Eastman-kodak Company

Other

Mark J Devaney, Jr

Jeffrey L Helfer

Lee F Frank

Paul Wagner

John S Lercher

Haribhajan S Kocher

Thomas W Glanville

Jeffrey A Wellman

Edward H Wannenwetsch

Christopher B Rider

Daniel A Slater

William A Meredith

Robert S Rosborough, Jr

Andrew Michael Wyner

Luther M Wright

A method of processing silver halide black-and-white photographic material in a processing machine which transports the material to be processed, through several processing tanks. The processing machine includes at least one tank with fixing ability and at least one tank which is either a wash or stabilizer tank. The wash or stabilizer tank furthest from the fixer tank(s) is replenished with wash or stabilizer solution. Outflow from the wash tank or stabilizer tank nearest the fixer tank(s) is passed to the nearest fixer tank together with a fixer replenishment solution to maintain the fixer's working composition. The total submersion time in the tank(s) having fixing ability is less than 25 seconds and the ratio of coated silver in the unprocessed photographic material (in g/m.sup.2) to the sum of the rates of addition to the fixer tank (in l/m.sup.2) of the wash outflow and fixer replenishment solution is greater than 10 g/l.

Method of processing black-and-white photographic materials

A combination is provided of a reaction vessel and apparatus for processing it. Preferably, the latter features a temperature control device comprising two surfaces to contact a reaction vessel sandwiched between them, a heater element being disposed on one side of one of the surfaces, a cavity being provided at the heater element, and pressure means for delivering cooling gas to the cavity and the heater element and for removing the air after it has cooled the heater element. Most preferably, there is further included means for providing relative movement between the control device and a reaction vessel so sandwiched between the two surfaces.

Temperature control device and reaction vessel

A processor for light sensitive material includes a processing device which is immersed in processing liquid in a processing chamber and defines a processing channel through which a web is transported by transport rollers for contact with a treatment liquid. Liquid is injected into the channel at one or more injection sites and evacuated from the channel at one or more evacuation sites. A pump which is totally immersed in the liquid circulates liquid from within the chamber to the evacuation sites and through the processing channel to the evacuation sites. In one embodiment of the pump comprises an elongated cylindrical element having a plurality of peripheral blades and positioned in close proximity to manifold elements which define high pressure zones adjacent the injection sites. In another embodiment the pump comprises an elongated gear pump. The processor may include a plurality of such chambers and a plurality of such processing devices and pumps. Transport rollers between adjacent chambers serve to transport the web from chamber to chamber through the processor. Each set of transport rollers and the drive gears therefore is supported in a removable module. Similarly each processing device and the associated pump and drive gears for the pump are supported in a removable module. Indexing surfaces define the operative positions of the modules. Central drive shafts having a plurality of gears drive the gear drives of the modules when the modules are in their operative positions.

Processing apparatus

A processor for processing a photosensitive material. The processor having a housing chamber. At least one modular wall structure is provided for dividing the housing chamber into a plurality of fluid processing chambers. A modular processing device is placed may be placed in at least one of the plurality of fluid processing chambers for circulating a processing fluid placed in said fluid processing chamber.

A processor for processing photosensitive material having a first processing tank containing a first processing fluid containing at least one component of a first concentration and a second processing tank containing processing fluid having the same component to that of the first processing fluid, however, the concentration of the component being different than the first concentration. A weir is provided for causing fluid to flow from the first tank to the second tank resulting from the hydrostatic pressure of the first fluid in the first tank. The weir has a configuration such that concentration difference between processing fluid in said tanks does not change significantly over a predetermined period of time.

Photosensitive material processor

An improved thru-wall structure useful for apparatus for processing photosensitive material for separating adjacent chambers filled with processing fluids. The wall structure having first and second wall portions and a pair of sidewall portions which define a passage opening. A pair of parallel contacting rollers are placed into the opening. The rollers have a compliant sublayer which elastically deforms in an radial direction and a outer layer made from a material having a low coefficient of friction to allow the rollers to be easily rotatably driven and providing a fluid seal between the rollers. The rollers are placed within the sidewalls by engaging the roller ends into an opening provided in each sidewall which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the combined rollers so as to provide a tight liquid seal at the roller end-sidewall interface.

