Method and apparatus for analysis of constituent carried in fibrous medium
First Claim
1. In the constituents analysis of sample material on a porous medium by reaction in a liquid state with reactants to produce a constituent-manifesting reaction product, the improvement comprising the steps ofA. producing said reaction product at said analysis site with only an optically-thin concentration,B. illuminating said analysis site with incident electromagnetic radiation,C. sensing, from a field of view coincident with said analysis site, electromagnetic radiation that is resultant from said incident radiation and responsive to both the background response of said medium to said illumination and the concentration of said reaction product, andD. producing a sample-measuring signal in response to a differential function of said product-responsive sensed radiation and radiation resultant from incident radiation on said field of view and responsive to said background response of said medium at said analysis site and to said sample material and said reagents prior to said product-producing reaction.
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Abstract
An optically-thin preparation of a sample solution and chemical reagents produces a constituent-manifesting reaction product that can be measured in linear relation to the concentration of the constituent of interest. A fibrous sheet contains the sample and the reagents for both the reaction and the measurement. The same site on the fibrous sheet which bears the reacting materials serves as a blank to produce a reference signal for the measurement.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. In the constituents analysis of sample material on a porous medium by reaction in a liquid state with reactants to produce a constituent-manifesting reaction product, the improvement comprising the steps of
A. producing said reaction product at said analysis site with only an optically-thin concentration, B. illuminating said analysis site with incident electromagnetic radiation, C. sensing, from a field of view coincident with said analysis site, electromagnetic radiation that is resultant from said incident radiation and responsive to both the background response of said medium to said illumination and the concentration of said reaction product, and D. producing a sample-measuring signal in response to a differential function of said product-responsive sensed radiation and radiation resultant from incident radiation on said field of view and responsive to said background response of said medium at said analysis site and to said sample material and said reagents prior to said product-producing reaction.
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2. In the constituent analysis of sample material on a porous medium by reaction with at least one reagent to produce a constituent-manifesting reaction product, the improvement comprising the steps of
A. distributing said sample material and said reagent in liquid state over a selected analysis site of said medium, B. producing said reaction product at said analysis site with only an optically-thin concentration, C. illuminating said analysis site with incident electromagnetic radiation, D. sensing, from a field of view within said analysis site, electromagnetic radiation that is resultant from said incident radiation and responsive to the concentration of said reaction product, and E. measuring the rate of change of said radiation sensed during the production of said reaction product.
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5. In the constituent analysis of sample material on a porous medium by reaction with at least one reagent to produce a constituent-manifesting reaction product, the improvement comprising the steps of
A. distributing said sample material and said reagent in liquid state with substantially repeatable spatial distributions of concentration over a selected analysis site of said medium. B. producing said reaction product at said analysis site with only an optically-thin concentration, C. illuminating said analysis site with incident electromagnetic radiation, D. sensing, from a field of view within said analysis site, electromagnetic radiation that is resultant from said incident radiation and responsive to the concentration of said reaction product, and E. producing a measure of the constituent in response to radiation sensed from the same area within said site at at least two different times between which said reaction produces said reaction product.
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14. In the constituent analysis of sample material on a porous medium by reaction with at least one reagent to produce a constituent-manifesting reaction product, the improvement comprising the steps of
A. distributing said sample material and said reagent in liquid state with substantially repeatable spatial distributions of concentration over a selected analysis site of said medium, with at least one reactant selected from said sample material and one said reagent being provided at said site with a nonuniform spatial distribution of concentration, B. producing said reaction product at said analysis site with only an optically-thin concentration, C. illuminating said analysis site with incident electromagnetic radiation, and D. sensing, from a field of view within said analysis site, electromagnetic radiation that is resultant from said incident radiation and responsive to the concentration of said reaction product.
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16. A method of measuring the amount of a constituent of a soluble material sample comprising the steps of
A. forming a repeatable concentration distribution over a test site of a porous support member of each chemical reactant that produces, upon chemical reaction with said sample, a reaction product identifying the concentration of said constituent, with at least one reagent distribution being nonuniform, B. forming a repeatable concentration distribution over said test site of said sample with a sufficiently low concentration to produce an optically-thin distribution of reaction product and allowing said sample to react, in liquid solution, with said reagents at said test site to produce said reaction product, C. sensing electromagnetic radiation emitted from said test site in response to incident energy and to the concentration of said reaction product thereat, D. integrating said sensed radiation emitted from at least a selected region of said test site, and E. producing an output measure in response to the change in said integral of sensed radiation resultant from said production of said reaction product.
