Sievers Instruments, Inc.

General Electric Company

Ge Analytical Instruments

Anatel Corporation

Bl Technologies, Inc.

Sievers Research, Inc.

Anatel Instrument Corporation

Ionics, Inc.

Richard D Godec

Paul Charles Melanson

Richard Stephen Hutte

Frederick K Blades

Kevin J O'Neill

Matthew Kaddeland Stonesmith

Blaine Rexel Bateman

Paul P Kosenka

Frank J Silvester

Donald Hugh Stedman

Chao Sun

Neil Johansen

Vidyasankar Sundaresan

Shouquan Deng

Darren Barry Smith

Paul K Kosenka

Yan Huang

Hong Xu

William W Carson

Martin B Tobias

Brian K Clay

Thomas J Susa

Robert J Ritz

Larry Macklin

Steve Poirier

Ronald J Davenport

Ruiqing Li

Viatcheslav A Petropavlovskikh

A centripetal microfluidic platform comprised of a microfluidics disc and a reader for testing LAL-reactive substances in fluid samples is provided. The microfluidic disc may comprise at least two testing areas wherein each testing area includes a reservoir portion for receiving at least one fluid sample. The disc may comprise a distribution network portion in fluid communication with the reservoir portion. Each distribution network portion may comprise a distribution network of at least four (4) channels, wherein each channel has a metering portion and at least one analysis chamber portion. The analysis chamber portion may comprise a mixing chamber for mixing samples and reagents and an optical chamber portion that is compatible with an optical reader. The metering portion may be sized to meter an aliquot of the fluid sample for analysis in the analysis chamber portion. At least one analysis chamber portion has at least one reagent isolated therein. The centripetal microfluidic platform further includes a reader for testing fluid samples within a microfluidic disc comprising an enclosure, an optical bench, a centripetal disc drive, and a controller. A method for testing at least one fluid sample for LAL-reactive substances is also provided.

Centripetal microfluidic platform for LAL reactive substances testing

A test substrate for detecting a LAL-reactive substance, wherein at least a portion of said test substrate has been preloaded with at least one LAL reagent and/or at least one LAL-reactive standard. Methods of use of the test substrate are disclosed. Methods of depositing test reagents on a test substrate are also disclosed.

Preloaded test substrates for testing LAL-reactive substances, methods of use, and methods of making

Methods and systems for measuring the concentration of LAL-reactive substances in fluid samples is provided. They include contacting an aqueous sample with a detection reagent to form a prepared sample. A physical property of the prepared sample may be measured to obtain at least one sample measurement characteristic of the prepared sample. Curve fitting may then be used to forecast a concentration of the LAL-reactive substance the aqueous sample will have at a specified time in the future based on the sample measurement and a correlation developed between at least one standard measurement of a physical quality of a solution with a known concentration of a LAL-reactive substance therein. The quality of the sample measurement may be validated using historical data and/or the standard measurement.

Sensitive and rapid method for detection of low levels of LAL-reactive substances

Centripetal microfluidic platform for LAL-reactive substances testing

A microfluidic testing cartridge for testing LAL-reactive substances in fluid samples is provided. The cartridge may include at least two (2) testing modules, wherein each testing module includes at least one inlet port for receiving one of the fluid samples, and at least four (4) testing channels in fluid communication with the inlet port. Each of the testing channels may include a metering portion for metering an aliquot of the fluid sample, an analyzing portion, and a mixing portion, wherein a valve is positioned between the metering portion and the analyzing portion to selectively fluidly separate the metering portion from the analyzing portion. The cartridge is insertable into an optical reader which performs optical measurements of the fluid sample within each testing channel during a testing process.

