An optical system for imaging a multiwell sample plate onto a CCD camera, wherein light from the illuminated sample plate (26) is imaged by one or more lenses (20,24) onto a fibre optic taper (22), bonded to the input face of the camera (28).

A sample transfer apparatus has a transfer arm for supporting a sample and is mounted for undergoing movement to transfer the sample from a first station to a second station. The transfer arm has a holding portion for holding the sample by hydrogen bonding.

A time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer instrument comprises a pulsed source of a beam of ions, directed through a focusing device onto a sample to be analyzed. Ions emitted from the sample are collected, and mass spectrometry performed thereon to analyze the sample. Both the source and emitted beams may be focused by the same focusing device. This allows the instrument to be mounted to a single port in a vacuum chamber.

A sample carrier comprising a top wall, a base, and a support wall joining the top wall and the base. The top wall includes aligned, spaced-apart openings on at least one side of the support wall which are sized to receive sample tubes. Sleeves depending from the top wall and circumscribing each opening direct sample tubes into sample tube holding areas. The sample tube holding areas each include one or more retaining walls extending upward from the base opposite the support wall. Springs extend...

The invention relates to a sample dispenser, for the application of liquid samples on to a sample absorbing area, with a sample dispenser body (1) having at its end a sample pick-up surface (5) bounded by a continuous edge (6), wherein the sample pick-up surface (5) is provided with a recess (7) such that, when the sample pick-up surface (5) is dipped into a sample reservoir, a droplet of liquid sample of predetermined size adheres to the sample pick-up surface (5) and by placing of the sample p...

A holder for samples to be analyzed in a spectrometer is made of a polymer to avoid introducing metal contaminates into the test from the usual metal holder. The preferred polymer is polyvinylidenefluoride (PDVF). The holder uses less expensive polymers for components that do not require the properties of PDVF, and it is constructed to permit replacing parts made of PDVF that have become damaged.

The comprises at least one sample receiving chamber for a sample liquid, and a distributor channel for sample liquid connected to said at least one sample receiving chamber, with at least one such distributor channel extending from each sample receiving chamber. The sample support further comprises at least one reaction chamber entered by an inflow channel branched off said at least one distributor channel, and a venting opening for each reaction chamber. Each distributor channel and each inflow...

The adverse effect on measurement accuracy brought about by the transmission of light beams through portions of a liquid sample with different concentrations, i.e., a concentration distribution in the vertical direction of a container, is prevented by using semiconductor light sources of two different types with different wavelengths. The semiconductor light sources (2, 4) of two different types are housed in the same package (5) such that a detector (9) can capture the light beams emitted by th...

A sample carrier for receiving chemical and/or biological samples includes a receiving part (30) provided with deepened portions (32) for receiving the samples, and a base part (38) closing the deepened portions (32), the base part (38) being connected to the receiving part (30) at connection sites (37) by means of a bonding agent, characterized in that the receiving part (30) and/or the base part (38) are provided, at the connection sites (37), with at least one recess (44,52,60) for receiving ...

Pretreatment method and apparatus to remove matrix ions from a liquid sample, prior to separation of the sample analytes (e.g. by chromatography), by flowing the liquid sample into a sample compartment and stopping the flow. The sample compartment has a wall comprising an ion exchange membrane having exchangeable ions of the same charge as the matrix ions to be removed. A regenerant liquid stream flows through a regenerant flow compartment on the other side of the membrane from said parked liqui...