Abstract: A modular manifold arrangement for distributing a flow of a gas in a reactor. The manifold arrangement includes a tank or a container, within the walls of which a bed for a granulated catalyst or substance, with which the gas is to react, is arranged. The bed is at least partially surrounded by gas-permeable gratings. In order to provide elements that may pass through a narrow manhole and from which it is possible to construct passages for providing a uniform flow through the reactor bed, the manifold arrangement includes an elongate tube. The tube is closed at one end and open for inlet of gas at the other end. The tube further has a gas-impermeable rear sidewall with a shape corresponding to the walls of the tank and a front side which is a gas-permeable grating having a sheet or plate provided therein with a large number of nozzles.

Abstract: In a sterilizing container for surgical instruments comprising a bottom part and a lid sealingly positionable thereon, with a seal made of an elastically deformable material extending around the lid along the outer circumference thereof and being fixed to the lid by means of a profiled strip, in order to effect a simplified attachment of the profiled strip to the lid without changing the lid, it is proposed that the profiled strip consist of a plastic material with a hard rating and be adhesively bonded to the inside of the lid.

Abstract: The venting mechanism for discharging steam from a sterilizing chamber has a variable effective orifice area controllable in response to decreasing pressure. The throughput of the venting mechanism increases as the pressure decreases, thereby compressing the venting stage of a sterilization cycle without increasing the loss of liquid inherently experienced in sterilizing liquid loads.

Abstract: A device for the separation of the lighter fraction from the heavier fraction of a liquid sample for use with two evacuated receptacles includes a housing having an interior cavity and a membrane separator dividing this cavity into a first portion and a second portion. The membrane separator has a porosity selected for the desired separation thereacross. An inlet structure is provided for fluid communication between the first portion of the interior cavity and the source of the liquid sample. First structure is provided to allow fluid communication between the first portion of the interior cavity and the first evacuated receptacle. This first structure is opposed from the inlet structure so that liquid passing from the inlet to the first structure travels in a direction along the surface of the membrane. Further structure is provided to allow fluid communication between the second portion of the interior cavity and the second evacuated receptacle.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an annular gel reactor suitable for the production and observation of spatiotemporal patterns created during a chemical reaction. The apparatus comprises a vessel having at least a first and second chamber separated one from the other by an annular polymer gel layer (or other fine porous medium) which is inert to the materials to be reacted but capable of allowing diffusion of the chemicals into it.

Abstract: An adapter, and related method, by which a specialized commercially available pipetter heretofore requiring an expensive custom pipette tip may be used with a standard pipette tip which is ejected from the pipetter by actuation of the adapter.

Abstract: A sterilizing apparatus for sterilizing a hollow prism-shaped carton open at both ends includes a sterilizing station, a drying station, and a solution-removing station located between the sterilizing station and the drying station. The solution-removing station has a solution-removing device which rotates intermittently in synchronism with carton conveyers. The solution-removing device includes a plurality of thin and long mandrels extending in a radial direction and spaced apart from each other at regular intervals. Each mandrel supports a carton and has a nozzle which supplies the aseptic air from an aseptic air source into the carton.

Abstract: Gas reacting apparatus and method are described for wet mass transfer of solute gases from a gas stream with a liquid or slurry reacting medium capable of chemisorption of solute gases in the gas stream. The apparatus comprises an elongated conduit defining a primary reaction zone in fluid-flow communication with a fan defining both a secondary reaction zone and a spray coalescence zone, and a plurality of dual-fluid spray nozzles coaxially spaced in series within the conduit and countercurrently or cocurrently directed to the gas stream for spraying the liquid or slurry reacting medium into said conduit to form a plurality of spray contact zones of uniformly-distributed fine droplets wherein intimate contact of high interfacial surface area between the sprayed liquid or slurry and the gas stream is effected to remove solute gases from the gas stream.

Abstract: A method for determining the presence of water in an organic test fluid including the steps of admixing a portion of the organic test fluid with a liquid indicator system containing a non-polar solvent which is soluble in the organic test fluid, and comprises a petroleum distillate. The solvent also includes a non-hazardous water soluble dye which will evidence a color change upon direct contact with water. The mixture is agitated to permit intimate contact between the indicator system and the organic test fluid. The mixture is then allowed to stand for a period in which the dye will react with any water contained in the organic test fluid, and provide a color indication thereof.

Abstract: In one embodiment the invention is a method for on-column valved injection gas chromatography by on-column injecting more than 5 microliters and less than one milliliter of sample consisting of a solvent and a component of interest into a retention gap/capiliary column system with an injection valve at a first carrier gas flow rate, followed by a substantially higher carrier gas flow rate to blow the solvent of the sample out of the system at a rapidly increased rate and then a return to a lower flow rate to chromatograph the component of interest. In another embodiment, less than 5 microliters of sample consisting of a solvent and a component of interest is on-column injected into a capillary column using an injection valve and a relatively high column inlet pressure of gas to move the sample from the injection valve into the colunm rapidly and with reduced carryover. Then, the pressure of carrier gas is reduced to a normal pressure for chromatography of the component of interest.

