Analysis system employing a plural chamber cuvette structure

Claim 2

An analysis system comprising container structure having a plurality of chambers, at least one of which contains a stored chemical material, means for introducing a material to be analyzed into said one chamber for mixing with said stored chemical material, a record specifying information as to the nature of said stored chemical material and the type of analysis to be performed, instrumentation for performing an analysis including means for receiving said container structure, sensor circuitry adjacent said container structure receiving means for producing a signal representative of material in the chambers of said container structure in said container structure receiving means, said sensor circuitry comprising a radiation source and a detector in spaced relation defining an optical path, and said container structure receiving means positioning said container structure in said optical path, a first storage circuit responsive to said sensor circuitry for holding a first signal representative of material in a first chamber, a second storage circuit for holding a second signal representative of material in a second chamber as a function of said first signal, and circuitry for generating a comparison signal as a function of said first and second stored signals, and means responsive to information on the record for setting said storage circuits to perform the analysis as a function of information specified by said record.

Claim 3

An analysis system comprising container structure having a plurality of chambers, at least one of which contains a stored chemical material, means for introducing a material to be analyzed into said one chamber for mixing with said stored chemical material, a record specifying information as to the nature of said stored chemical material and the type of analysis to be performed, instrumentation for performing an analysis including means for receiving said container structure, sensor circuitry adjacent said container structure receiving means for producing a signal representative of material in the chambers of said container structure in said container structure receiving means, said sensor circuitry comprising a radiation source and a detector in spaced relation defining an optical path, and said container structure receiving means positioning said container structure in said optical path, a first storage circuit responsive to said sensor circuitry for holding a first signal representative of material in a first chamber, a second storage circuit for holding a second signal representative of material in a second chamber as a function of said first signal, and circuitry for generating a comparison signal as a function of said first and second stored signals, and means responsive to information on the record for setting said storage circuits to perform the analysis as a function of information specified by said record.

Claim 4

An analysis system comprising container structure having a plurality of chambers, at least one of which contains a stored chemical material, means for introducing a material to be analyzed into said one chamber for mixing with said stored chemical material, a record specifying information as to the nature of said stored chemical material and the type of analysis to be performed, instrumentation for performing an analysis including means for receiving said container structure, sensor circuitry adjacent said container structure receiving means for producing a signal representative of material in the chambers of said container structure in said container structure receiving means, said sensor circuitry comprising a radiation source and a detector in spaced relation defining an optical path, and said container structure receiving means positioning said container structure in said optical path, a first storage circuit responsive to said sensor circuitry for holding a first signal representative of material in a first chamber, a second storage circuit for holding a second signal representative of material in a second chamber as a function of said first signal, and circuitry for generating a comparison signal as a function of said first and second stored signals, and means responsive to information on the record for setting said storage circuits to perform the analysis as a function of information specified by said record.

Claim 5

The system as claimed in claim 1 and further including circuitry for modifying an output signal produced by said detector as a function of material in said container structure as a function oF another output signal produced by said detector to provide a signal indicative of a parameter of the material in said container structure.

Claim 6

The system as claimed in claim 2 and further including means responsive to said record for adjusting said modifying circuitry.

Claim 7

The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container structure includes three sample chambers for holding an unknown material to be analyzed, a standard material, and a blank material, and said second means includes circuitry for generating three signals S1, S2, and S3, two difference signals (S1-S3) and (S2-S3), and said comparison signal is a function of the ratio of said two difference signals and indicates a characteristic of said unknown material.

Claim 8

The system as claimed in claim 4 and further including means responsive to said record for adjusting said signal generating circuitry.

Claim 9

An analysis system comprising a radiation source, a radiation sensor disposed in spaced relation from said radiation source, means for positioning a set of three sample chambers between said radiation source and said radiation sensor circuitry for producing a first output signal in response to radiation passing through two chambers of said set of sample chambers and circuitry for modifying said first output signal as a function of a second output signal produced as a result of radiation passing through the third chamber of said set of sample chambers for generating an output signal that is a function of the ratio of two different signals (S1-S3) and (S2-S3) to provide an indication of a characteristic of material in one of said sample chambers.

Claim 10

An analysis system comprising a radiation source, a radiation sensor disposed in spaced relation from said radiation source, means for positioning a set of three sample chambers between said radiation source and said radiation sensor circuitry for producing a first output signal in response to radiation passing through two chambers of said set of sample chambers and circuitry for modifying said first output signal as a function of a second output signal produced as a result of radiation passing through the third chamber of said set of sample chambers for generating an output signal that is a function of the ratio of two different signals (S1-S3) and (S2-S3) to provide an indication of a characteristic of material in one of said sample chambers.

