Abstract: Propagation modes within a corrugated optical waveguide are used to excite fluorescence from a layer of material which defines a wall of the waveguide. The fluorescence is emitted at discrete angles, which are a function of the wavelength and polarization of the emitted fluorescence. The intensity of fluorescence detected at the discrete angles of detection can approach 2000 times the intensity detected from the same fluorescence material coated on a glass slide. These features enable a number of tests to be performed simultaneously on an unknown sample, as well as providing a finer and more accurate determination of concentration of a substance over prior art systems.

Abstract: A method of measuring or controlling ozone concentration by ultraviolet ray absorptiometry, includes charging air into a testing tank with its temperature controlled, measuring the disturbing gases generated from testpieces such as rubber samples inside the testing tank by regarding them as ozone, subtracting a value representative of the disturbing gases with a calculation circuit from a value indicative of the preexisting state in the tank to set the ozone concentration at zero, generating a necessary quantity of ozone with an ozonizer by using the zero ozone concentration as a reference point, suspending the generation of ozone after the passage of a predetermined time, measuring once again to obtain a new ozone concentration zero value, adjusting the ozone concentration zero value to the new value if there has been a change in the amount of disturbing gases generated, and repeating at least once the operation described above to regulate the ozone concentration to a desired ozone concentration.

Abstract: The fat content of food or non-food products can be quickly and accurately determined by processes which solublize the product's fat content in tetrachloroethylene. These processes generally involve extracting the fat from a product to be tested for fat content with tetrachloroethylene, dissolving the fat/tetrachloroethylene solution in a polar organic solvent such as acetic acid, treating the resulting solution with an aqueous surfactant such as Triton X-100.RTM. in order to transfer the solution's fat content to the aqueous surfactant and thereby inducing the formation of fat globules in a resulting suspension and then testing the resulting suspension for monochromatic light dispersion. The light dispersed at the maximum turbidity of the sample is compared to a standard curve plot produced by previous tests on tetrachloroethylene solutions of a pure fat taken from samples comparable to the product being tested.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for scientific analysis of a sample under low temperature vacuum conditions uses a vacuum chamber with a conveyor belt disposed therein. One end of the conveyor belt is a cool end in thermal contact with the cold stage of a refrigerator, whereas the other end of the conveyor belt is a warm end spaced from the refrigerator. A septum allows injection of a sample into the vacuum chamber on top of the conveyor belt for spectroscopic or other analysis. The sample freezes on the conveyor belt at the cold end. One or more windows in the vacuum chamber housing allow spectroscopic analysis of the sample. Following the spectroscopic analysis, the conveyor belt may be moved such that the sample moves toward the warm end of the conveyor belt where upon it evaporates, thereby cleaning the conveyor belt.

Abstract: An assay technique for qualitative and quantitative detection of a chemcial, biochemical or biological detection of a chemical, biochemical or biological species in sample. The technique comprises (a) coating at least a predetermined part of a pre-formed surface on a substrate with a thin film of a material capable of binding the species to be assayed, the pre-formed surface being optically active with respect to radiation at least over a predetermined band of wavelengths; (b) contacting the coated surface with sample; and (c) observing the optical properties of said pre-formed surface in order to determine a qualitative and quantitative change in optical properties as a result of the binding of the species onto said thin film of material. The optical properties of the pre-formed surface may be observed before and after step (b) in order to determine any change in optical properties, or they may be monitored during step (b). The pre-formed surface is preferably a grating.

Abstract: A reservoir fiber optic chemical sensor (FOCS) is formed of a modular cell body. A fiber optic is attached using a quick connect standard fiber optic connector. A semipermeable membrane is attached at the opposite end of the cell body using a quick attach membrane retainer. Multiple sensors can be made uniformly. Specific sensors for TCE vapor, O.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 are produced by utilizing a suitable reaction chemistry in the cell. A non-imaging optical focusing element can be included in the cell to increase sensitivity. A reaction cell can be placed adjacent to the reservoir cell with the semi-permeable membrane separating the two cells to produce a photolysis FOCS. TOC and TOCl can be detected with the photolysis FOCS.

