Abstract: Method and apparatus for analyzing a liquid such as blood, and in particular analyzing certain constituents such as potassium or calcium ions, or dissolved gases comprising withdrawing the constituents from the liquid into a carrier fluid, which may or may not be derived from the liquid itself and analyzing the carrier fluid. In this way, for example, the analysis apparatus is not contaminated by undesired constituents, such as protein molecules of the liquid under test.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining the location of hydrocarbon reservoirs which comprises the steps of drilling boreholes along a linear path to a depth below the weathered zone, sampling the soil and drilling fluid found at the bottom of the boreholes for the presence of constituents, such as gaseous hydrocarbons and bacteria, indicating the presence of hydrocarbons, detonating explosive charges at the bottom of the boreholes to seismically determine the geological structure of the test area and plotting the resultant values for the constituent presence and geological structure data, with the plot having a common axis representing the linear path along which the boreholes are drilled. This method permits multiple and distinct indications of the presence of hydrocarbon reservoirs to be integrated to more uniformly and reliably predict the presence of a hydrocarbon reservoir.

Abstract: A waste flue gas cleaning method and an apparatus for practicing said method, in which a reactant solution is sprayed into a waste flue gas introduced into a spray tower, whereby a toxic component in the flue gas is caused to be absorbed in and react with the droplets of the sprayed reactant solution, and the water contained in the droplets is vaporized and the reaction products are dried into solid particles by the sensible heat of said flue gas. A series of the above operation is accomplished within the spray tower while maintaining the outlet gas temperature always above the dew point of the flue gas, and the solid particles of the reaction products are removed from the flue gas by an after dust collector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the quantitative determination of very small percentages of sulphur in sample analysis is carried out by means of sample combustion in a helium current temporarily enriched with oxygen, subsequent catalytic oxidation and reduction of the combustion gases, gas chromatographic separation and detection in a thermal conductivity detector. At the outlet of this thermal conductivity detector the products are fed to a water trap and to a sulphur selective detector of the flame photometric type to detect sulphur contents below 0.5 .mu.g.

Abstract: Sodium is determined, virtually without known interferences, based on neutron activation of liquid sample to produce radioactive .sup.23 Ne activation product from .sup.23 Na, sparging of the sample whereby a headspace gas mixture comprising .sup.23 Ne in an inert sparging gas is collected, and remote analysis of the headspace gas mixture to determine total parent sodium based on monitoring radiation emissions of .sup.23 Ne. As an illustration of utility, the analysis is demonstrated as applicable to determinations of sodium in aqueous or organic matrices at concentrations of 1 part per thousand and greater using preferred forms of .sup.241 Am/Be radioactive isotope as the activation source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling the concentrations of dissolved solids in a plurality of solutions contained in a plurality of interconnected baths. The conductivities of the solutions are monitored and make-up liquid is added to each bath when the conductivity of the respective solution exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: A multilayer analysis sheet for analyzing liquid samples is described, comprising, in sequence, a light transmitting hydrophobic support having on one side thereof at least one layer containing at least one reagent in a binder and a liquid sample spreading layer made of fabric, which layers are laminated to form an integral unit together with the support, wherein said fabric has the ability to supply a liquid sample placed on the surface thereof to the reagent-containing layer at a substantially constant volume per unit area, which ability is conferred upon the fabric by rendering it hydrophilic; the multilayer analysis sheet can be economically manufactured without variations in quality, and improves the spreading capability of liquid samples.

Abstract: A method of sterilization which comprises treating a microorganism with an ultraviolet irradiated solution of hydrogen peroxide, the wavelength of the ultraviolet radiation being wholly or predominantly below 325 nm and the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide being no greater than 10% by weight and such that the microorganism is rendered non-viable by synergism between the radiation and the hydrogen peroxide. The invention is particularly applicable to the treatment of spores contaminating food packaging.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for preparing flowable reaction mixtures.

Abstract: Total organic carbon can be determined for each one of a plurality of discrete aqueous samples containing halide ion by means of an apparatus comprising a reactor (13), and a pump (12) and flowline (11) for introducing a continuous flow into the reactor (13) of a solution that contains an oxidizing agent and mercuric monohalide ion without forming an insoluble precipitate. The solution to be introduced into the reactor (13) is prepared by mixing the oxidizing agent with a solution containing mercuric monohalide ion; and the solution containing mercuric monohalide ion is formed by adding a quantity of mercuric halide and a quantity of mercuric nitrate to an aqueous solution containing nitric acid, where the molar concentration of the mercuric halide is at least equal to the molar concentration of the mercuric nitrate.

Abstract: A control apparatus for automatically controlling at least the concentration of copper-ions, hydroxyl-ions and formaldehyde-ions in an electroless copper plating bath and independently analyzing, displaying and replenishing the concentration of each such ions whereby a sample for each of the ions is discontinuously removed from the plating bath and diluted with a specific amount of water and, independently of one another, the copper-ion concentration is colorimetrically analyzed, displayed and replenished as needed, the hydroxyl-ion concentration is potentiometrically analyzed, displayed and replenished as needed and the formaldehyde-ion concentration is amperometrically analyzed, displayed and replenished as needed.

