Abstract: An automated sample preparation system for chemical assay of samples of materials. The sample preparation system includes a sample preparation chamber which includes a removable cup for taking solid or very viscous samples to the sample preparation system. The cup may be attached in sealing relationship to a cap through which extends various utilities such as a mixer/grinder to grind solid samples and mix non-homogeneous samples, a fill pipe to pump in liquid samples, an effluent pipe in the sump of the cup to allow pumping of samples and solvents and a nozzle to allow liquids to be sprayed against the walls. A sample metering valve associated with the sample preparation chamber allows a known volume of sample to be isolated so that solvent may be pumped in to dilute the sample to a user defined concentration.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for measuring the degree of pollution, the degradableness, and the level of toxicity of aqueous liquids, for example, effluent. A partial stream is withdrawn from the liquid undergoing examination and diluted with biologically neutral water. The diluted partial stream is oxygenated and continuously flows through a biological bath in a reaction vessel having a constant living mass. The dilution of the partial stream is regulated in such a manner through measurement of the oxygen content upstream and downstream of the reaction vessel, that with constant volume flow through the reaction vessel, the difference between the measurement values obtained remains essentially constant at a predetermined value, so that the amount of dilution serves for the indication of the level of pollution. Additional reaction vessels connected in parallel or in series with the first reaction vessel and having associated oxygen electrodes allows measurement of the toxicity and degradableness of the pollution.

Abstract: A method of controlling an alkaline pulping process, sulphate pulping in particular. The concentration of the dissolved components as well as the concentration of the recidual cooking chemical are measured. The measurements are carried out by means of an analyzer positioned outside of the cooking process in a separate liquid flow. The measuring devices are per se known detectors. The cooking process is observed and the necessary corrections are made on the basis of the measuring results.

Abstract: An automated sample preparation system for chemical assay of samples of materials. The sample preparation system includes a sample preparation chamber which includes a removable cup for taking solid or very viscous samples to the sample preparation system. The cup may be attached in sealing relationship to a cap through which extends various utilities such as a mixer/grinder to grind solid samples and mix non-homogeneous samples, a fill pipe to pump in liquid samples, an effluent pipe in the sump of the cup to allow pumping of samples and solvents and a nozzle to allow liquids to be sprayed against the walls. A sample metering valve associated with the sample preparation chamber allows a known volume of sample to be isolated so that solvent may be pumped in to dilute the sample to a user defined concentration.

Abstract: Method of measuring electrolyte concentration in a urine sample, by preparing a calibrating solution containing ions of the electrolytes to be measured, preparing a diluent containing the same ions, diluting the urine sample with the diluent, measuring the electrolyte in the diluted urine with an electrode using the calibrating solution, and calculating the concentration of electrolyte based on the measured value. Additionally, the concentration of the same electrolytes in a blood sample can be measured without dilution, using the same calibrating solution.

Abstract: An air knife is positioned to direct a stream or blast of air across the tip of a sample probe as it is withdrawn from a cuvette containing a reagent, diluent, and patient sample solution. After the probe is flushed with diluent, the air knife drives any droplets of diluent fluid off the probe tip into the cuvette and thereby prevents contamination or dilution of the sample material in the sample containers.

Abstract: An apparatus for diluting a sample with a diluent, comprising a fixed volume measuring chamber, a fixed volume receiving chamber and fluid receiving relationship to the measuring chamber, a gas vent in the receiving chamber, a stop flow junction between the measuring chamber and the receiving chamber, a sample application site in fluid donating relationship to the measuring chamber, wherein the vertical height difference between the sample application site and the stop flow junction is insufficient to provide a hydrostatic pressure capable of overcoming backpressure at the stop flow junction when sample is applied to the sample application site, and the diluent application site and fluid donating relationship to the measuring chamber. Sample and diluent are added sequentially to the apparatus of the invention without requiring any intervening operations. Various means are provided for restarting flow, which causes diluent to wash the sample into the receiving chamber, where the two can be mixed.

