A method and apparatus for conveying liquids to and from a reaction cell in an automated sample handling apparatus. The conveyance apparatus includes a track and car system. A method and apparatus is disclosed which precisely positions the cars on the track. This positioning method and apparatus includes a plurality of apertures and spaces on the track of a size and spacing to allow the cars to accurately position themselves.

An automated chemical conversion unit for use in a peptide/protein sequencing process. The improved conversion methodology decreases the time necessary for the conversion reaction chemistry of the specific derivative of the sequenced amino acid to a more stable form. The conversion reaction is designed to be performed directly in a fraction collector tube which operates in one embodiment in conjunction with a thermoelectric temperature element to allow utilization of different temperature levels for different amino acid derivatives.

A plurality of samples subject to the same thermostatting time periods are directed one by one to the inlet section of a gas chromatograph for analysis in accordance with the head space method. To this end, a first heatable sample store adapted to be stepwise advanced is provided, in which thermostatting of the samples is accomplished. A second sample store also adapted to be stepwise advanced is provided, from which sample vessels are transferred one by one into the first sample store.

Amino acid-containing specimens are hydrolyzed with a method and in a hydrolysis unit by which a specimen holder having an upper face side against which a cover can be tightly engaged to seal compartments formed in the holder and define a sample chamber in which the specimens are received and hydrolyzed. The holder and cover are housed in a sealable casing, and a heating device is provided to apply heat to the specimens while same are in contact with a hydrolyzing agent, this being done while the casing is sealed from the ambient atmosphere and the holder compartments in turn sealed from the casing enclosed space. The unit embodies a device to impose vacuum on the casing interior during the hydrolysis cycle, or to fill the casing enclosed space with an inert gas for cooling at the end of hydrolysis. The sealable nature of the holder compartments and casing interior facilitates pre and/or post-hydrolysis cleaning and purging of the holder compartments to insure specimen contamination avoidance during hydrolysis. Structure is provided to cool down the specimen holder on completion of a hydrolysis cycle to shorten the overall hydrolysis procedure and facilitate further handling of the hydrolyzed specimens as well as early reuse of the unit for further hydrolysis operation.

The present invention provides a device for the evaluation of a flat test carrier for the analytical determination of components of body fluids, said device having a tempering device and a regulating unit, the tempering device including a heating and measurement unit which can be pressed flatly against the test carrier in the region of its reference surface utilized for the evaluation and having a heating surface, wherein the heating and measurement unit has a heating surface which can be homogeneously heated with at least one resistance heating element, at least one resistance heating element is associated at least partly in close proximity to the heating surface, at least one part, serving as temperature measurement section, of the part of the resistance heating element arranged in the neighborhood of the heating surface consisting of a material with a temperature-dependent electrical resistance and the electrical resistance of the temperature measurement section is used for the regulation of the temperature of the heating and measurement unit by means of the regulating unit so that a part of the heating element simultaneously serves as temperature measurement element.