Disposable optical cuvette cartridge

A disposable optical cuvette cartridge for use in the spectrophotometric analysis of liquid samples,

• the cuvette cartridge comprising,
• a pair of parallel sheets of material impermeable to the liquid samples, said two sheets held in spaced relationship to one another by an intermediate layer to which they each are affixed,
• the intermediate layer having at least one discontinuity defining a sample zone having an optical path defined by the spaced relationship between the two sheets,
• with at least one of the two sheets being transparent at the wavelength of the spectrophotometric analysis and one of the two sheets carrying an inlet port and a vent port in fluid communication with the sample zone,
• the spaced relationship being sized to cause capillary action to draw a liquid sample into the sample zone when the sample is placed at the inlet port.

A method of manufacturing a thin film disposable cuvette cartridge for use in the spectrophotometric analysis of liquid samples comprising:

• providing a first flat sheet of flexible film material impermeable to the liquid samples;
• providing an intermediate layer also made from a material which is impermeable to the liquid samples;
• providing a second flat sheet of flexible film material impermeable to the liquid samples;
• said intermediate layer having a thickness preselected to provide a desired spaced relationship between the first and second sheets of flexible film material and having one or more discontinuities which define one or more sample zones having a thickness set by the spaced relationship between the two sheets;
• at least one of the first and second sheets being optically transparent at the wavelength employed in the spectrophotometric analysis and one of these two sheets carrying an inlet port and a vent port for each of the sample zones;
• the thickness of the intermediate layer defining an optical path through the sample zones and being sized to cause capillary action to draw a liquid sample into one of the sample zones when the sample is placed at its inlet port;
• aligning said sheets with said intermediate layer such that the inlet and vent ports are in fluid communication with the sample zones;
• and
• sealably bonding said intermediate layer to said first film and said second film.

A vacuum chuck for holding a disposable thin film optical cuvette cartridge for use in the spectrophotometric analysis of liquid samples in a flattened and registered position, the cuvette cartridge comprising:

• a pair of parallel sheets of material impermeable to the liquid samples, said two sheets held in spaced relationship to one another by an intermediate layer to which they each are affixed,
• the intermediate layer having at least one discontinuity defining a sample zone having an optical path defined by the spaced relationship between the two sheets,
• with at least one of the two sheets being transparent at the wavelength of the spectrophotometric analysis and having at least two locating pin holes passing through the pair of parallel sheets and through the intermediate layer;
• the vacuum chuck having
• a continuous perimeter which is shaped to surround the sample zone when a cuvette cartridge is placed upon it and having additional areas within the perimeter, said perimeter and said additional areas being coplanar and defining a flat planar surface upon which the cuvette cartridge is placed,
• said flat planar surface having indentations extending below the surface defined by said perimeter and said additional areas, said indentations being located beneath the sample zones when the cuvette cartridge is placed on the chuck,
• at least two pins extending upwards from said planar surface and located in the planar surface so as to engage the at least two locating pin holes present in the cuvette cassette, and
• a vacuum source connected to said indentations to apply a vacuum thereto to pull the cuvette cartridge into a locked and registered flat position on the planar surface when the locating pin holes of the cassette are mated with the pins of the chuck.

A system for spectrophotometric determination of analyte in liquid samples comprising,

• an optical cuvette cartridge comprising,
• a pair of parallel sheets of material impermeable to the liquid samples, said two sheets held in spaced relationship to one another by an intermediate layer to which they each are affixed,
• the intermediate layer having at least one discontinuity defining a sample zone having an optical path defined by the spaced relationship between the two sheets,
• with at least one of the two sheets being transparent at the wavelengths of the spectrophotometric analysis and
• one of the two sheets carrying an inlet port and a vent port in fluid communication with the sample zone,
• the spaced relationship being sized to cause capillary action to draw a liquid sample into the sample zone when the sample is placed at the inlet port;
• a laser capable of illuminating a sample contained within the sample zone along said optical path and capable of inducing fluorescence from said analyte;
• a detector for detecting the fluorescence from said analyte emanating through the transparent sheet and
• means for reporting the determination of the analyte based upon the fluorescence detected by the detector.

A method for spectrophotometric determination of analyte in a liquid sample, comprising:

• providing an optical cuvette cartridge comprising:
• a pair of parallel sheets of material impermeable to the liquid samples, said two sheets held in spaced relationship to one another by an intermediate layer to which they each are sealably affixed,
• the intermediate layer having at least one discontinuity defining a sample zone having an optical path defined by the spaced relationship between the two sheets,
• with at least one of the two sheets being transparent at the wavelengths of the spectrophotometric analysis and
• one of the two sheets carrying an inlet port and a vent port in fluid communication with the sample zone,
• placing a drop of said liquid sample on the inlet port and permitting capillary action to draw a liquid sample into the sample zone;
• illuminating the sample zone with its liquid sample along the optical path with a laser capable of inducing fluorescence from said analyte;
• detecting the fluorescence from said analyte emanating through the transparent sheet and
• reporting the determination of the analyte based upon the fluorescence detected by the detector.