Abstract: An automated sample preparation system for chemical assay of samples of materials. The sample preparation system includes a sample preparation chamber which includes a removable cup for taking solid or very viscous samples to the sample preparation system. The cup may be attached in sealing relationship to a cap through which extends various utilities such as a mixer/grinder to grind solid samples and mix non-homogenous samples, a fill pipe to pump in liquid samples, an effluent pipe in the sump of the cap to allow pumping of samples and solvents and a nozzle to allow liquids to be sprayed against the walls. A sample metering valve associated with the sample preparation chamber allows a know volume of sample to be isolated so that solvent may be pumped in to dilute the sample to a user defined concentration.

Abstract: A plurality of analytes are analyzed by liquid chromatography in a liquid biological sample containing many components which can interfere with analysis by liquid chromatography. The sample, containing the analytes of interest, are passed to a first passage of a dialyzer which removes molecules in the sample which interfere with analysis. A diluent is passed through a second passage of the dialyzer in which the two liquids are separated from each other by a semipermeable membrane having holes large enough to permit the analytes of interest to pass into the diluent but holes small enough to prevent passage of sample components which interfere with analysis. The analyte-containing diluent is passed to a retaining element for temporarily retaining the analytes of interest by adsorption and/or partition. The analytes of interest are removed from the retaining element by a second diluent which is then passed through a chromatography column with a detector and the analytes are analyzed chromatographically.

Abstract: Automatic dilution apparatus and method are provided, and are operable in conjunction with automated sample liquid analysis systems to automatically dilute sample liquids as supplied thereby to automated sample liquid analysis apparatus. One embodiment of the dilution apparatus operates to dilute the sample liquids by flowing the sample liquids from the analysis system sample liquid supply conduit, diluting the same, and returning the diluted sample liquids to the supply conduit for flow therethrough to the sample analysis apparatus for sample liquid analysis. Flow of undiluted sample liquids through the supply conduit is prevented attendant operation of the dilution apparatus. A second embodiment of the dilution apparatus operates to remove predetermined volumes of the sample liquids from the supply conduit, and to replace the same with like volumes of a diluent liquid; thereby diluting the sample liquids in the supply conduit for continued flow to the sample liquid analysis apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a procedure to establish the presence of allergen-containing housedust, as results when or after housedust mites occur, in which samples of dust present in buildings are thoroughly suspended in a aqueous-alcoholic alkali metal hydroxide solution and, with the resulting extract, a color reaction using an aromatic diazo compound is carried out, the color reaction being evaluated with respect to its occurrence as an indication of the pollution of the dust with housedust mite residues. According to a particular embodiment, a paper treated with the aromatic diazo compound (and where appropriate with starch) is used for carrying out the color reaction. A further aspect of the invention involves quantitatively determining the allergological activity resulting from housedust mites in housedust samples.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for an automatic dilution system for providing a variable dilution of an unknown sample material, including a mixing chamber having at least one input and output, sample material and diluent. Injecting a quantity of the sample material into the input of the mixing chamber. Providing a flow of the diluent into the input of the mixing chamber to mix with the sample material and to continuously dilute the concentration of the sample material within the mixing chamber and flowing out of the mixing chamber to provide a variable dilution. Providing a measurement of a particular characteristic of the continuously variable diluted sample material, and controlling the flow of diluent in accordance with an optimal measurement of the particular characteristic.

Abstract: An automatic digestion system (10) is provided for digesting a continuous stream of wastewater prior to its analysis by a spectrometer system (12). The digestion system (10) includes a first metering pump (34) for drawing a continuous stream of wastewater (36) from a wastewater source (32). A second metering pump (38) draws a continuous stream of diluted nitric acid (40) from a source of acid (42) and mixes the acid with the wastewater to provide a stream of acidified wastewater (46). The acidified wastewater (46) is then heated, to digest the wastewater prior to its input into the spectrometer system (12).

