Abstract: A rotary shear valve having three-point stator seating is provided. Three contact points are predetermined between a bottom of the stator and a valve body rim and three clamping pads may also be predetermined. The three clamping pads and the three points of contact between stator and the valve body rim are corresponding and aligned when the rotary shear valve is assembled so that the clamping or compression forces on both sides of the stator directly oppose one another, thereby effectively canceling each other. In one embodiment, the stator includes three contact points on the bottom surface proximate the periphery of the stator to contact the valve rim and a gasket includes three clamping pads proximate the periphery of the gasket web to apply a compression force on the top surface of the stator above the three contact points.

Abstract: A rotary shear valve having three-point stator seating is provided. Three contact points are predetermined between a bottom of the stator and a valve body rim and three clamping pads may also be predetermined. The three clamping pads and the three points of contact between stator and the valve body rim are corresponding and aligned when the rotary shear valve is assembled so that the clamping or compression forces on both sides of the stator directly oppose one another, thereby effectively canceling each other. In one embodiment, the stator includes three contact points on the bottom surface proximate the periphery of the stator to contact the valve rim and a gasket includes three clamping pads proximate the periphery of the gasket web to apply a compression force on the top surface of the stator above the three contact points.

Abstract: A microbiological test array with a generally flat base having a plurality of upwardly projecting microwells connected by a microchannel to an open reservoir formed in a top surface generally parallel to the base of the test array. The reservoir has an opening to permit an inoculum-broth liquid solution to flow from the reservoir through the microchannel, to a sacrificial evaporation well having an air vent port adapted to control a vacuum filling process, and subsequently to be distributed into each of the plurality of microwells.

Abstract: A random access microbiological analyzer for performing AST and ID tests on samples using on-board inventories of different AST test arrays and different ID test rotors within separate AST and ID incubation and analysis chambers.