Claim 11

The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said modifying circuitry includes a first storage circuit for storing a signal S3 representative of the characteristics of material in a first sample chamber, and switch means for controlling the application of signals from said radiation detector to said first storage circuit.

Claim 12

The system as claimed in claim 6 and further including sequencing means for moving said set of sample chambers relative to said radiation path and wherein said modifying circuitry includes means responsive to said sequencing means for controlling the generation of said output signal.

Claim 13

The system as claimed in claim 6 and further including record sensor means responsive to a record coordinated with the contents of at least one of said sample chambers for controlling said modifying circuitry.

Claim 14

A chemical analysis instrument for use with a cuvette carrier having a plurality of sample chambers comprising a photometer section including a radiation source, a radiation detector, a support for positioning a cuvette carrier in an optical path between said radiation source and said radiation detector so that said sample chambers are operatively disposed in said optical path, signal modifying circuitry responsive to the output of said radiation detector for generating an output signal as a function of material in said sample chambers on the radiation in said optical path, said signal modifying circuitry including a logarithmic signal processing circuit, first signal storing circuitry for storing a first output of said logarithmic signal processing circuit as a function of the contents of one sample chamber, second signal storing circuitry for storing a second output of said logarithmic signal processing circuit as a function of the contents of a second sample chamber, sequencer means for controlling said modifying circuitry as a function of the selective operative disposition of said sample chambers in said optical path to store a signal in said first signal storing circuitry and to store a signal in said second signal storing circuitry and output circuitry for generating a modified signal as a function of said stored signals.

Claim 15

A chemical analysis instrument for use with a cuvette carrier having a plurality of sample chambers comprising a photometer section including a radiation source, a radiation detector, a support for positioning a cuvette carrier in an optical path between said radiation source and said radiation detector so that said sample chambers are operatively disposed in said optical path, signal modifying circuitry responsive to the output of said radiation detector for generating an output signal as a function of material in said sample chambers on the radiation in said optical path, said signal modifying circuitry including a logarithmic signal processing circuit, first signal storing circuitry for storing a first output of said logarithmic signal processing circuit as a function of the contents of one sample chamber, second signal storing circuitry for storing a second output of said logarithmic signal processing circuit as a function of the contents of a second sample chamber, sequencer means for controlling said modifying circuitry as a function of the selective operative disposition of said sample chambers in said optical path to store a signal in said first signal storing circuitry and to store a signal in said second signal storing circuitry and output circuitry for generating a modified signal as a function of said stored signals.

Claim 16

The instrument as claimed in claim 10 and further including a drive for moving said carrier support relative to said optical path to sequentially position said sample chambers in said optical path.

Claim 17

The instrument as claimed in claim 10 and further including a record sensor responsive to a record correlated with said cuvette carrier for adjusting said signal modifying circuitry as a function of the chemical analysis to be performed.

Claim 18

The instrument as claimed in claim 12 and further including means responsive to said record sensor for performing an analysis of the rate type and timer means responsive to coding on said cuvette carrier for controlling the application of the resulting output signal to said output circuitry.

Claim 19

The instrument as claimed in claim 10 and further including an incubator section including interlock means responsive to coding on said cuvette carrier for providing an incubation control for the chemical analysis to be performed.

Claim 20

The instrument as claimed in claim 10 and further including a filter mechanism and a record sensor responsive to a record correlated with said cuvette carrier for selectively positioning a filter in said optical path as a function of the type of chemical analysis to be performed.

Claim 21

The instrument as claim in claim 10 and further including means responsive to a single operation initiating command to cause said sequencer means to initiate and complete an analysis cycle involving the operative disposition of said plurality of sample chambers in said optical path.

Claim 22

The instrument as claimed in claim 10 and further including means responsive to an output of said radiation detector for producing an error signal when the output of said radiation detector deviates from a pre-established value by more than a specified amount.

Claim 23

The instrument as claimed in claim 10 further including an output device and wherein said signal modifying circuitry includes a reference channel for applying a first signal to said output device as a function of the contents of a first sample chamber and a sample channel for applying a second signal to said output device as a function of the contents of a second sample chamber.

Claim 24

The instrument as claimed in claim 18 wherein said signal modifying circuitry further includes a rate channel for applying a third signal to said output device as a function of the rate of change of a characteristic of material in a sample chamber.