Thru-wall web processing apparatus

Apparatus for treating a web with treatment fluid comprises a two part housing defining a recess for receiving the web and a fluid distribution system for supplying treatment fluid to the recess. The fluid distribution system comprises a series of passages connected in a whiffletree configuration for dividing and subdividing the treatment fluid to supply treatment fluid to the recess at a plurality of locations across the recess to uniformly treat the web with the treatment fluid. In another embodiment the processor comprises a pair of plates defining a recess for receiving a web. The plates have at least one pair of elongated liquid injection openings extending transversely of the recess on opposite sides of the web respectively in juxtaposed relationship for injecting liquid into the recess. The plates further include at least one pair of elongated evacuation openings extending transversely of the recess on opposite sides of the web respectively in juxtaposed relationship for evacuating liquid from the recess. A whiffletree liquid distribution system is associated with each of the openings to supply liquid to the injection openings and to evacuate liquid from the evacuation openings.

Apparatus for drying a web comprises a pair of spaced parallel plates defining a channel there between of predetermined thickness and length for receiving the web. The plates are provided with juxtaposed elongated openings respectively for injecting drying air into the channel on opposite sides of the web. Air under pressure is supplied to the openings to establish a high velocity laminar flow of air from the openings in opposite directions along the surface of the web. Air is evacuated from the channel on opposite sides of the web at a predetermined distance from said openings to maintain the heat transfer rate in the air higher than the heat transfer rate in the web.

Drying apparatus

Apparatus for drying webs of light sensitive material comprises means defining a channel for receiving a web, a plurality of elongated spaced injection slits for applying drying fluid to opposite sides of the web, and a plurality of elongated spaced evacuation slits for evacuating drying fluid from opposite sides of the web. The injection and evacuation slits are substantially parallel and angularly oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the web.

A lockable valve mechanism for introducing a liquid sample into an associated reaction vessel includes a valve body, and a valve member rotatably mounted thereon. The valve member is movable from an open position, wherein inlet and outlet passages of the valve mechanism are aligned for introduction of a sample into the reaction vessel, to a closed and sealed position, wherein the outlet passage of the valve body is sealed. The valve member includes a locking arrangement to prevent movement of the valve member out of the closed and sealed position after movement from the open position into the sealed position.

Lockable valve mechanism for sample pouch

An apparatus for transferring a test liquid between chambers of a chemical reaction pack. The apparatus includes a series of actuation modules arranged in adjacent relationship to each other to define chemical reaction pack receiving stations therebetween. Each actuation module includes pressure applicators for applying external pressure to the chambers of the reaction pack and temperature control elements for heating and cooling the test liquid within the chemical reaction pack.

Transfer apparatus for chemical reaction pack

An apparatus for transferring liquid from one chamber to another in successive chambers of a chemical reaction pack comprising a support surface and pressure applicators. Temperature control elements are also provided to heat and cool the liquid contained within the chemical reaction pack.

Processing apparatus for a chemical reaction pack

An apparatus for transporting exposed radiation sensitive film strips (102) through process liquids (38) for development includes an essentially vertical, porous serpentine wall (18) formed in oppositely opening loops (32, 34), alternate ones of which partially surround hollow porous partial cylinders (42), thus defining a sinuous path along which a transport web (70) is driven while carrying film strips which are supported treated by process liquids flowing through the porous wall and partial cylinders.

Method and apparatus for transporting and liquid treating indeterminate

An improved test device, useful in conducting reactions, which comprises (a) a well lconfigured to confine temporarily a liquid patient sample admixed with at least one reagent, such as an immunoreagent, to conduct such a reaction, (b) a filter at the bottom of the well with pores effective to pass free, unreacted reagent but not reacted or complexed reagent, and (c) an absorbent material underneath the filter effective to draw off liquid in the well after the reaction. The device further includes (d) a non-absorbent pad underneath the filter, adjacent to the absorbent material, and (e) means for moving the filter and the absorbent material relative to each other, and the filter and the pad relative to each other, between two positions, one in which the filter contacts the non-absorbent pad and the other in which the filter contacts the absorbent material.

Sliding test device for assays

There is described a device used with a swab to extract biological material collected on the absorbent end of the swab. The device comprises a container having an internal surface defining a major cavity for confining an extracting liquid medium, and means in said container defining a notch extending into a portion of said internal surface, said notch being configured to receive a swab-like collector and to hold such a collector in said major cavity, said notch having one end that is deeper within said cavity than the rest of said notch, said end being configured to hold the absorbent end of such a collector, and centering means in said container for centering a pipette for aspiration of such extracting medium, said centering means being disposed generally about a line that intersects said notch at a point generally adjacent said one end.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Mark J Devaney, Jr