Method and apparatus for sequentially performing analyses on a plurality of fluid samples

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF A PLURALITY OF FLUID SAMPLES WITH RESPECT TO A GIVEN NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES PRESENT IN THE FLUID, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: SUPPLY MEANS FOR PROVIDING THE SAMPLES SEQUENTIALLY TO FORM AN INITIAL STREAM OF SEQUENTIAL SAMPLES WHEREIN EACH SAMPLE IS IN SEQUENCE WITH THE PRECEDING AND SUCCEEDING SAMPLES; DIVIDING-TREATING-ANALYSIS MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SUPPLY MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE INITIAL STREAM OF SEQUENTIAL SAMPLES, FOR DIVIDING SUCH INITIAL STREAM INTO A PLURALITY OF QUOTIENT STREAMS, EACH SEQUENTIAL INCREMENT IN EACH OF SUCH QUOTIENT STREAMS BEING A FRACTIONAL PORTION OF A RESPECTIVE SEQUENTIAL SAMPLE IN THE INITIAL STREAM, FOR TREATING THE STREAMS FOR ANALYSIS, AND FOR DISCHARGING THE QUOTIENT STREAMS; SAID DIVIDING-TREATING-ANALYSIS MEANS INCLUDING A SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS FOR PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF OUTPUT SIGNALS, WHICH SIGNALS ARE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO SAID GIVEN NUMBER, EACH SUCH SIGNAL VARYING IN RESPONSE TO A SELECTED CHARACTERISTIC OF A TREATED RESPECTIVE FRACTIONAL PORTION AND THEREBY INDICATING THE CONCENTRATION OF A RESPECTIVE ONE OF THE SUBSTANCES IN A SAMPLE PASSING THROUGH SAID DIVIDINGTREATING-ANALYSIS MEANS; AND RECEIVING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID SIGNALS THEREFROM, FOR STORING IN CORRELATION EACH SIGNAL WHICH IS PROVIDED RESPONSIVE TO A FRICTIONAL PORTION FROM THE SAME SAMPLE FROM THE INITIAL STREAM; SAID SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS AND SAID SIGNAL RECEIVING MEANS EACH OPERATING CYCLICALLY WITH RESPECT TO EACH SAMPLE FROM THE INITIAL STREAM.