Disposable multi-cuvette rotor

Claim 1

A disposable multi-cuvette rotor for use in an analytical photometer comprising a one piece body member of injection molded transparent material that has a planar upper surface and defines a circumferential array of spaced, elongated, radially extending recesses, said planar upper surface defining the upper edge of each of said recess, each said recess defining a first chamber and a second chamber disposed radially outward from said first chamber, and separator structure integral with said body member between said first and second chambers, said separator structure including a ramp surface that is inclined with respect to said planar upper surface and that forms the radial outer boundary of said first chamber and a vertical surface that extends perpendicularly to said planar upper surface and that forms the radial inner boundary of said second chamber, a first optical window integral with said body member in the bottom wall of said second chamber, and a further integral optical window in the radial outer wall of said second chamber, the inner surface of each said further optical windows extending perpindicular to said planar upper surface the upper surfaces of all of said optical windows being parallel to and spaced the same predetermined distance below said planar upper surfaces; and a one piece cover member of injection molded transparent material that has a planar lower surface parallel to and immediately adjacent said planar upper surface of said body member with a continuous seal extending around each said recess between said upper and lower surfaces to define an analytical cuvette, a first circumferential array of ports in said cover member aligned with corresponding first chambers of said circumferential array of recesses in said body member, a second circumferential array of ports in said cover member disposed radially outward from said first array of ports and aligned with corresponding second chambers of said circumferential array of recesses in said body member, and a circumferential array of second optical windows integral with said cover member and disposed radially outward from said second array of ports and aligned with corresponding first optical windows, the lower surface of each said second optical windows being parallel to said planar lower surface of said cover member such that each pair of opposed aligned surfaces of corresponding first and second optical windows are parallel and define an optical path of precise and stable path length, the lengths of said optical paths in all of said second chambers being the same.