This invention relates to a spring wire clip for attachment to small plate-like metallurgical specimens and similar articles for the purpose of supporting them in free standing condition on one edge, such clip being characterized by a length of spring wire bent at a point midway between the ends thereof to produce a V-shaped crotch joining together a pair of oppositely bent generally S-shaped limbs. Each of these limbs includes a leg and a foot joined by a heel that defines a contact point which...

A holder for polygonal cross-section cuvettes is provided. The holder comprises a handle having and lying on an axis, and a holding plate connected to and extending radially from the handle. The holding plate is formed with a plurality of apertures each having a periphery. The periphery is formed with a plurality of notches corresponding in number and arrangement to the longitudinally directed edges of a polygonal-section cuvette. Inwardly concave portions are formed between the notches and conn...

The invention relates to a flow cell comprising a layered arrangement of three plates (3-5) in which an intermediate plate (4) consisting of a flexible material is inserted between plates (3, 5) consisting of a more solid material, and at least one of the plates comprises at least one recess (15, 17) for receiving fluid, that is bordered by another plate (3, 5) of the layered arrangement. Such recesses are especially microchannels and reaction chambers. According to the invention, the plates are...

Disclosed herein is a plasmonics platform comprising a substrate; a plurality of periodically spaced nanoholes and/or nanoparticles disposed upon the substrate; wherein the average first order of periodicity between the nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles is about 5 to about 1,000 nm; and a microelectromechanical and/or a nanoelectromechanical system in operative communication with the substrate so as to vary the average first order of periodicity between the nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles.

A receiving device for object holders comprises a base part. A plurality of centering elements are connected with the base part. The centering elements are arranged such that a plurality of receiving areas for receiving one object holder each are configured. The centering elements form a preferably circumferential centering frame around each receiving area.

Surface enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) and related modalities offer greatly enhanced sensitivity and selectivity for detection of molecular species through the excitation of plasmon modes and their coupling to molecular vibrational modes. One of the chief obstacles to widespread application is the availability of suitable nanostructured materials that exhibit strong enhancement of Raman scattering, are inexpensive to fabricate, and are reproducible. I describe nanostructured surfaces for SERS ...

The disclosed methods and apparatus concern Raman spectroscopy using metal coated nanocrystalline porous silicon substrates. Porous silicon substrates may be formed by anodic etching in dilute hydrofluoric acid. A thin coating of a Raman active metal, such as gold or silver, may be coated onto the porous silicon by cathodic electromigration or any known technique. In certain alternatives, the metal coated porous silicon substrate comprises a plasma-oxidized, dip and decomposed porous silicon sub...

An optical flow cell is disclosed that includes a flow cell body having an inlet and an outlet with a flow opening therebetween to allow a fluid to pass therethrough. A light entry fixture and a light imaging fixture are transversely carried by the flow cell body to allow viewing of the flow opening, wherein the light entry fixture is positioned at one side of the body and the light imaging fixture is positioned at an opposite side of the body. The fixtures are made from at least some materials ...

An analysis apparatus capable of normally creating image data and an analysis disc used for this. Instead of using a signal which has been read in time series by pickup following a track so as to create an image by utilizing address information engraved on an optical disc, a mark (110) is recorded over the radius direction (A) of a read area (109) of the analysis disc (108) where an analysis object (B) is arranged, at least at a preceding position or a following position of the read area (109) i...

A furnace, in particular for an electro thermal atomization device of an atom absorption spectrometer, has a heatable heat duct in which is mounted a trial platform. The trial platform is essentially basin-shaped with radially inward-turned rims, at least at its free ends. In order to make ongoing improvements in a furnace of the aforementioned type, so that the trial platform has an increased lifetime along with high reproducibility of measurements and simple operation as well as low cost, the ...