Liquid scintillation spectrometer detection chamber and removable tray for supporting a plurality of sample containers

Claim 2

APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE RADIOACTIVITY OF A SERIES OF SAMPLES EACH DISPOSED WITHIN A LIGHT-TRANSMITTING CONTAINER HAVING THEREIN A LIQUID SCINTILLATING MEDIUM, COMPRISING A MASSIVE RADIATION SHIELD HAVING THEREIN A VERTICAL WALL AND LATERAL PASSAGES EXTENDING INTO SAID SHIELD INTERSECTING SAID WELL, EACH SAID PASSAGE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PHOTODETECTOR INSTRUMENT IN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION WITH SAID WELL, A TUBULAR HOOD RECIPROCABLE IN SAID WELL FROM A SHIELDING POSITION THEREIN ISOLATING SAID PASSAGES FROM LIGHT-COMMUNICATION WITH SAID WELL TO A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDED POSITION EXPOSING SAID WELL TO SAID PASSAGES, A SUPPORT BENEATH SAID SHIELD ADAPTED TO CARRY THEREON A SERIES OF SAMPLE CONTAINERS, INDEXING MEANS FOR PRESENTING SAID SAMPLES ONE BY ONE INTO ALIGNMENT WITH AND BENEATH SAID WELL IN POSITION TO BE ENCOMPASSED BY SAID TUBULAR HOOD WHEN EXTENDED, AND ELEVATING MEANS FOR LIFTING THE ALIGNED SAMPLED CONTAINER FROM SAID SUPPORT INTO SAID WELL WITH THE EXTENDED HOOD SERVING AS A GUIDE TO DIRECT THE SAMPLE FROM SAID SUPPORT INTO SAID WELL.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE RADIOACTIVITY OF A SERIES OF SAMPLES EACH DISPOSED WITHIN A LIGHT-TRANSMITTING CONTAINER HAVING THEREIN A LIQUID SCINTILLATING MEDIUM, COMPRISING A SUPPORT, MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND DEFINING A DETECTION CHAMBER OPTICALLY COUPLED TO A PHOTOSENSITIVE DETECTOR, DRIVE MEANS ALSO MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, A TRAY WITH MEANS TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF SAMPLE CONTAINERS, PROPELLING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID TRAY FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID SAMPLES ON SAID TRAY ONE AFTER THE OTHER THROUGH A PREDETERMINED PATH, SAID PREDETERMINED PATH FORMING A CLOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR LOOP, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY MOUNTING SAID TRAY ON SAID SUPPORT WITH SAID DRIVE MEANS IN RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PROPELLING MEANS FOR ACTUATION THEREOF AND WITH SAID PREDETERMINED PATH PASSING A PREDETERMINED STATION, INDEXING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR INDEXING THE OPERATION OF SAID DRIVE MEANS TO PROPEL SAID SAMPLE CONTAINERS THROUGH SAID PATH IN DISCRETE INCREMENTS FOR SUCCESSIVE PRESENTATION OF SAID CONTAINERS AT SAID STATION IN REGISTRATION THEREWITH, AND MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT FOR MOVING A SAMPLE CONTAINER BETWEEN SAID STATION AND SAID DETECTION CHAMBER.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE RADIOACTIVITY OF A SERIES OF SAMPLES EACH DISPOSED WITHIN A LIGHT-TRANSMITTING CONTAINER HAVING THEREIN A LIQUID SCINTILLATING MEDIUM, COMPRISING A SUPPORT, MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND DEFINING A DETECTION CHAMBER OPTICALLY COUPLED TO A PHOTOSENSITIVE DETECTOR, DRIVE MEANS ALSO MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, A TRAY WITH MEANS TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF SAMPLE CONTAINERS, PROPELLING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID TRAY FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID SAMPLES ON SAID TRAY ONE AFTER THE OTHER THROUGH A PREDETERMINED PATH, SAID PREDETERMINED PATH FORMING A CLOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR LOOP, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY MOUNTING SAID TRAY ON SAID SUPPORT WITH SAID DRIVE MEANS IN RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PROPELLING MEANS FOR ACTUATION THEREOF AND WITH SAID PREDETERMINED PATH PASSING A PREDETERMINED STATION, INDEXING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR INDEXING THE OPERATION OF SAID DRIVE MEANS TO PROPEL SAID SAMPLE CONTAINERS THROUGH SAID PATH IN DISCRETE INCREMENTS FOR SUCCESSIVE PRESENTATION OF SAID CONTAINERS AT SAID STATION IN REGISTRATION THEREWITH, AND MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT FOR MOVING A SAMPLE CONTAINER BETWEEN SAID STATION AND SAID DETECTION CHAMBER.