensor. The sorbent material may have a cavity therein with the heating element located in that cavity. Alternatively, the heating element may be interposed between the enclosure and the sorbent material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for analyzing trace impurities in gases, which enable to analyze a very small quantity of impurities by only a simple operation, without making the column arrangement or the structure of flow complicated. In the apparatus and the method, when the trace impurities are measured in ppb-sub ppb level by a combined analyzer which is equipped with an atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer to the back of a gas chromatography, a mixed gas of various gases is used as a carrier gas or purified gases added to the gases outflowed from a gas chromatography.

Abstract: A system for concentrating a volatile organic compound (VOC) sample uses in one embodiment a bypass line and a valve coupled thereto to regulate an amount of carrier gas flowing through a carrier gas line. A flow splitter fluidly couples the bypass line to the carrier gas line, and connects to the output of a cryofocuser. The valve opens at the onset of transferring the VOC sample from a concentrator trap such as a sorbent trap to the cryofocuser, thereby resulting in an increased amount of carrier gas flow between the concentrator trap and the cryofocuser for more efficient desorbing of the concentrator trap. The valve is closed when the focused VOC sample is flushed out of the cryofocuser for delivery to a gas chromatograph, preferably delivering the entire VOC sample to the GC.

Abstract: An ergonomic, manually precisely controllable return springless air displacement pipette relying upon the friction of a piston seal to maintain a plunger unit of the pipette in any axial location established by a user of the pipette.

Abstract: A method of measuring the effective temperature inside a sealed container having a headspace is provided. A liquid solvent is added to the container, and a solid compound is added to the liquid solvent to create a saturated solution. Vapor of the saturated solution is allowed to equilibrate in the headspace of the sealed container, and a volume thereof is transferred to a chromatographic column, where chromatographic readings of the equilibrated vapor are taken. A temperature within the sealed container is then calculated based upon the chromatographic readings of the equilibrated vapor, wherein the temperature calculation is based upon the concentrations of the liquid solvent and the solid compound in the equilibrated vapor.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating droplets. Extremely fine droplets may be generated (on the order of 1 picoliter or less) using focused acoustic energy to eject the droplets from a reservoir containing two or more immiscible fluids. The droplets may include immiscible fluids or a single fluid. Typically, the droplets are ejected onto discrete sites on a substrate surface so as to form an array thereon. In some instances, the reservoirs contain layers of immiscible fluids, wherein an upper layer exhibits a nonuniform thickness. In such a case, fluid from a lower fluid layer may be propelled through an aperture region of the upper layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for heating specimens in wells of a metallic specimen carrier. The specimen carrier is heated by applying resistive heating directly to the carrier. An AC source and transformer may be used where the specimen carrier is in series with a single turn secondary winding of the transformer. A magnet may be placed in each well and excited by the heating current to provided a stirring effect.

Abstract: This invention provides methods and apparatus for performing microanalytic and microsynthetic analyses and procedures. Specifically, the invention provides a microsystem platform for use with a micromanipulation device to manipulate the platform by rotation, thereby utilizing the centripetal force resulting from rotation of the platform to motivate fluid movement through microchannels embedded in the microplatform. The microsystem platforms of the invention are also provided having microfluidics components, resistive heating elements, temperature sensing elements, mixing structures, capillary and sacrificial valves, and methods for using these microsystems platforms for performing biological, enzymatic, immunological and chemical assays.

Abstract: A device and method for filtering a biologically derived sample and for mixing the sample with a reagent, comprising a fluid container defining a reservoir compartment and including a container outlet, a filter and a fluid flow-through matrix disposed in a flow path between the reservoir compartment and the container outlet. Water-soluble, dried reagent is retained on the matrix. Means is provided for urging sample in an aqueous liquid in the reservoir compartment through the filter and matrix and out the container outlet. Pressure is applied to the sample in an aqueous liquid in the reservoir compartment to cause the sample to flow in liquid through the filter and matrix and out of the container for analysis.

Abstract: A method of using microwave-induced dielectric polarization to enhance the diffusivity of a liquid or a supercritical fluid mobile phase in chromatography, while having essentially no effect on other physical properties of the mobile phase.

Abstract: The invention provides a gas chromatography method for analyzing materials vaporizable in a gas chromatograph system, the method including filling a sample injection device with a sample of the compounds to be analyzed; transferring the sample compounds into an analytical separation column with a transfer gas; passing a carrier gas inside the analytical separation column for time separation of the sample compounds; controlling the temperature of the column for achieving separation of the sample compounds; transferring the vaporized sample compounds eluted from the column into a flame ionization detector; providing the gases required for the operation of the flame ionization detector, and analyzing the data output of the flame ionization detector for analysis of the sample compounds, wherein the gases required for the operation of the gas chromatograph system are produced by water electrolysis.

Abstract: A water bath accommodating a calorimetric bomb (2) for measuring the combustion heat of substances with the aid of a calorimeter. The inner tank (3) is enclosed by an outer container (5) forming a water jacket and is shielded from the environment. If several measurements are conducted subsequently, the water found in the inner tank (3) and heated above its initial value through the combustion process taking place in connection with a previous measurement can be at least partially transferred into the outer container (5) with a second or other succeeding measurement prior to conducting it so that at least a part of the combustion heat of the preceding measurement can be used for heating up at least the water jacket in the outer container (5) in connection with the next measurement. Consequently, energy for tempering the water in the water jacket and/or in the water bath can be saved.

Abstract: The invention provides an ozone hydroxy radical analysis method for a liquid carrying a suspension of organic matter. The analyser includes a reactor vessel 2 having sample inlets and outlets 3 and 4 respectively for a liquid stream 5. The reactor vessel 2 is connected to a control system 10 and is fed from an acid vessel 15, a base vessel 16 and an ozone generator 20. The reactor vessel 2 contains glass beads and a catalyst is introduced into the reactor vessel. With a manganese catalyst and glass beads, the manganese coats the glass beads which therefore retain catalyst with the reactor vessel.

Abstract: A method of screening a subject for the presence of lipoprotein X includes the steps of: producing a measured lipid signal lineshape of an NMR spectrum of a blood plasma or serum sample obtained from a subject; generating a calculated lineshape for the sample, the calculated lineshape being based on derived concentrations of lipoprotein components potentially present in the sample, the derived concentration of each of the lipoprotein components being the function of a reference spectrum for that component and a calculated reference coefficient, wherein one of the lipoprotein components for which a concentration is calculated is lipoprotein X; and determining the degree of correlation between the calculated lineshape of the sample and the measured lineshape spectrum of the sample.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing precise quantities of reagents is disclosed including a positive displacement syringe pump in series with a dispenser, such as an aerosol dispenser or solenoid valve dispenser. The pump is controlled by a stepper motor or the like to provide an incremental quantity or continuous flow of reagent to the dispenser. The pump and dispenser are operated in cooperation with one another such that the quantity and/or flow rate of liquid dispensed by the dispenser can be precisely metered substantially independently of the particular operating parameters of said dispenser to attain a desired flow rate, droplet size or mist quality, droplet frequency and/or droplet velocity.