Abstract: A process and apparatus for measuring the degree of pollution, the degradableness, and the level of toxicity of aqueous liquids such as effluent. A partial stream is withdrawn from the liquid undergoing examination and diluted with biologically neutral water. The diluted partial stream is oxygenated and continuously flows through a biological bath in a reaction vessel having a constant living mass. The dilution of the partial stream is regulated in such a manner through measurement of the oxygen content upstream and downstream of the reaction vessel, that with constant volume flow through the reaction vessel, the difference between the measurement values obtained remains essentially constant at a predetermined value, so that the amount of dilution serves for the indication of the level of pollution. Additional reaction vessels connected in parallel or in series with the first reaction vessel and having associated oxygen electrodes allows measurement of the toxicity and degradableness of the pollution.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for serial dilution of liquid samples comprises a power-driven measuring valve having a rotatably mounted valve body provided with a single calibrated measuring passageway. During a dilution cycle the measuring passageway in different rotational positions of the valve body successively isolates a measured volume of a sample to be diluted and an equal volume of a first diluted solution of the sample which has been prepared by mixing the isolated undiluted volume of the sample with a measured volume of diluent. In a valve body position between said different rotational positions the measuring passageway is connected to form part of a rinsing flow system.

Abstract: A method of performing medical analysis on a liquid sample makes use of a container (1) made from a single plastics molding, the container is compartmented so as to include a sample storage chamber (4), a calibrated cell (6), and a plurality of storage chambers (40, 50, 60) for liquid reagents. Various centrifuging operations are performed to cause the sample and the reagents to pass successively into an analysis vat (11).

Abstract: An apparatus for use in the measurement of total iron binding capacity of blood serum or plasma comprises a container having a removable closure and containing a measured quantity of dried iron-saturating substance, which is adhered to the inner surface of the container or of the closure and a measured quantity of dried alumina. The invention further provides a simple, rapid and inexpensive method for measurement of total iron binding capacity using the apparatus.

Abstract: An improved precision diluter/dispenser device is provided with features for effecting automatic compensation for non-linearity of aspirated fluid volumes of the particular piston and cylinder syringe assemblies that are included with the diluter/dispenser device in order to enhance the accuracy of the device by varying the piston stroke length in order to correct for non-linearity of aspirated or dispensed fluid volumes. Suitable correction factors are programmed into the control mechanism of the device in order to automatically make the necessary adjustments in stroke length so as to significantly enhance the linearity of the movement of fluid volumes throughout the working volume of the piston and cylinder assembly, whether the movement of fluid be of a very small percentage or a very large percentage of the volume capacity of the assembly.

Abstract: A method of analyzing a volatile, air or moisture sensitive or pyrophoric, liquid, organometallic compound for an impurity comprising inserting a sample of the compound into an exponential dilution flask, allowing substantially the entire sample to vaporize, and analyzing the vapor by plasma spectroscopy; or decomposing the sample by dropwise addition into frozen aqueous acid, diluting the decomposed sample with water, and analyzing the diluted, decomposed sample by plasma spectroscopy.

Abstract: A method for continuously measuring the concentration of CaCO.sub.3 in slurries comprising CaCO.sub.3 is described. The method comprises continuously sampling a given amount of the slurry, feeding the sampled slurry into an agitated continuous reactor container which is isolated from the outside air, keeping the slurry in the reactor container at a temperature of at least 50.degree. C., adding sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid to adjust the pH to below 4, blowing a known flow rate of air into the slurry, withdrawing from the reactor container CO.sub.2, produced by the reaction between CaCO.sub.3 and the acid, by entrainment with the air, further mixing the withdrawn gas with air for dilution while controlling a flow rate of the dilution air so that the concentration of CO.sub.2 in the mixed gas is maintained constant, and calculating the concentration of CaCO.sub.3 in the slurry from the concentration of CO.sub.2 in the mixed gas, the flow rate of the mixed gas and the amount of the sampled slurry.