Abstract: The rack is provided with means for supporting and temporarily holding in place the portion of a specimen analyzing device in which a plurality of biological or other fluid specimens to be analyzed is contained. The specimen containing portion of the analyzing device may take the form of a circular carousel with the specimen samples being contained in a plurality of holding tubes arranged equiangularly about the circumference of the carousel. The rack is provided with a plurality of bulk specimen tubes which are releasably held in the rack in a circular array about the carousel so that each bulk specimen tube is disposed radially opposite to a corresponding specimen holding tube in the carousel. In this manner, specimen samples may be transferred from the bulk specimen tubes to the specimen holding tubes without any confusion as to which bulk tube is paired with which holding tube.

Abstract: A tray is adapted to be rotatably mounted on chemical analysis apparatus and to receive a plurality of cups of fluid samples for chemical analysis. The tray is formed of a plurality of discrete arcuate segments independently removable from, and replaceable onto the analysis apparatus to form a circular composite tray when all the segments are present. The tray is provided with a plurality of replaceable metering tips, one per fluid sample cup, which may be radially aligned with the cups. The tray segments are mounted on a carrier which can be removed from the chemical analysis apparatus with all the tray segments as a unit.

Abstract: An analytical method for the determination of total nitrogen contents in samples, which comprises passing an inert gas stream containing substantially no nitrogen through a first reaction tube which is packed with a decomposition catalyst and oxidizing agent and maintained at a temperature of 700.degree. to 1100.degree. C., a condenser for condensing unnecessary components in the gaseous products from the first reaction tube, a second reaction tube which is packed with an oxidizing agent and a reducing agent and is maintained at a temperature of 400.degree. to 800.degree. C., a moisture-absorbing tube and a carbon dioxide gas-absorbing tube in this order, introducing a liquid sample to be analyzed into the first reaction tube and sending nitrogen gas coming out of the carbon dioxide gas-absorbing tube to a nitrogen gas analyzer to determine the nitrogen gas, and an apparatus for carrying out such a method.

Abstract: A rotatable detector for continuously monitoring twelve blood samples being evaluated by an instrument is disclosed. Each sample is held in a separate cuvette forming part of a cuvette tray. A single bulb illuminates all twelve cuvettes and the light passing through each cuvette is carried to a separate detector for that cuvette by a respective one of twelve light pipes. The cuvette tray receptacle bulb and twelve detectors all rotate as a unit to permit reagent dispensing at a single station while continuously monitoring the light transmission of each sample.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for quickly and easily determining the presence and concentration of aflatoxins in peanuts. Aflatoxins are extracted from ground peanuts with a methanol-water solution using a tissuemizer. The extracted sample is filtered and an aliquot of the filtrate is transferred to a separatory funnel. A salt solution is added to remove interferences. The combined aqueous solution is then extracted with dichloromethane. The dichloromethane extract is evaporated to dryness, trifluoroacetic acid is then added and the resulting residue taken up in the mobile phase. The solution is then passed through a minicolumn for filtration and final cleanup. An aliquot is then injected into a high pressure liquid chromatograph system for separation of the four aflatoxin components, B1, B2, G1 and G2. Quantitation is done using a filter fluorescence detector.

Abstract: Specified subclasses of blood cells, such as of lymphocytes, are automatically identified based on utilization of antigenic determinants on the cell surface, their reactivity with antibodies which fluoresce under known circumstances, and utilization of principles of flow cytometry. A blood sample is first incubated with a reagent including antibodies to the lymphocyte subclass to be identified, the antibodies being directly or indirectly made fluorescently responsive to particular light (e. g. argon ion laser). The sample is illuminated, a cell at a time, by such focused coherent light, and forward light scatter, right angle light scatter, and fluorescence are detected and used to identify and enumerate cells of the specified subclass.

Abstract: A continually repeated chemical analysis of a process stream sample is effected by interposing the sample in a flow of titrant, flow of which is interrupted only to permit the interposition of the sample in the line of flow. A holding zone or chamber, e.g. a chromatographic column receives and holds titrant until the interposed sample in the column is titrated. Reaction product eluted from the column is detected.

Abstract: Apparatus for analyzing the contents of a sealed package includes a package alignment assembly, and a probe assembly that has a puncturing tip. The package alignment assembly includes a positioning support surface in alignment with the puncturing tip and supplemental resiliently supported structure spaced from the support surface for aligning the package to be analyzed with the probe assembly. A flow path extends from the puncturing tip to an analysis unit for withdrawing and analyzing a sample of the contents of the package.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a turntable carrying, in a circular array centered on a central rotational axis of the turntable, a plurality of vials extending below the underside of the turntable. A stepper motor imparts stepwise rotational motion to the turntable so that during dwell periods of the turntable, specimens in the vials can be investigated optically.Air in a space below the turntable and bounded laterally and at the bottom by an enclosure is circulated by a rotating vane, and a thermistor, responsive to the temperature in the region of the vials, controls a heater in the space below the turntable so as to maintain the temperature of the vials substantially at a predetermined value.