US4682890A — Microsample holder and carrier therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 233 words

Apparatus for use in a horizontal beam spectrophotometer in place of a conventional cuvette support that normally is used with said spectrophotometer and that carries a plurality of cuvettes and includes one or more windows through which the beam passes to samples in said cuvetes; said apparatus comprising a carrier formed as a generally rectangular base having opposite ends, a bottom surface, a top wall and a slot in the top wall thereof, a pair of arms secured to said opposite ends of said base and extending upwardly from said top wall such that the height of said carrier from the top of either arm to the bottom surface of said base is substantially equal to the height of the conventional cuvette support, each arm having an inner wall that faces the inner wall of the other arm and in which is disposed a slot aligned with and meeting the slot in the top of said base and extending substantially the length of said arm; and a microsample holder formed as a plate having a number of retaining elements for retaining drops of samples to be analyzed by said spectrophotometer, said plate being insertable in the slots of said carrier to position the plate on said base such that when said carrier is loaded into said spectrophotometer the retaining elements assume substantially the same position as the windows of said conventional cuvette holder.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 233 words

Apparatus for use in a horizontal beam spectrophotometer in place of a conventional cuvette support that normally is used with said spectrophotometer and that carries a plurality of cuvettes and includes one or more windows through which the beam passes to samples in said cuvetes; said apparatus comprising a carrier formed as a generally rectangular base having opposite ends, a bottom surface, a top wall and a slot in the top wall thereof, a pair of arms secured to said opposite ends of said base and extending upwardly from said top wall such that the height of said carrier from the top of either arm to the bottom surface of said base is substantially equal to the height of the conventional cuvette support, each arm having an inner wall that faces the inner wall of the other arm and in which is disposed a slot aligned with and meeting the slot in the top of said base and extending substantially the length of said arm; and a microsample holder formed as a plate having a number of retaining elements for retaining drops of samples to be analyzed by said spectrophotometer, said plate being insertable in the slots of said carrier to position the plate on said base such that when said carrier is loaded into said spectrophotometer the retaining elements assume substantially the same position as the windows of said conventional cuvette holder.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said upstanding arms is rectangular and is provided with an outer wall, the distance from the outer wall of one arm to the outer wall of the other arm being substantially equal to the length of the conventional cuvette support.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the width of each arm is substantially equal to the width of the conventional cuvette support.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the width of the base is substantially equal to the width of each arm.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the width of the base is less than the width of each arm.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the length of the base is less than the distance from the outer wall of one arm to the outer wall of the other arm.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 32 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the length of the base is substantially equal to the distance from the outer wall of one arm to the outer wall of the other arm.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said base is provided with planar end walls.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said base and arms are of one-piece, unitary construction.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the slots in each arm extend completely through the thickness of said each arm.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 172 words

For use in a spectrophotometer, and particularly a horizontal beam spectrophotometer, a carrier for a microsample holder of the type formed as a plate having a number of retaining elements for retaining drops of samples to be analyzed by said spectrophotometer, said carrier comprising a base having opposite ends; a pair of upstanding arms respectively secured to said opposite ends of said base, said arms having inner walls that face each other, a guide slot disposed in the inner wall of each arm, said guide slot running substantially the entire length of the arm in which it is disposed and being generally centrally located in said inner wall; the guide slots receiving said holder plate and positioning said plate on said base such that when said carrier is loaded into said spectrophotometer, the retaining elements assume the same position as the usual beam-test portions of the individual cuvettes that normally are carried by a conventional cuvette support and that are exposed to the spectrophotometer beam through windows of said conventional cuvette support.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 172 words

For use in a spectrophotometer, and particularly a horizontal beam spectrophotometer, a carrier for a microsample holder of the type formed as a plate having a number of retaining elements for retaining drops of samples to be analyzed by said spectrophotometer, said carrier comprising a base having opposite ends; a pair of upstanding arms respectively secured to said opposite ends of said base, said arms having inner walls that face each other, a guide slot disposed in the inner wall of each arm, said guide slot running substantially the entire length of the arm in which it is disposed and being generally centrally located in said inner wall; the guide slots receiving said holder plate and positioning said plate on said base such that when said carrier is loaded into said spectrophotometer, the retaining elements assume the same position as the usual beam-test portions of the individual cuvettes that normally are carried by a conventional cuvette support and that are exposed to the spectrophotometer beam through windows of said conventional cuvette support.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 15 words

The carrier of claim 11 wherein said base and arms are of one-piece unitary construction.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 26 words

