The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 03, 2005
Filed:
Feb. 15, 2002
Manfred Kansy, Freiburg, DE;
Hansjörg Tschirky, Ettingen, CH;
Werner Schneider, Pfeffingen, CH;
Heinrich Büttgen, Rapperswil, CH;
Tilo Callenbach, Jona, CH;
Karl Mazenauer, Jona, CH;
Manfred Kansy, Freiburg, DE;
Hansjörg Tschirky, Ettingen, CH;
Werner Schneider, Pfeffingen, CH;
Heinrich Büttgen, Rapperswil, CH;
Tilo Callenbach, Jona, CH;
Karl Mazenauer, Jona, CH;
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Nutley, NJ (US);
Weidmann Plastics Technology AG, Rapperswil, CH;
Abstract
An integrally built, linear array of cuvettes is made of a plastic material. Every cuvette of the array has the same shape and dimensions. Neighboring cuvettes are connected to each other by a single web. Each of the single webs has a curved shape and each cuvette has means forming integral part thereof and serving for accurately positioning the cuvette into an opening of a cuvette holder and means for removably connecting the cuvette to the cuvette holder. Each cuvette has an upper chamber and a lower chamber having a common symmetry axis passing through the centers of both chambers. Each of the upper and lower chambers has a substantially cylindrical shape. The cross-section of the upper chamber at the central part thereof is larger than the cross-section of the lower chamber. The lower chamber has an open lower end. The upper chamber has an open top end and an annular bottom wall having a central circular opening which connects the upper chamber with the lower chamber. The inner surface of the bottom wall of the upper chamber () is part of a conical surface the cross-section of which forms an angle of about 80 degrees with the symmetry axis, so that there is an abrupt change of cross-section between the upper chamber and the lower chamber. A two-dimensional array of cuvettes comprises a plurality of linear cuvette arrays inserted into a cuvette holder having a matrix array of cuvette receiving openings. A system of two-dimensional cuvette arrays is built by stacking two or more of such two-dimensional arrays of cuvettes. Foil shaped layers serving, e.g. as a filter, are adapted to be attached to each cuvette to cover at least one opening thereof.