Abstract: A method for continuously measuring the concentration of CaCO.sub.3 and/or CaSO.sub.3 in slurries comprising CaCO.sub.3 and/or CaSO.sub.3 is described. The method comprises continuouly sampling a given amount of the slurry, feeding the slurry into an agitated continuous reactor container which is isolated from the outside air and in which the slurry is kept at a temperature not lower than 70.degree. C., adding sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid to the slurry to make the pH below 3, blowing air or nitrogen gas into the slurry in the reactor container, withdrawing from the container CO.sub.2 and/or SO.sub.2 produced by reaction of CaCO.sub.3 and/or CaSO.sub.3 with the acid by entrainment with the air or nitrogen gas, and calculating the concentration of CaCO.sub.3 and/or CaSO.sub.3 from the concentration of CO.sub.2 and/or SO.sub.2 in the withdrawn gas, the flow rate of the sampled slurry and the flow rate of the blown air or nitrogen gas.

Abstract: A method for continuously measuring the concentration of CaCO.sub.3 in slurries comprising CaCO.sub.3 is described. The method comprises continuously sampling a given amount of the slurry, feeding the sampled slurry into an agitated continuous reactor container which is isolated from the outside air, keeping the slurry in the reactor container at a temperature of at least 50.degree. C., adding sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid to adjust the pH to below 4, blowing air into the slurry in the reactor container, withdrawing from the reactor container CO.sub.2, produced by the reaction between CaCO.sub.3 and the acid, by entrainment with the air, and calculating the concentration of CaCO.sub.3 in the slurry from the concentration of CO.sub.2 in the withdrawn gas, the amount of the sampled slurry and the flow rate of the blown air.

Abstract: A hand held self-contained automated pipette for portable operation having an electrically operated digital linear actuator. The actuator preferably includes a stepper motor driving a rotor. A threaded screw is coaxially positioned within the rotor and is connected to an actuator shaft having elongate grooves slidable in a guide for preventing shaft rotation so that precise linear motion is imparted to the shaft. A pipetting displacement assembly having one of various sizes is removably attached for actuation by a common actuator including programmed movement of a displacing piston in a displacement cylinder to optimize air interface volume, neutralize variations in vacuum pipette effects, and provide an accommodated stroke and readout for improved accuracy while pipetting and/or titrating different ranges of volumes. A control circuit is provided so that the back EMF of the stepper motor coils is recirculated when power is duty-cycled off for power conservation.

Abstract: An automatic chemical analyzer which comprises a reaction line system including a plurality of reaction lines each consisting of a plurality of reaction tubes arranged in a row, means for distributing samples to the reaction tubes, and means for carrying out chemical analysis of samples contained in the reaction tubes. The reaction line system is provided with a driving mechanism for driving the individual reaction lines intermittently and independently of one another, and is constructed to sure that the feed rate of the individual reaction lines can be freely changed. The automatic chemical analyzer can thus be reduced in size and nevertheless can quickly and reliably make analysis of a number of samples for a number of items.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid handling process that provides self-limited, controlled and gentle movement of a quantity of liquid for metering and positioning purposes without the need for auxiliary sensors, and without loss or damage to the liquid sample. Precise positioning is accomplished under the influence of progressively reduced volumes of reduced pressure in an arrangement in which atmospheric pressure produces movement of the liquid quantity without need for auxiliary sensing devices, flow or pump control mechanisms, and the like.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for collecting a liquid sample and diluting the liquid sample by virtue of being adapted for use with a container having a volume of diluting liquid. The device comprises a housing adapted for mating with the container where the mated housing and container form a chamber. A bibulous pad is attached to the housing for collecting a predetermined amount of a liquid sample. Additionally, the device, when used with the container, creates a pressure differential between the interior of the housing and the chamber. The pressure differential is sufficient to move a predetermined volume of the diluting liquid through the bibulous pad and into the housing. The device can be used for assaying for a component of a sample. The device has particular use in immunochromatography and for convenience can also contain a strip of bibulous material confined in the housing.

