Abstract: An arrangement for chemical analysis of a small quantity of sample wherein a specimen of a small size is passed through a porous distribution first medium onto a reagent-containing second medium is disclosed. The reagent-containing second medium is a thin, flat, liquid-impervious medium. A reagent is encapsulated upon the second medium as a flat, liquid-phase surface. The first and second mediums are so arranged and disposed that when firmly pressed together, the encapsulated liquid reagent will be liberated and the specimen will be distributed through the first medium onto the liquid-phase liberated reagent where the subsequent reaction of the liquid-phase reagent and the specimen can then be identified by reading means.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates an arrangement for analyzing a plurality of components in a single specimen which comprises placing a diluted specimen into a storage cup which is part of a sample carrier system, containing storage and reaction cups, transferring aliquots of the diluted solutions of the sample from the storage to the reaction cups, presenting the rows of the reaction cups to a work station, sequentially, adding a reagent to each of the reaction cups and moving the reaction cups into a work field where beams of light passing through the various reaction cups can be scanned and the components contained in the reaction cups can be assayed by means of a single detector attached to a computer and print-out system.

Abstract: An instrument for quantitative analysis to measure a minute quantity of antigens or antibodies in a sample. There is a defined travel path for holding sample container holding means thereon, moving means coupled to said travel path to move a plurality of containers in a gang along said travel path, a work station including sensing means to sense a passing container in the container gang to align the containers at said work station. Probes at the work station are disposed above the containers when aligned at the work station. Lift means are provided for lowering and raising the probes into and out of the containers so as to add and remove liquid therefrom and program means control the operation of the instrument including the repetitive addition and removal of fluid from the containers whereby reagents are added to said containers, to lay down a film of immunologically active substance on walls of the containers.