Abstract: The interference of dehydroascorbic acid, an oxidation product of ascorbic acid, in analytical methods is reduced with the use of certain nitrogen-containing organic buffers. Dehydroascorbic acid tends to cause premature reduction of reducible compounds which are used to provide detectable species in the presence of an analyte. These organic buffers, as opposed to inorganic buffers, prevent premature reduction of the reducible compounds. An analytical method can be carried out in solution or in a dry analytical element.

Abstract: Methods for partitioning and analysis of flavor volatile and other organic components in a food or bioculture composition utilizing acetonitrile-water blends which are cooled to provide a phase and component separation.

Abstract: Gas from angled jets in a conical array bounces off the sample in a high-pressure stream, effectively centered in a duct leading to an optical-measurement chamber. A glow discharge, in the high-pressure zone where gas hits the sample, provides effective sample bombardment. Pulsed high-energy presputtering quickly bares the sample interior for analysis. Dislodged atoms flow with the gas (whose centering keeps an arrestor recess clear or obviates the need for a recess) to the measurement chamber, where the stream is bent into a long path for coaxial measurement viewing. To lessen turbulence losses, a contoured guide leads the stream into the coaxial path. The stream can be split into two opposed substreams to double the absorption pathlength. Discharge current is adjusted to use a linear part of the absorbance curve; or servocontrolled to hold absorbance at an ideal value--the current itself serving as an index of concentration.

Abstract: A transport detector system comprises(a) a liquid delivery tube,(b) a plurality of moveable spokes, the spokes being positioned to pass in sequence under the delivery tube, the spokes being constructed from a refractory inorganic material of low thermal conductivity,(c) one or more evaporators, positioned so that the spokes pass sequentially through it or them after liquid has been deposited on the spokes,(d) a detector positioned so that the spokes pass sequentially through it after passage through the evaporator(s),(e) one or more coolers, positioned so that the spokes pass through it or them after passage through the detector,(f) a stepper motor adapted to move the spokes in a series of discrete steps, and(g) a control system for the stepper motor, evaporators and coolers.The system is particularly suitable for use in HPLC analysis and may be interfaced with a plasma spectrometer.

Abstract: An atomic spectrometer in combination with an atomizer apparatus for atomizing a test sample into an atomic state for analysis in the atomic spectrometer. The atomizer apparatus includes a heater for heating a sample to free individual atoms of the sample for atomic spectroscopy, a tube member containing a packing of an adsorbent, a reagent adsorbed on the adsorbent which reacts with a metal constituent in a sample to form a metal complex which adsorbs to the adsorbent at a first temperature and is volatile at a second higher temperature for desorption from the adsorbent, and a heater for heating the tube member.

Abstract: A composition of matter and method for using the composition of matter to isolate various cell elements from a heterogeneous cell suspension in a simple one step procedure. The composition is a monoclonal antibody mixture including complement and a non-toxic density gradient media. The composition provides a negative selection technique in which undesired subpopulation cells are lysed and separated from the desired cell subpopulation. The invention has particular application to isolation of white cell elements.

Abstract: A method for the colorimetric determination of water content of an unknown sample, using the Karl Fischer reaction. The Karl Fischer reagent in a container has added to it a dye whose optical absorption preferably does not overlap with the optical absorption of the Karl Fischer reagent. Measurement of the optical absorption of the reagent/dye mixture is then made at two wavelengths, one wavelength being strongly absorbed by iodine in the reagent while the other wavelength is strongly absorbed by the dye. After the unknown sample is added, optical absorption measurements are again made at the two wavelengths. The measurements made at the wavelength where the dye strongly absorbs are used to correct the optical absorption measurements made at the wavelength where iodine strongly absorbs. This corrects for all factors affecting optical density other than the amount of water in the unknown sample.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for analyzing molten metal which comprises removing a sample of metal from a source of molten metal; dissolving the sample in a solvent; and analyzing the dissolved sample to determine the contents of the molten metal. In a preferred embodiment, the sample is removed from the molten metal as solid particles in a sampling zone, conveyed in a fluid to a dissolution zone where a known quantity is dissolved for subsequent spectral analysis, and the resulting solution is then passed to a spectral analysis zone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the qualitative and quantitative measurement, by means of microwave spectrometry, of the hydrogen isotopes, protium, deuterium and tritium, in a sample which contains hydrogen, water or a mixture thereof, and to an apparatus for implementing the method. Because it is a prerequisite for the use of microwave spectrometry that the isotopes be present in the form of water, and it is advantageous to have impurities in the sample in the form of active or inactive foreign molecules that do not interfere, the present process converts the sample into the gas and/or vapor form. The water vapor component of the sample is subjected to microwave spectrometry and a first measured value compiled, the hydrogen component of the sample is converted to water and then subjected to microwave spectrometry and a second measured value is compiled, whereupon the two measured values are summed to provide the total isotope spectrum. Only the non-condensable gases must be removed.

