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US 11,953,423 B1Granted
Cartridges for liquid samples
AssigneeOak Analytics Inc.
InventorsJames Frederick Gass, Ruibo Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes a housing and a chamber. The chamber is configured to hold analyte. The chamber includes a reflective element, either a reflective coated layer or a reflective mirror, to return optical signals entering the analyte. A window is coated with an anti-reflective material or has negligible optical interference. A cap seals the chamber and the housing. A flow channel is provided within the housing and the chamber assembly to allow the analyte to flow through with reduced bubble entrapment as the cap is tightened to seal the chamber assembly.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- a body having a first tubular shape, a first body end, and a second body end aligned with a center axis, the body comprising:
- a body cavity shaped according to the first tubular shape to accommodate a chamber, the chamber having a second tubular shape, a first chamber end and a second chamber end;
- an entry port at the first body end;
- a glass window at the entry port positioned in alignment with the center axis;
- a shoulder disposed on the glass window and configured to retain the first chamber end;
- and
- a cap receptacle at the second body end,
- wherein the body cavity is configured to hold an analyte;
- and
- a cap configured to mate with the cap receptacle to secure the second chamber end, the cap comprising:
- a reflection mirror mounted on a mirror carrier positioned through the center axis and configured to return an optical signal back toward the glass window;
- a centering ring configured to hold the second chamber end to keep the chamber in place;
- and
- a sealing gasket configured to seal the cap and the cap receptacle when the cap is tightened to seal the body;
- wherein the chamber is configured to be inserted into the body cavity filled with the analyte,
- wherein the reflection mirror is spaced from a surface of the chamber at the second chamber end by a gap after the chamber is fully inserted into the body cavity and prior to tightening the cap, and
- wherein the reflection mirror is in contact with the surface as the cap is tightened to seal the body.
14 more elements
A method comprising:
- shaping a body cavity according to a first tubular shape in a body to accommodate a chamber, the body having a first body end and a second body end aligned with a center axis, the chamber having a second tubular shape, a first chamber end and a second chamber end;
- positioning a glass window at an entry port at the first body end in alignment with the center axis;
- retaining the first chamber end by disposing a shoulder on the glass window;
- holding an analyte in the body cavity;
- and
- mating a cap with a cap receptacle at the second body end to secure the second chamber end, wherein mating comprises:
- mounting a reflection mirror on a mirror carrier positioned through the center axis to return an optical signal back toward the glass window,
- holding the second chamber end with a centering ring to keep the chamber in place, and
- sealing the cap and the cap receptacle with a sealing gasket when the cap is tightened to seal the body;
- inserting the chamber into the body cavity filled with the analyte,
- spacing the reflection mirror from a surface of the chamber at the second chamber end by a gap after the chamber is fully inserted into the body cavity and prior to tightening the cap, and
- tightening the cap to seal the body so that the reflection mirror is in contact with the surface.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.