- 18. In chemical spot-test analysis employing a measured parameter responsive to concentration of a reaction-produced material at a test spot on a porous medium subsequent to deposition of liquid to the test spot, the improvement comprising the step of measuring the change in said parameter over a time interval during which said reaction produces said material in such small amount that the optical absorbance thereof at the wavelength of measurement changes by less than 0.2 throughout the monitored area of said test spot.
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21. In apparatus for measuring a selected product of reactants in liquid solution at test site on a porous medium and having means for subjecting said site to oscillating electromagnetic energy and for sensing energy which is responsive to said oscillating energy and to the presence of said selected reaction product, the improvement comprising
A. measuring means for producing a measure of said sensed energy which is responsive to an optically-thin change in the concentration of said product at a single region of said site, and B. means for providing repeatable coupling of energy between said means for subjecting and said means for sensing, by way of said test site of said medium, at at least two times at which energy is sensed for measurement and between which said reactants produce said reaction product.
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26. In apparatus for measuring a selected reaction product of reactants at a test site on a sheet-like porous medium and having means for subjecting said site to oscillating electromagnetic energy and for sensing a selected parameter of energy which is responsive to said oscillating energy and to the presence of said selected reaction product, the improvement comprising
A. support means for receiving said medium disposed with said test site within the field of view of said subjecting and sensing means, and for exposing said site for the receipt thereat of at least one reactant in liquid state for the production of said reaction product, and B. measuring means for producing a measure of said sensed energy responsive to a change, at a single monitored area of said site, in the concentration of said product which produces a change in the optical absorbance of said medium at the wavelength of measurement of less than 0.2 throughout the monitored area of said test spot.
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29. In a photometric instrument for illuminating a reactant-bearing test site with incident electromagnetic energy and for measuring resultant electromagnetic energy emitted from said site in response to said incident energy with a parameter responsive to a selected reaction product of said reactants, when in liquid state, the improvement comprising
A. first and second housing membersarranged to receive between them a sheetlike carrier of said site with said first housing member facing a first side of said carrier and said second housing member facing a second opposite side of said carrier, and with said incident energy illuminating one side of said site and said resultant energy being sensed at at least one side of said site, one housing member being arranged for contiguous contact with both said carrier and said site,the other housing member being arranged for contact with the other side of said carrier and being normally spaced from the other side of said site,so that said contact of said housing members with said carrier sheet locates said carrier sheet relative to the path of said illuminated and resultant energy, and said contiguous abutment of one housing member with said site locates said site relative thereto, and B. means for sealing said test site at least during the sensing of resultant energy for measurement to diminish evaporation of liquid reactant therefrom.
- 31. In chemical spot test analysis employing a measured parameter responsive to concentration of a reaction-produced material at a test spot on a fibrous medium, the improvement comprising the step of exposing at least said test spot of said fibrous medium, prior to the introduction of reaction-producing reagents to said test site, to an aqueous solution of a high molecular weight, crystalline, ethylene oxide polymer, said exposure being sufficient, after drying of said polymer solution, to diminish the absorption of liquid by the fibers of said medium.
- 33. In apparatus for measuring a selected product of chemical reactants at a test site on a fibrous medium and having means for subjecting said site to oscillating electromagnetic energy and for sensing a selected parameter of energy which is responsive to said oscillating energy and to the presence of said selected reaction product, the improvement comprising a substantially uniform fibrous structure in said fibrous medium within and contiguously beyond said reaction site, said structure consisting essentially of non-wicking fibrous material, and being characterized by the substantial termination of spreading therein of said reactants in liquid solution prior to the completion of said sensing of product-responsive energy.
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35. In apparatus for measuring a selected product of chemical reactants at a test site on a fibrous medium and having means for subjecting said site to oscillating electromagnetic energy and for sensing a selected parameter of energy which is responsive to said oscillating energy and to the presence of said selected reaction product, the improvement wherein said fibrous medium consists essentially of paper-making fibers which are characterized by minimal absorption of liquid and are produced by treatment with a relatively high molecular weight polymer.
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36. In apparatus for measuring a selected product of chemical reactants at a test site on a fibrous medium and having means for subjecting said site to oscillating electromagnetic energy and for sensing a selected parameter of energy which is responsive to said oscillating energy and to the presence of said selected reaction product, the improvement wherein said fibrous medium consists essentially of paper-making fibers which have been exposed to an aqueous solution of a high molecular weight, crystalline, ethylene oxide polymer and dried prior to the introduction thereto of said chemical reactants.
Specification