CUVETTE FOR A MICROSPECTROPHOTOMETER

• US 3,865,495 A
• Filed: 05/24/1973
• Issued: 02/11/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ICN Micromedic Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Edgar G. Johnson Jr, Georges Revillet, Manuel C. Sanz
• Inventors: Sanz, Manuel C., Revillet, Georges, Johnson, Edgar G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wibert, Ronald L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Application Number:
  US05/363,444
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 356/181,244,246,206
• US Class Current: 356/246
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/03 Cuvette constructions

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with a spectrophotometer useful for determining light transmission of microsamples. It is particularly concerned with a spectrophotometer system using an improved microcuvette and extremely small optical elements for providing and acting upon the light beam that is used in determining the light-transmission characteristics of the sample. It is more particularly concerned with a double-cavity cuvette for receiving in one of the cavities of the cuvette a comparison or reference material and, in the other, the sample to be measured. Even more particularly it is concerned with a doublecavity micro-cuvette particularly adapted for utilizing a shifted-beam light system in which the beam is alternately refracted in different directions to direct it alternately through one cavity and then the other.

Claims

1. A cuvette of throughflow type having a main body formed of two blocks, an opaque septum positioned in a plane between the two blocks and adhered thereto, and two end plates each having an inside face adhered on a respective one of the opposite ends of the body thereby leaving an exposed face on each end plate, a pair of parallel longitudinal cylindrical passages extending through the main body, one of the passages extending through each of the blocks, the passages terminating in planes that are parallel to each other and extend perpendicularly to the length of the passages, the inside faces of the end plates closing the ends of the passages to provide end walls of the passages which lie in planes that are perpendicular to the passages, the exposed faces of the end plates, at least in those portions adjacent the end walls, lying in planes parallel to those of the end walls, the end plates being transparent throughout their thickness at least in those portions in alignment with the ends of the passages, a plurality of transverse channels, each thereof communicating with one of the respective ends of the passages, and a plurality of sockets communicating with the channels for receiving the ends of conduits to supply and/or discharge a liquid through the channels of the passages.

2. A cuvette of throughflow type having a main body and two end plates each having an inside face adhered on a respective one of the opposite ends of the body thereby leaving an exposed face on each end plate, a pair of longitudinal cylindrical passages extending through the main body, the passages terminating in planes that are parallel to each other and extend perpendicularly to the length of the passages, the inside faces of the end plates closing the ends of the passages to provide end walls of the passages which lie in planes that are perpendicular to the passages, the exposed faces of the end plates, at least in those portions adjacent the end walls, lying in planes parallel to those of the end walls, the end plates being transparent throughout their thickness at least in those portions in alignment with the ends of the passages, a plurality of transverse channels at the end of the cylindrical passages, each channel communicating with one of the respective ends of the passages, and a plurality of sockets communicating with the channels for receiving the ends of the conduits to supply and/or discharge a liquid through the channels to the passages, each channel tapering from the full diameter of the passage to a smaller dimension perpendicular to the length of the passage and to a wider dimension lengthwise of the passage so that the two dimensions of the cross-section of the channel are of comparable size where the channel joins its respective socket.