Optical timing and A/D conversion method and apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus of the type in which a reaction effect in a cuvette is measured by passing a beam of radiant energy through said cuvette and detecting the degree of absorbance of the radiant energy as a measure of the said reaction effect, in which structure is provided for optimizing the period of time during which the measurement is taking place relative to the alignment of the beam and cuvette to obtain data concerning said measurement, said structure comprising: A. a carrier having a plurality of at least partially transparent cuvettes mounted thereon and each cuvette adapted to have an individual reaction sample therein to be subjected to said beam, B. means for generating said beam and means responsive to the unabsorbed radiant energy of said beam after it has passed through a cuvette and reaction sample therein, if any, to produce a reaction effect signal, C. means for moving the carrier and beam generating means relative to one another whereby to cause the beam to scan the cuvettes seriatim for producing a separate reaction effect signal each time said beam passes a cuvette, the duration of each reaction effect signal being related to the time required for the beam to scan the particular cuvette and having an amplitude related to the beam absorbance in said particular cuvette, D. identification means associated with said carrier for producing signals identifying the respective cuvettes, E. means for photoresponsively triggering the sampling of the reaction effect signal only when the beam and the center of each cuvette are in coincidence and for a predetermined time before and after coincidence, and F. means for converting each reaction effect signal sample into respective data indicative of the absorbance of the reaction sample in said cuvette and the portions of said cuvette through which said beam has passed individual to the identifying signal of said cuvette.

Claim 18

A method of obtaining data relating to the absorbance of a beam of radiant energy of a predetermined wavelength through a plurality of at least partially transparent reaction vessels, each vessel containing a reaction sample of an individual character relative to the other reaction samples in the other reaction vessels, the beam of radiant energy having an optical axis, the beam being passed relative to all of the vessels to scan the same seriatim, the amount of energy remaining in the beam after passing through each cuvette being measured and adapted to be utilized to derive the said absorbance data, the method comprising: A. repeatedly passing said reaction vessels through said optical axis in a plurality of cycles, B. generating a train of sample signals by said passage, each signal being related to the absorbance of a respective vessel and its contents if any, the sample signals each being generated when the sample vessel individual thereto is substantially coincident with said optical axis, C. moving a plurality of window generating means for photoresponsive sampling from said signals, equal in number to said sample vessels and each being individual to a vessel, in synchronism with the vessels relative to said optical axis, D. generating an integrating signal defined by said at least one window generating means as it moves relative to said optical axis, E. gating each sample signal with the integrating signal individual thereto, and F. generating data from the gated sample signals.

Claim 19

A method of obtaining data relating to the absorbance of a beam of radiant energy of a predetermined wavelength through a plurality of at least partially transparent reaction vessels, each vessel containing a reaction sample of an individual character relative to the other reaction samples in the other reaction vessels, the beam of radiant energy having an optical axis, the beam being passed relative to all of the vessels to scan the same seriatim, the amount of energy remaining in the beam after passing through each cuvette being measured and adapted to be utilized to derive the said absorbance data, the method comprising: A. repeatedly passing said reaction vessels through said optical axis in a plurality of cycles, B. generating a train of sample signals by said passage, each signal being related to the absorbance of a respective vessel and its contents if any, the sample signals each being generated when the sample vessel individual thereto is substantially coincident with said optical axis, C. moving a plurality of window generating means for photoresponsive sampling from said signals, equal in number to said sample vessels and each being individual to a vessel, in synchronism with the vessels relative to said optical axis, D. generating an integrating signal defined by said at least one window generating means as it moves relative to said optical axis, E. gating each sample signal with the integrating signal individual thereto, and F. generating data from the gated sample signals.