The carrier of claim 11 wherein the length, height and width thereof are substantially equal to the length, height and width of said conventional cuvette support.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 129 words

Apparatus for use in a conventional cuvette support in place of a conventional cuvette that normally is used with said support, said apparatus comprising a carrier formed as a base having opposite ends and having substantially the same configuration as the cross-section of said conventional cuvette; a pair of upwardly extending arms secured to said opposite ends of said base, each arm having an inner wall that fasces the inner wall of the other arm and in which is disposed at least one slot extending substantially the length of said arm; and at least one microsample holder formed as a plate having a retaining element for retaining a drop of liquid sample, said plate being insertable in the slots of said carrier to position the plate on said base.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 129 words

Apparatus for use in a conventional cuvette support in place of a conventional cuvette that normally is used with said support, said apparatus comprising a carrier formed as a base having opposite ends and having substantially the same configuration as the cross-section of said conventional cuvette; a pair of upwardly extending arms secured to said opposite ends of said base, each arm having an inner wall that fasces the inner wall of the other arm and in which is disposed at least one slot extending substantially the length of said arm; and at least one microsample holder formed as a plate having a retaining element for retaining a drop of liquid sample, said plate being insertable in the slots of said carrier to position the plate on said base.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 11 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said base is generally square.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the distance from the bottom of said base to the top of said plate when the latter is inserted in the slots of said carrier is substantially equal to the height of said cuvette.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said base and arms are of one-piece, unitary construction.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 60 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each arm is provided with a pair of spaced apart slots; and said microsample holder is formed as a pair of plates, each insertable in a respective slot in each arm, and each having a retaining element for retaining a drop of liquid sample that is suspended between the retaining elements of said plates.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 95 words

Apparatus for retaining a number of liquid samples comprising a base having opposite sides; a pair of upwardly extending arms secured to said opposite sides of said base, each arm having an inner wall that faces the inner wall of the other arm and in which is disposed a slot extending substantially the length of said arm; and a microsample holder formed as a plate having a number of retaining elements for retaining respective drops of liquid sample, said plate being insertable in the slots of said carrier to position the plate on said base.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 95 words

Apparatus for retaining a number of liquid samples comprising a base having opposite sides; a pair of upwardly extending arms secured to said opposite sides of said base, each arm having an inner wall that faces the inner wall of the other arm and in which is disposed a slot extending substantially the length of said arm; and a microsample holder formed as a plate having a number of retaining elements for retaining respective drops of liquid sample, said plate being insertable in the slots of said carrier to position the plate on said base.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 23 words

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said base is substantially rectangular, and said microsample holder has at least one row of retaining elements.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said base is generally square and said microsample holder has one retaining element.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 50 words

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said base is generally square, each said arm is provided with two slots, and two microsample holders are insertable in respective pairs of slots, each microsample holder having a retaining element for suspending a liquid bridge between the retaining elements of said microsample holders.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 41 words

A microsample holder for retaining at least one drop of liquid sample, comprising a thin, flat plate; and at least one circular opening in said plate having a diameter on the order of 3 mm for retaining said liquid sample therein.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 41 words

A microsample holder for retaining at least one drop of liquid sample, comprising a thin, flat plate; and at least one circular opening in said plate having a diameter on the order of 3 mm for retaining said liquid sample therein.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 23 words

The holder of claim 23 wherein said microsample holder is formed of material selected from the group consisting of glass, plastic and quartz.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 19 words

The holder of claim 23 wherein a column of substantially identical circular openings is provided in said microsample holder.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 15 words

The holder of claim 25 wherein said column consists of two substantially identical circular openings.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 19 words

The holder of claim 23 wherein a row of substantially identical circular openings is provided in said microsample holder.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 19 words

The holder of claim 27 wherein two rows of substantially identical circular openings are provided in said microsample holder.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 15 words

The holder of claim 28 wherein each row consists of four substantially identical circular openings.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 17 words

The holder of claim 23 wherein said circular opening retains a drop of liquid on 5-10 μl.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 48 words

The holder of claim 23, further including a second thin, flat plate substantially identical to the first-mentioned plate and spaced therefrom, said second plate having at least one circular opening aligned with the circular opening in said first plate, the aligned openings supporting a liquid bridge suspended therebetween.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 36 words

The microsample holder of claim 23 further including a reagent on the inner surface of said at least one circular opening for reacting with a drop of liquid sample applied to said at least one opening.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1990-07-27	1991-01-26	1991-07-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1994-07-27	1995-01-26	1995-07-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1998-07-27	1999-01-26	1999-07-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Microsample holder and carrier therefor

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