Abstract: An improved automated pipetting system for programmingly pipetting predetermined quantities of liquid between preselected groups of test tubes, vials or wells arranged on a horizontal table. A substantially rigid overhead frame mounted over the table on which the test tube arrays or the like are arranged. A pair of parallel X-axis guide shafts mounted in the rigid frame. A pair of helical screws rotatably mounted in the frame parallel to the pair of X-axis guide shafts. Each helical screw is driven by a stepper motor coaxially connected thereto. A pair of X-axis roller sections are movably mounted on the pair of X-axis guide shafts and support a Z-axis probe mechanism via a pair of Y-axis guide shafts and a parallel Y-axis helical screw. A stepper motor is drivingly and coaxially connected to the Y-axis screw for moving the Z-axis probe mechanism along the Y-axis guide shafts. The Z-axis probe mechanism is movably mounted on the pair of Y-axis guide shafts.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning and sterilizing objects, such as pharmaceutical caps, plugs and the like includes an autoclave chamber and a cleaning device having a cleaning drum mounted for a free rotation on a frame. The frame runs on rollers and can be moved in and out of the autoclave chamber. The cleaning drum has a hollow shaft provided within the drum with spray nozzles and mounted axially in line with a hollow drive shaft passing through one sidewall of the autoclave chamber free to turn and sealed. The drum shaft and the drive shaft may be coupled together by a coupling device. The frame may be released from the drum introduced into the autoclave chamber so that it is not located during the cleaning process in the autoclave chamber and thus will not constitute an additional source of contamination.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane fluid treatment apparatus for the transfer of mass or energy through the membrane is disclosed. It is designed particularly, but not only, for use in membrane oxygenators. Hollow fiber membranes extend substantially longitudinally, first inert fibers are spaced between them and also extend substantially longitudinally. Second inert fibers extend generally transverse to the hollow fibers and generally contiguous therewith, so that a first fluid (preferably an oxygen-containing gas) can pass through the hollow fibers and a second fluid (preferably blood) can be passed over their exterior for mass or energy transfer through the membrane.

Abstract: A device including an integrally formed membrane oxygenator and heat exchange device positioned in a single housing. The device includes a thermally conductive body formed with a plurality of blood pathways on its surface, and a gas permeable membrane, or membranes positioned in the housing in substantial contact with the heat exchange body to cover or lie within a portion of each of the pathways. The membrane defines a gas pathway separate from the blood pathway through which a gas is directed. The blood is directed through the individual blood pathways. The device also includes various ports and passageways for delivering the blood to the individual channels, and for collecting and removing the blood from the device.

Abstract: An improved "reference" pipet tip supports a number of volume scale ranges on its external body--preferably a scale for each of small volumes 0.5 microliters through 5 microliters, medium volumes 5 microliters to 50 microliters, and large volumes of 50, 100, and 150 microliters--because the geometry of its interior reservoir is non-uniform. In particular, the pipet tip's interior reservoir increases in diameter, and in contained volume, at a first rate, and in response to a first conical angle of rotation, at its distal end, tip, region. The interior reservoir increases at a different, larger, rate at its proximal end region, which proximal end region is connected to a pipettor. Fluid volumes in a broad range from. 0.5 microliters to 150 microliters are typically measurable at accuracies of better than 10%.

Abstract: A sensor arrangement for flow injection analysis, includes an enzyme reactor and a chemical/physical sensor. The sensor arrangement is designed as a sealed module and a flow channel of great length is accommodated in the module. By this sensor arrangement, gases generated or consumed in the enzyme reactor are detected without interfering gas exchange with the environment.

Abstract: A tray is described for storing and transporting a module. The tray includes a slot which can be used to hold the module in an upright position to allow the module to be filled with water.

Abstract: This invention concerns apparatus and a method for preparing an embryo for cryogenic storage, and for thawing thereof prior to implantation. The apparatus employs a washing tube containing a microporous filter dividing the tube into two chambers between opposite open ends. A tubular coupling member is attachable to either end of the tube. A liquid driving device which may be an aspirator, drives holding, washing, and storing liquid through the tube while the filter retains the embryo in a washing chamber. A storage straw can be attached to the coupling member to receive by aspiration the storing liquid containing the embryo. The straw contains a movable plug or wick at one end to force the storing liquid and embryo out of the storage straw into the washing chamber, after the storing liquid is thawed.

Abstract: A boiler having an improved plastic closure having a plastic and/or plastic-glass joint for connecting laboratory ware made of a material having different thermal expansion. The plastic joint includes a tubular plastic section having a compression ring secured at its end which recesses the labware of lower thermal expansion. The plastic-glass joint further includes a shorter standard tapered glass joint.

Abstract: A filter for removing impurities from waste gases, and especially from the waste gases of an internal combustion engine, includes a filter body consisting of a plurality of compression moulded, high temperature resistant, sintered filter plates consisting of metal powder, metal chips, metallic fibres or a mixture of these materials, which are arranged on top of or behind one another and kept at a distance from one another by spacers, to form between them a plurality of flow channels. The flow channels are open at one end and closed at the other end in order to form inlet and outlet channels. The walls of the filter plate situated between the inlet and outlet channels constitute filter surfaces. The filter plates are formed by filter discs lying on top of one another, arranged in a filter housing and having a free or open central interior space, so that the waste gases flow radially through the filter discs from the outside towards the interior space or from the interior space towards the outside.