Microfluidic LAL-reactive substances testing method and apparatus

An automated standards sampling apparatus () and method for using such, apparatus are described. The apparatus can be integrated with a liquid analyzer to form a compact, integrated liquid analysis unit. When used in combination with a specially adapted vial se of standard liquids, the apparatus provides a system for automated, substantially error-free periodic calibration and accuracy verification for an online TOC analyzer (). The automated standards sampling apparatus of this invention facilitates the easy introduction of known concentrations of standard solutions and 'grab' samples into online TOC analyzers to satisfy regulatory compliance, calibration, and validation requirements. The automated standards sampling apparatus of this invention also provides substantially improved reliability, higher productivity and better performance when running the critical and regulatory driven System Suitability Test than does any conventional sampling equipment, and it is likely to find wide use in a variety of industrial applications other than its principal intended use in the pharmaceutical industry.

Automated standards sampling

Methods and apparatus (FIG.) are disclosed for selective and very sensitive detection of certain hydrolyzable compounds, especially urea, in water by hydrolyzing said hydrolyzable compounds in a sample of the water to one or more carbon dioxide group compounds and determining the difference in the carbon dioxide content of the water and the hydrolyzed sample using conductivity measurements or other carbon dioxide detector outputs.

Sensitive detection of urea and related compounds in water

A water treatment system and method including a membrane-based boron removal unit includes a boron analyzer for detecting the concentration of boron in a treatment stream. The boron removal unit can be a reverse osmosis (RO) or electrodeionization (EDI) treatment unit. A controller responds to the detected boron concentration to control an operation of the RO or EDI units. In an EDI system, the controller may adjust current or voltage supplied to match current to changes in ionic load and maintain a portion of the dilute cell in a substantially regenerated state. In an RO system, the controller may control the high pressure side flow rate, the brine blowdown rate, the product water permeation rate, pH, or feed rate of chemicals in response to the detected boron concentration value.

Control of water treatment system with low level boron detection

Apparatus and methods for supplying a portion of a fluid stream and, alternately, a fluid of known composition and concentration to an analyzer are provided. The fluid stream is directed through a series of connected chambers formed in an integral housing. A sampling needle has an inlet in one of the chambers and an outlet in fluid communication with the analyzer. When desired, a tube or vial containing a known fluid may be inserted into a chamber containing the sampling needle, so that the known fluid will be supplied to the analyzer. A second needle provides ventilation to the vial to prevent the formation of a vacuum as the known fluid is drained from the vial.

Device to alternately supply a fluid to an analyzer

Methods and apparatus () are disclosed for accurately measuring low concentrations of boron in deionized water utilizing the chemical reaction of boric acid with a polyol by injecting very small plugs of concentrated polyol into streams of boron containing and non-boron containing water samples to produce an ionized acids product, and then measuring the conductivity difference (delta conductivity), corrected for interfering or extraneous factors which can effect conductivity, between such boron containing and non-boron containing samples using a conductivity and temperature detector ().

Low-level boron detection and measurement

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for determination of the total concentration of organic carbon compounds in aqueous process streams utilizing a pulsed-flow technique for irradiating a water sample in a chamber ( ) with UV or similar wavelength radiation.

Pulsed-flow total organic carbon analyzer

Method to supply a fluid sample to an analyzer

Apparatus and methods for determining the content of total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, total carbon and total heteroorganic carbon in water are disclosed. In a preferred comprehensive embodiment, the water sample is split into a first stream and a second stream. Inorganic carbon in the first stream, if any, is determined by acidifying the sample, measuring the electrical conductivity using a temperature and conductivity sensor, and removing the ionic species. Organic carbon in the first stream is then substantially completely oxidized in a U.V. oxidation reactor to carbon dioxide and possibly other oxidation products, and the electrical conductivity of the effluent- stream is measured using another temperature and conductivity sensor. At least a portion of the carbon dioxide in the first stream is transferred through a carbon dioxide permeable membrane into the second strewn. The second stream then passes into another temperature and conductivity sensor and conductivity is measured. Total carbon content, inorganic and organic carbon, and, if present, the heteroorganic organic content of the sample can be determined from the various conductivity measurements.

Methods and apparatus for measurement of the carbon and heteroorganic content of water including single-cell instrumentation mode for same

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Longmont, CO, United States of America

Richard D Godec