Automatic monochromator-testing system
First Claim
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1. In an apparatus for determining the concentration of a substance of interest in each of a plurality of test solutions, comprising:
- means for supporting a plurality of test solutions to be examined;
means for passing light through said plurality of test solutions;
means for detecting said light after being passed through said plurality of test solutions and for generating signals representative of the light-transmittance value of each of said plurality of test solutions; and
means for analyzing said signals for providing a measure of the concentration of the substance of interest in each of said plurality of test solutions,the improvement comprising wherein said means for passing light through said plurality of test solutions includes means for generating a plurality of beams of substantially monochromatic light of different wavelengths from a substantially continuous range of available wavelengths, and means for directing said plurality of plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams of different wavelengths to different ones of said plurality of test solutions, said beam-directing means comprising a plurality of optical pathways for directing said plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams to said plurality of test solutions, and optical multiplexer means for directing each of said plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams of different wavelength to a selected one of said plurality of optical pathways for directing each of the substantially monochromatic light beams of different wavelengths to a selected one of said plurality of test solutions.
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Abstract
An automated chemistry-testing system for analyzing serum samples in which a controlled intensity, monochromatic light beam of substantially any desired wavelength can be selectively directed through any one of a plurality of test solutions in a spectrophotometer. The system operates at very high speed, permitting serum test solutions to be scanned with a multiplicity of wavelengths of light to provide extensive data on the characteristics of the serum. The invention also provides substantial flexibility and permits a wide variety of test to be more reliably performed.
86 Citations
32 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for determining the concentration of a substance of interest in each of a plurality of test solutions, comprising:
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means for supporting a plurality of test solutions to be examined; means for passing light through said plurality of test solutions; means for detecting said light after being passed through said plurality of test solutions and for generating signals representative of the light-transmittance value of each of said plurality of test solutions; and means for analyzing said signals for providing a measure of the concentration of the substance of interest in each of said plurality of test solutions, the improvement comprising wherein said means for passing light through said plurality of test solutions includes means for generating a plurality of beams of substantially monochromatic light of different wavelengths from a substantially continuous range of available wavelengths, and means for directing said plurality of plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams of different wavelengths to different ones of said plurality of test solutions, said beam-directing means comprising a plurality of optical pathways for directing said plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams to said plurality of test solutions, and optical multiplexer means for directing each of said plurality of substantially monochromatic light beams of different wavelength to a selected one of said plurality of optical pathways for directing each of the substantially monochromatic light beams of different wavelengths to a selected one of said plurality of test solutions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An automatic method of testing a serum sample which includes the steps of directing a substantially monochromatic beam of light of selected wavelength to a test chemistry of the serum sample being tested, and detecting the intensity of the substantially monochromatic beam of light passing through the test chemistry of the serum sample to provide data on the light-absorbance characteristics of the serum sample, the method further including the steps of
storing first data on the light-absorbance characteristic of the serum sample as a function of wavelength at a multiplicity of selected substantially monochromatic wavelengths; -
taking the mathematical first derivative of the light-absorbance characteristic of the serum sample defined by the first data and storing second data on the mathematical first derivative of the first data; taking the mathematical second derivative of the light-absorbance characteristic of the serum sample defined by the first data and storing third data on the mathematical second derivative of the first data; and comparing the first, second, and third data with stored data on the light-absorbance characteristics of known interferences as a function of wavelength and on the first and second derivatives of such known interferences for analyzing said test chemistry for interferences. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 20. An apparatus for analyzing test chemistries, comparising means for rapidly generating monochromatic light of differing wavelengths over wide spectrum for analyzing test chemistries, means for directing the monochromatic light of differing wavelengths to an intensity monitor, wavelength calibration means and a plurality of test detectors for generating test data on tests taking place in the plurality of test detectors, a test controller for analyzing the test data and a process controller for controlling the process of operation of said apparatus, said process controller and said test controller including means for identifying and storing test data points from said plurality of test detectors at a multiplicity of differing wavelengths, and for identifying and storing the wavelength of the monochromatic light for each of the multiplicity of test data points, said generating means, said directing means, said plurality of test detectors, said intensity monitor, said process controller, and said test controller all responding in real time for generating such a multiplicity of test data that said test controller can develop reliable mathematical derivatives of the test data as a function of wavelength over the entire spectrum.
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26. An automatic apparatus for determining the concentration of a substance of interest in a test solution comprising
means for supporting a plurality of test solutions to be examined; -
means for passing monochromatic light through said plurality of test solutions; means for detecting said monochromatic light after being passed through said plurality of test solutions and for generating data representative of the light-transmittance value of said plurality of test solutions; and means for analyzing said data for providing a measure of the concentration in said plurality of test solutions of said substance of interest, said means for passing monochromatic light through said plurality of test solutions including means for rapidly generating a plurality of beams of monochromatic light of different selected wavelengths, each of said beams of monochromatic light being of substantially any desired wavelength within a substantially continuous range of available wave-lengths, and means for substantially simultaneously directing said plurality of monochromatic beams of light of different wavelengths to different ones of said plurality of test solutions. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An automatic apparatus for determining the concentration of a substance of interest in a test solution comprising:
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means for supporting a plurality of test solutions to be examined; means for passing monochromatic light through said plurality of test solutions; means for detecting said monochromatic light after being passed through said plurality of test solutions and for generating data representative of the light-transmittance value of said plurality of test solutions; and means for analyzing said data for providing a measure of the concentration in said plurality of test solutions of said substance of interest, wherein said analyzing means includes; means for storing data on the light-absorbance characteristic of the test solution as a function of wave-length at a multiplicity of selected substantially monochromatic wavelengths; means for taking the mathematical first derivative of the light-absorbance characteristic defined by the data and storing data on the mathematical first derivative of the data; means for taking the mathematical second derivative of the light-absorbance characteristic defined by the data and storing data on the mathematical second derivative of the data; and means for comparing the characteristic defined by the data and the first and second derivatives of the characteristic with stored data corresponding to known interferences. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification