Instrumentation Laboratory

Fisher Scientific Company

Dinesh I Mody

Thomas F Kelley

Gustav H Dreier

James E Rasmussen

Charles F Mountain

Carolyn Bergkvist

Mikhail Y Ryaboy

A system for analyzing a biological fluid or the like includes a series flow loop that extends between an inlet valve array and an outlet valve array. The flow loop includes an analysis region to which a measuring system is connected in sensing relation and an accumulator chamber connected to the outlet of the analysis region. The inlet valve array is arranged to selectively and alternately connect a sample inlet port and an auxiliary fluid reservoir to the flow loop while the outlet valve array is arranged to selectively connect a controlled source of reduced pressure to the flow loop. The volume of the accumulator chamber is at least as great as the volume of the flow loop (including the analysis region) between the inlet valve array and the accumulator chamber and the system is arranged to capture reduced pressure in the flow loop, the captured reduced pressure then being used to provide the sole transfer force to gently and reliably transfer a minute quantity of fluid to be analyzed from the sample inlet port through the analysis region and at least partially fill the accumulator chamber.

Analysis apparatus

A liquid handling system that is particularly useful in a clinical analysis system and includes first and second storage chambers, each with a port through which liquid may be flowed into and from the storage chamber. The storage chambers and their ports are arranged to permit concurrent flowing of liquids from both storage chambers into a processing chamber. The system also includes two liquid metering means and a diluent reservoir. A valve arrangement enables connection of one of the metering means to the diluent reservoir and to either of the storage chambers; and each metering means, when connected to a storage chamber, controls flow of liquid into and out of the storage chamber through its port. The two metering means and the valve arrangement provide flexibility in selecting dilution ratios and delivering raw and diluted sample as required to an array of chambers for analysis or other processing.

Analysis system

A total carbon dioxide analyzer system has a reaction chamber that includes a tube and a piston mounted for sliding movement in the tube to change the volume of the chamber. A valve coupled to the chamber has a sample inlet port and a reagent inlet port, and is movable between a first state in which the sample inlet port is connected to the chamber, a second state in which the reagent inlet port is connected to the chamber, and a third state in which the reaction chamber is sealed. A system controller coordinately operates the valve and moves the piston to increase the volume of said chamber to draw sample into the chamber for mixing with an acid reagent in the chamber, and then seals the chamber and increases the volume of the chamber to facilitate the release of carbon dioxide. A transducer then senses the pressure of carbon dioxide in the reaction chamber.

Analytical system for analyzing CO.sub.2 content of a fluid

Sampling apparatus designed for aspirating, diluting and mixing a small sample of fluid in precise amounts and delivering the mixture to a scientific apparatus at a place remote from the place of aspiration. Operation of the device may be manual but is preferably automatic. The apparatus is designed to process a plurality of sample fluids with no cross-contamination between samples. In essence, the apparatus is a fluid handling system including a sample pick-up assembly in fluid communication with an automatic valve assembly having two operative positions. The automatic valve assembly is in fluid communication with a dilutor assembly having a sample pump and a diluent pump operable by a common means. A mixing and delivery assembly is also in fluid communication with the automatic valve assembly and includes a cup designed for bidirectional rotation with an annular space about the cup. A dispensing probe dispenses into the cup precise amounts of sample and diluent in a predetermined ratio to each other and, following rotation of the cup to achieve the mixture of sample and diluent, an aspirator probe enters the mixture and delivers an amount thereof to an adjacent scientific instrument. The apparatus further includes a means for expelling the remainder of the mixture from the cup into the annular space surrounding the cup, and from there through a valve, to waste.

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Bedford, MA, United States of America

Dinesh I Mody