Abstract: Gaseous selenium is detected and quantitatively determined at a temperature lower than the temperatures employed in the atomic absorption spectroscopic analysis method of the prior art. This is achieved by directing a spectrum line with a wavelength of 335 nm or by two or more spectrum lines having wavelengths of 324 nm, 326 nm, 328 nm, 330 nm, 332.5 nm, 335 nm, 337.5 nm, 340 nm, 342 nm, 344.5 nm, 347 nm, 350 nm, 352.5 nm, 355 nm, 357.3 nm and 360 nm upon gaseous selenium at a temperature of lower than the atomizing temperature of selenium, measuring the absorption of the incident spectrum line by the gaseous selenium and detecting and quantitatively determining the selenium from the peak height of this intensity.

Abstract: A gas concentration measuring method comprises irradiating a sample gas with ultraviolet light in the presence of oxygen, thereby converting a specific gas for detection contained in the sample gas into fine oxide particles by photochemical reaction, irradiating the sample gas having the fine oxide particles contained therein with light, and detecting scattered light emitted from the fine oxide particles contained in the sample gas.

Abstract: An electrolyte in a sample is stably measured by using an automatic biochemical analyzing apparatus wherein a flame photometer is assembled, which comprises a sample pipetting and delivering member, a reagent liquid delivering member, reaction cups charging the sample delivered through the sample pipetting and delivering member and the reagent liquid delivered through the reagent delivering member and a flame photometer for measuring an electrolyte, the method being characterized in that with respect to a sample cup to which the measurement of electrolyte is ordered, the sample pipetting and delivering member and the reagent delivering member are operated to deliver the sample and the reagent liquid to a reaction cup and an electrolyte of the diluted sample in the reaction cup is measured by the flame photometer and with respect to a sample cup to which the measurement of electrolyte is not ordered, the sample pipetting and delivering member is not operated and into a reaction cup corresponding to said sample

Abstract: A flame detector analyzer of the type wherein a sample gas is introduced into a flame formed by burning a fuel gas in presence of a combustion supporting gas, comprises a background providing device for supplying a background component gas capable of emitting a characteristic spectrum having the same wave length as that of the characteristic spectrum of a measuring object component contained in the sample gas, the light spectrums emitted from the measuring object component and the background component gas being received and treated to be detected, thereby increasing the measuring accuracy for the measuring object component and improving the resolving power at a low concentration detection region.

Abstract: The geochemical oil prospecting method is disclosed in which a crude oil sample is analyzed for the presence of distinctive patterns of aromatic sulfur compounds which are indicative of the petroleum source rock type. Using relative proportions of benzothiophenes, dibenzothiophene, isomeric methyl dibenzothiophenes, dimethyl- and trimethydibenzothiophenes a crude oil can be identified as having a carbonate or siliciclastic source. The information obtained can be used in combination with geological and seismic studies to determine potential oil locations.

Abstract: A method of geochemical prospecting for buried sulphur mineralization which comprises collecting relatively organic free soil samples, desorbing bound sulphur gases from the soil samples, and analyzing the sulphur gases.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the preparation of a liquid sample for the quantitative determination of boron by flame photometry. The sample is combined in a vessel with sulfuric acid, and an excess of methanol is added thereto. The methanol reacts with any boron present in the sample to form trimethyl borate which is volatilized by the heat of reaction between the excess methanol and sulfuric acid. The volatilized trimethyl borate is withdrawn from the vessel by either a partial vacuum or a positive pressure and is rapidly transferred to a standard flame photometer. The method is free of interference from typical boron concomitants.