Abstract: A device for preserving sterility during the taking of samples for analysis from culture medium containers. This device comprises a holder containing a sampling chamber which encloses a sliding piston fitted at one end with a toric cavity for removal of the sample for analysis, and a dilution chamber linked to the first chamber by a duct. The second chamber is divided into two parts by a central bearing and contains two sliding pistons which may abut respectively the opposite sides of the bearing. The second chamber comprises an inlet for the dilution solvent.

Abstract: An appliance for disinfecting contact lenses wherein the lenses are disposed within a lens disinfecting solution which produces a gas during the disinfecting action. The appliance has a container body with a lens holder for supporting a pair of contact lenses within the container and a removable cap with a vent means which seals the container to prevent contamination while permitting the venting of gases developed during the disinfecting action. The vent consists of a post positioned in a bore such that the post does not obstruct passage of gas from the inside of the container through the bore and a resiliently deflectable apertured diaphragm through which the post protrudes. The aperture in the diaphragm deflects away from the post when the pressure within the container exceeds a threshold pressure. Once the pressure within the container is equalized with the ambience, the diaphragm resiliently deflects to close the vent thereby protecting the contents of the container from contamination.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved specific binding assay devices comprising a chromatographic medium including a reaction site at which a specific binding reagent is immobilized, a sample application well located adjacent to the chromatographic medium and offset upstream from the reaction site, and a liquid absorption blotter offset downstream from the reaction site.

Abstract: There is disclosed a blood oxygenating device having an oxygenating chamber and a heat exchange chamber. The oxygenating chamber consists of a bubbler chamber and a mixing chamber. Oxygen is introduced into the bubbler chamber through a porous diffusion means situated near the inlet of the bubbler chamber. Bubbles pass from the bubbler chamber into a mixing chamber which is provided with a plurality of secondary flow-producing deflectors to promote secondary flow of blood bubbles passing therethrough. The secondary flow results in a highly efficient oxygen-carbon dioxide transfer. The blood bubbles are then passed through a heat exchange chamber and a defoaming means prior to exiting the oxygenating device.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the concentration of a component in a medium comprising:an optical sensor including at least one optical indicator for providing an optical signal which varies in response to the presence of a component in a medium;an optical signal fiber capable of transmitting the optical signal from the optical sensor; anda supply reservoir associated with the optical sensor and acting to provide additional optical indicator to the optical sensor.

Abstract: A shield is provided for isolating excess liquid on the surface of a diagnostic cartridge from a monitor with which the cartridge is used. In a preferred embodiment the shield is a strip of flexible, resilient material which can lie flat while the cartridge is in its packaged condition but which automatically springs up to serve as a shielding surface when the cartridge is unpackaged and inserted into the monitor.

Abstract: Titration apparatus includes two cells that receive and contain liquids and are transparent to light. A liquid having an unknown characteristic and mixed with an indicator that is optically responsive to a titrant is disposed in the cells. Light is transmitted through each cell to separate photosensors. The photosensor signals are compared and a titrant is added to one of the cells in known-volume increments until the difference between the signals reaches or exceeds a prescribed threshold. The characteristic of the liquid is calculated from the quality of known concentration titrant added in order to reach or exceed the prescribed threshold.

Abstract: A metering valve assembly for use in an analytical system includes fixed and movable valve members that have slidably engaged faces. One valve member includes a first metering chamber in the form of a through passage having an axis perpendicular to the direction of relative valve motion and a second metering chamber of elongated shape that has a length at least three times its width and that extends along the direction of relative valve motion. In a first position, the metering chambers are connected in series with a source of the sample liquid to be analyzed; and in a second valve assembly position, the first metering chamber is connected in series between a source of auxiliary fluid and a first analysis unit and the second metering chamber is concurrently connected in series between a source of auxiliary fluid and a second analysis unit.

Abstract: A filter strip and composite assemblies for filtering microliter quantities of fluids. A linear array of wells having open top and bottom ends are connected by frangible webs in spaced-apart relation with discrete filter membranes closing the bottom ends of each well. Tabs are provided on the ends of the filter strip for holding the same and supporting the strip in a rectangular holder having alpha-numeric designations for identifying each well in a plurality of such filter strips contained within the holder. The filter strip may be used in a vacuum manifold for applying a pressure differential across the filter membrane and directing the filtrate into an aligned aperture of a closed bottom well of an array of wells held within the manifold. Alternatively, the filter strip may be used with a transfer plate for directing the filtrate from each well of the filter strip to an aligned well of a closed bottom array of wells.

Abstract: An oxygenator has a housing provided with a blood inlet and a blood outlet, a bundled aggregate of a multiplicity of gas-exchange membranes, and a gas inlet and a gas outlet independently formed outside opposite bundle end parts of the bundled membrane aggregate, the bundled membrane aggregate being stowed within the housing in such a manner as to partition a gas flow path for communication between the gas inlet and gas outlet and a blood flow path for communication between the blood inlet and blood outlet from each other, which oxygenator is characterized by the fact that the bundled membrane aggregate is provided in or near the gas outlet with a device for thermally insulating or heating the gas emanating from the gas outlet.