Abstract: Method for the precise dilution of a liquid sample, in which diluting agent is pumped through a main channel (1) open at its lower tip and, at the same time, sample is pumped through a side channel (2), whose lower tip (11) opens into the main channel. The invention can be used e.g. in photometers.

Abstract: A process for sampling and diluting a liquid to be diluted utilizing a device comprising a hollow tubular body and a sealed pre-evacuated container. The hollow tubular body includes a self-filling tube for drawing up and capturing by capillary attraction a predetermined volume of a liquid to be diluted. Additionally, the hollow tubular body includes a connecting tube in an air-tight sealing relationship with the self-filling tube. In a preferred embodiment, the container has a frangible tip for mutually interengaging in an air-tight sealing relationship with the connecting tube.

Abstract: An automatic sampling method for introducing a diluted viscous sample into an instrument for analysis for trace elements. The automatic sampling system includes a tube assembly, a member for mounting the tube assembly in proper relation, means for maintaining, between sampling, the free end of the tube assembly in a cleaning solution, and means for inserting the free end of the tube assembly into a sample contained within a container. Preferably, the instrument is a spectrometer, the samples are organic and aqueous samples, such as oils, brines, sludges, plating solutions and the like, and the trace elements include wear metals and also other elements, such as calcium, barium, zinc, sodium, magnesium, boron, phosphor and the like.

Abstract: This invention involves an improvement in immunoassay for carcinoembryonic antigen in biological fluids. The improvement comprises liberating carcinoembryonic antigen in the biological fluid by diluting the biological fluid with about 0.4-0.8 molar salt solution buffered at about pH 6-8 prior to conducting the immunoassay for carcinoembryonic antigen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the composition and the concentration of biocidal gas and other gases contained in a reaction chamber during processing of material contained in the chamber and exposed to the treating gas. A valved pre-evacuated gas-sampling vessel is positioned in the reaction chamber and, thereafter, opened by remote control to receive a gas sample representative of the gaseous atmosphere present in the chamber. The sampling vessel is then closed, removed from the treatment chamber, and connected to apparatus for analyzing the gas in the vessel. The qualitative and quantitative composition of the treating gas is thus determined.

Abstract: A disposable device for the sampling and diluting of a liquid to be diluted. The device includes a hollow tubular body and a sealed pre-evacuated container. The hollow tubular body includes a self-filling tube for drawing up and capturing by capillary attraction a predetermined volume of a liquid to be diluted. Additionally, the hollow tubular body includes a connecting tube in an air-tight sealing relationship with the self-filling tube. In a preferred embodiment, the container has a frangible tip for mutually interengaging in an air-tight sealing relationship with the connecting tube. Also provided is a process for the sampling and diluting of a liquid to be diluted.

Abstract: An automatic sampling system and method for introducing a diluted viscous sample into an instrument for analysis for trace elements. The automatic sampling system includes a tube assembly, a member for mounting the tube assembly in proper relation, means for maintaining, between sampling, the free end of the tube assembly in a cleaning solution, and means for inserting the free end of the tube assembly into a sample contained within a container. Preferably, the instrument is a spectrometer, the samples are organic and aqueous samples, such as oils, brines, sludges, plating solutions and the like, and the trace elements include wear metals and also other elements, such as calcium, barium, zinc, sodium, magnesium, boron, phosphor and the like.

Abstract: A diluent and a method of assaying are described, by which the ionic strength range of the liquid that is to be assayed potentiometrically, is compressed. The diluent comprises a predetermined concentration of (a) a protonated water-soluble organic amine having (i) a pKa greater than or equal to 9.3, and (ii) a hydroxyalkyl of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, bonded to the nitrogen of the amine, wherein the oxygen-to-carbon bond of the hydroxy is no more than two bonds removed from the nitrogen, and (b) an acid anion.