Claim 25

The instrument as claimed in claim 12 and further including an output device and wherein said signal modifying circuitry includes first and second signal processing channels, each said signal processing channel including means responsive to said record sensor for adjusting the gain of the channel, and means for selectively connecting said first and second channels in circuit between said radiation detector and said output device as a function of the operation of said sequencer means.

Claim 26

The instrument as claimed in claim 20 wherein said signal modifying circuitry further includes a third channel having means responsive to the rate of change of the output of said radiation detector and means responsive to said record sensor and said sequencer means for operatively connecting said third channel in circuit between said radiation detector and said output device.

Claim 27

The instrument as claimed in claim 20 and further including means responsive to the output of one of said channels for producing an error signal when the output of said one channel deviates from a pre-established value by more than an amount specified by a signal from said record sensor.

Claim 28

The instrument as claimed in claim 12 and further including a drive for moving said carrier support relative to said optical path to sequentially position said sample chambers in said optical path.

Claim 29

The instrument as claimed in claim 23 and further including a filter mechanism responsive to said record sensor for selectively positioning a filter in said optical path.

Claim 30

A chemical analysis instrument for use with a cuvette carrier having a plurality of sample chambers Comprising a photometer section including a radiation source, a radiation detector, a support for positioning a cuvette carrier in an optical path between said radiation source and said radiation detector so that said sample chambers are operatively disposed in said optical path, signal modifying circuitry responsive to the output of said radiation detector for generating an output signal as a function of the effect of material in said sample chambers on the radiation in said optical path, an output device, said signal modifying circuitry including a reference channel for applying a first signal to said output device as a function of the contents of a first sample chamber, a sample channel for applying a second signal to said output device as a function of the contents of a second sample chamber, a rate channel for applying a third signal to said output device as a function of the rate of change of a characteristic of material in a sample chamber, detector responsive circuitry for generating an output signal as a logarithmic function of the output of said radiation detector, means for applying said logarithmic function output signal to said reference, sample, and rate channels, means for storing a logarithmic function output signal, means for storing an output signal of said reference channel, a record sensor responsive to a record correlated with said cuvette carrier for adjusting said signal modifying circuitry as a function of the type of chemical analysis to be performed, a filter mechanism responsive to said record sensor for selectively positioning a filter in said optical path, means responsive to said record sensor for adjusting the gains of said logarithmic circuitry and said reference channel, sequencer means for generating control signals as a function of the selective operative disposition of said sample chambers in said optical path, and means responsive to said sequencer means for selectively connecting said reference, sample, and rate channels in circuit between said radiation detector and said output device as a function of the operation of said sequencer means.

Claim 31

A chemical analysis instrument for use with a cuvette carrier having a plurality of sample chambers Comprising a photometer section including a radiation source, a radiation detector, a support for positioning a cuvette carrier in an optical path between said radiation source and said radiation detector so that said sample chambers are operatively disposed in said optical path, signal modifying circuitry responsive to the output of said radiation detector for generating an output signal as a function of the effect of material in said sample chambers on the radiation in said optical path, an output device, said signal modifying circuitry including a reference channel for applying a first signal to said output device as a function of the contents of a first sample chamber, a sample channel for applying a second signal to said output device as a function of the contents of a second sample chamber, a rate channel for applying a third signal to said output device as a function of the rate of change of a characteristic of material in a sample chamber, detector responsive circuitry for generating an output signal as a logarithmic function of the output of said radiation detector, means for applying said logarithmic function output signal to said reference, sample, and rate channels, means for storing a logarithmic function output signal, means for storing an output signal of said reference channel, a record sensor responsive to a record correlated with said cuvette carrier for adjusting said signal modifying circuitry as a function of the type of chemical analysis to be performed, a filter mechanism responsive to said record sensor for selectively positioning a filter in said optical path, means responsive to said record sensor for adjusting the gains of said logarithmic circuitry and said reference channel, sequencer means for generating control signals as a function of the selective operative disposition of said sample chambers in said optical path, and means responsive to said sequencer means for selectively connecting said reference, sample, and rate channels in circuit between said radiation detector and said output device as a function of the operation of said sequencer means.

Claim 32

The instrument as claimed in claim 25 and further including means responsive to a single operation initiating command to cause said sequencer means to initiate and complete an analysis cycle involving the operative disposition of said plurality of sample chambers in said optical path.

Claim 33

The instrument as claimed in claim 26 and further including means responsive to an output of said radiation detector for producing an error signal when the output of said radiation detector deviates from a pre-established value by more than an amount specified by a signal from said record sensor.

Claim 34

The instrument as claimed in claim 25 and further including an incubator section including interlock means responsive to coding on said cuvette carrier for providing an incubation control for the chemical analysis to be performed.