Abstract: For collecting a batch of liquid samples, such as in the laboratory testing of body fluids, there is provided a collecting sheet having an array of resiliently deflectable fingers formed in the sheet. The fingers can be deflected out of the plane of the sheet to dip into respective liquid containers such as wells in a microtiter plate so as to absorb liquid samples therefrom. When released, the fingers snap back into the plane of the sheet retaining the liquid samples therein.

Abstract: The metering device for a slide analysis system deposits serum onto a slide that is held in a spotting position by a slide transfer device. The metering device is movable to a sampling position relative to a slide holding module to aspirate serum from a serum source on a slide cartridge in the slide holding module and is also movable to a spotting position to spot serum on the slide held by the slide transfer device. The metering device also has rotational as well as elevational movement and includes a built-in pipette tip ejector for discarding a used pipette tip.

Abstract: An elongated, generally vertically extending cocurrent reactor vessel for the production of hypochlorous acid by the mixing and reaction of a liquid alkali metal hydroxide and a gaseous halogen is provided wherein a nozzle is mounted near the top of the reactor vessel beneath the gas injector to spray the liquid alkali metal hydroxide in droplets so that the halogen gas can be absorbed into the surface of the droplets simultaneously with water evaporation in the vessel. The vessel has a spraying and reaction zone immediately beneath the atomizer and a drying zone beneath the spraying and reaction zone.

Abstract: A blood collection tube includes a bottom and an open end that is hermetically sealed by a plug. A supporting film having an anticoagulant coated thereon is positioned within the tube. The anticoagulant-coated surface of the supporting member is provided with a large number of fine convexes.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the production of an improved catalytic converter for the cleaning of exhaust gases from internal-combustion engines, which includes a catalytic converter body through which the exhaust gases flow. The catalytic converter body is compression-molded from metal wire pieces or metal chips and is sintered after molding.

Abstract: The blood flow channel sections of an oxygenator and a blood reservoir are hydrophilized by treatment with an acid, an albumin solution, polyhydroxy methacrylate, corona discharge, plasma or ozone, so that it has highly improved wettability by the priming liquid and the blood to prevent blood foaming. The blood flow channel sections of a medical instrument may be additionally hydrophilized by treatment with a polymer containing hydroxyethyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate or in addition thereto a poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene) block polymer.

Abstract: An improved device for performing agglutination reactions is disclosed. The device has at least one chamber with a proximate zone and a distal zone in which chamber agglutination reactions can be performed. The improvement comprises utilization in the device of a layer of liquid absorbent material for controlling overall rate of liquid flow through the chamber. The layer of liquid absorbent material is selectively impregnated with a substance to form an impregnated region and a non-impregnated region wherein the non-impregnated region is liquid absorbent and the impregnated region is liquid-occlusive. A portion of the non-impregnated region is positioned within the distal zone of the chamber so that the non-impregnated region is in liquid communication with that zone.

Abstract: A rack supply part, an analysis unit part and a rack storage part are formed as units which are separable from each other, and a rack carrier part is integrally mounted on the analysis unit part. The respective units are provided with locating members for coupling the units in a direction for transferring a sample rack.Since the rack carrier part is integrated with the analysis unit part, relative positional relation between a position for stopping the sample rack and a position for stopping a sample dispensing pipetter provided in the analysis unit part for attraction is not displaced even if the units are separated from each other and then recombined with and mounted on each other. Thus, location is easy and no fine adjustment of positional relation is required.

Abstract: A high temperature resistant seal for a catalytic converter is made from a high temperature resistant material including between approximately 28 and 60 dry weight percent high temperature resistant ceramic fibers and between approximately 20 and 50 dry weight percent high aspect ratio vermiculite. The seal is formed by mixing the resistant ceramic fibers with an aqueous dispersion of high aspect ratio vermiculite, applying the resultant mixture to a monolithic catalyst structure of a catalytic converter and heating the mixture and the monolithic catalyst structure to evaporate the water from the mixture. The seal and the monolithic catalyst structure can then be assembled in a housing to form a catalytic converter.

Abstract: A compost crib is provided for the on-site disposal of animal carcasses accumulated during commercial operations, in which passive solar energy is utilized to assist in the decomposition process. Aerobic, thermophilic bacteria multiply in the sunlight, solar heat and heat of decomposition and convert nitrogenous material in carcasses and manure, as well as the carboniferous cellulose additive to the compost, to a bacterial biomass. The crib is simple in construction, having a frame with mesh walls to allow for adequate exposure to air. Access doors are provided for loading carcasses and for unloading recycled compost material for rotation back onto the compost mass. Solar panels are provided in the roof for the generation of solar heat and to provide sunlight to aid in bacterial photosynthesis.