Analytical method and apparatus

Claim 2

AN ANALYTICAL METHOD COMPRISING: EXPANDING THE SURFACE AREA OF A LIQUID SAMPLE; CONFINING THE RESULTANT EXPANDED SAMPLE WITHIN A CLOSED CHAMBER, SAID CLOSED CHAMBER ALSO CONTAINING A VAPOR PHASE SPACE AND A LIQUID INDICATING REAGENT, SAID EXPANDED SAMPLE BEING POSITIONED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID LIQUID INDICATING REAGENT; ALLOWING ANY VOLATILE SUBSTANCE PRESENT WITH SAID EXPANDED SAMPLE TO VAPORIZE TO ABOUT ROOM TEMPERATURE INTO SAID VAPOR PHASE SPACE AND TO REACT WITH SAID LIQUID INDICATING REAGENT; AND OBSERVING SAID LIQUID INDICATING REAGENT FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME TO DIRECT ANY INDICATION OF A REACTION WITH SAID VOLATILE SUBSTANCE.

Claim 3

An analytical method of claim 1 wherein the surface area of the liquid sample is expanded to an area at least 20 times greater than that of the same sample in spherical form.

Claim 4

An analytical method of claim 1 including observing the indicating reagent to detect any change in color in said indicating reagent.

Claim 5

An analytical melthod of claim 1 including placing the liquid sample on a cellulosic foam.

Claim 6

An analytical method comprising: placing a sample of body fluid on a porous support member to expand the surface area of said sample; confining the vapor phase surrounding the resultant expanded sample in a closed, substantially transparent, reaction chamber; providing liquid indicating reagent in said reaction chamber, said indicating reagent and said expanded sample both being in contact with said vapor phase and out of contact with one another; allowing any volatile substance present in said expanded sample to vaporize into said vapor phase and to react with said indicating reagent; and observing said indicating reagent for a predetermined period of time and agitating said indicating reagent at predetermined intervals during said period of time to detect any indication of the reaction of said indicating reagent with said volatile substance.

Claim 7

An analytical method comprising: placing a sample of body fluid on a porous support member to expand the surface area of said sample; confining the vapor phase surrounding the resultant expanded sample in a closed, substantially transparent, reaction chamber; providing liquid indicating reagent in said reaction chamber, said indicating reagent and said expanded sample both being in contact with said vapor phase and out of contact with one another; allowing any volatile substance present in said expanded sample to vaporize into said vapor phase and to react with said indicating reagent; and observing said indicating reagent for a predetermined period of time and agitating said indicating reagent at predetermined intervals during said period of time to detect any indication of the reaction of said indicating reagent with said volatile substance.

Claim 8

An analytic method of claim 5 including placing a sample of blood on a porous support member, providing an aqueous admixture of potassium permanganate and sulfuric acid in the reaction chamber, allowing any alcohol present in the expanded sample to vaporize, and observing said aqueous potassium permanganate sulfuric acid solution for a period of time to detect the disappearance of the permanganate color.

Claim 9

An analytical package comprising: closable reaction chamber means enclosing within a common vapor phase space, a sample support means, and an indicating reagent, said sample support means and a generally liquid indicating reagent being spaced in close proximity to and out of contact with one another; and said sample support means including a porous member for supporting a liquid sample and extending the surface area of said liquid sample to an area at least 10 times greater than that of the same sample in spherical form to promote the vaporization of a volatile substance from said liquId sample on said porous member, said indicating reagent being adapted to give a detectable indication responsive to the presence of said volatile substance in said vapor phase, the ratio of the surface area of said generally liquid indicating reagent to the volume of said common vapor phase space being in the proportion of 1 square centimeter to no more than approximately 6 cubic centimeters.

Claim 10

An analytical package comprising: closable reaction chamber means enclosing within a common vapor phase space, a sample support means, and an indicating reagent, said sample support means and a generally liquid indicating reagent being spaced in close proximity to and out of contact with one another; and said sample support means including a porous member for supporting a liquid sample and extending the surface area of said liquid sample to an area at least 10 times greater than that of the same sample in spherical form to promote the vaporization of a volatile substance from said liquId sample on said porous member, said indicating reagent being adapted to give a detectable indication responsive to the presence of said volatile substance in said vapor phase, the ratio of the surface area of said generally liquid indicating reagent to the volume of said common vapor phase space being in the proportion of 1 square centimeter to no more than approximately 6 cubic centimeters.

Claim 11

An analytical package of claim 7 wherein at least one wall of the closable reaction chamber means is substantially transparent.

Claim 12

An analytical package of claim 7 including means for permitting the liquid sample to be placed on the porous member while the closable reaction chamber means is in the closed configuration.

Claim 13

An analytical package of claim 7 wherein the porous member is inert to the liquid sample.

Claim 14

An analytical package of claim 7 wherein the porous member is a cellulosic foam.

Claim 15

An analytical package of claim 7 including an optical filter positioned so as to permit viewing of the indicating reagent through said optical filter.

Claim 16

An analytical package comprising: a substantially transparent reaction chamber being closed at one end and open at the other end, the height of said reaction generally being less than approximately three times the diameter of said reaction chamber; a cover member for closing said open end; a porous member for supporting a liquid sample and extending the surface area of said liquid sample to an area at least 10 times greater than the surface area of the same liquid sample in spherical form; and means for mounting said porous member on said cover member within said reaction chamber, said means for mounting positioning said porous member at a location spaced from said closed end a distance sufficient to permit a body of liquid to be positioned on said closed end within said reaction chamber out of contact with said porous member, said reaction chamber being proportioned so that the ratio of the surface area of said body of liquid to the volume of the vapor space within said chamber is in the proportion of 1 square centimeter to as much as 5 cubic centimeters.

Claim 17

An analytical package comprising: a substantially transparent reaction chamber being closed at one end and open at the other end, the height of said reaction generally being less than approximately three times the diameter of said reaction chamber; a cover member for closing said open end; a porous member for supporting a liquid sample and extending the surface area of said liquid sample to an area at least 10 times greater than the surface area of the same liquid sample in spherical form; and means for mounting said porous member on said cover member within said reaction chamber, said means for mounting positioning said porous member at a location spaced from said closed end a distance sufficient to permit a body of liquid to be positioned on said closed end within said reaction chamber out of contact with said porous member, said reaction chamber being proportioned so that the ratio of the surface area of said body of liquid to the volume of the vapor space within said chamber is in the proportion of 1 square centimeter to as much as 5 cubic centimeters.