Miniature flow-through cuvette and spectrophotometer containing the same

A spectrophotometer for measurement of a liquid sample in a flow-through cuvette comprising:

• (a) a flow-through cuvette comprising a first and a second body block, each body block having an inclined planar outer surface and an opposing joining surface;
• said first and second body blocks joined together forming a cuvette body, with said joining surfaces of said body blocks disposed directly against each other and said inclined planar outer surfaces opposing each other;
• and a flow channel through said cuvette body, said flow channel formed by joining two separate portions in sequence into a continuous channel, each portion formed integrally within one of said body blocks;
• said flow channel comprising a first interface segment in the first body block and a second interface segment in the second body block, oriented generally in a direction of a vertical axis of said cuvette body, each thereof having an open exit;
• a measurement segment between the first and second interface segments, oriented generally horizontally, with a central axis thereof in transverse to said joining surfaces of said body blocks, and said measurement segment formed by connecting, in alignment, a first and a second portion thereof in the first and the second body block, respectively, when said joining surfaces of said body blocks are joined together;
• a first inclined planar inner surface disposed in a first turning segment between the first interface segment and the first portion of said measurement segment, facing the planar outer surface of the first body block;
• and an opposing second inclined planar inner surface disposed in a second turning segment between the second interface segment and the second portion of said measurement segment, facing the planar outer surface of the second body block;
• said first and second inclined planar inner surfaces intercepting said central axis of the measurement segment and terminating said measurement segment at opposing ends thereof, thereby permitting light linearly passing said measurement segment through said first and second inclined planar inner surfaces for said spectrophotometric measurement;
• said first and second body blocks made of a transparent material by molding, each body block forming one single piece structure with an uninterrupted integral structure of said inclined inner surfaces in said flow channel and said inclined planar outer surfaces in each body block;
• (b) a light source disposed next to the inclined planar outer surface of the first body block and adapted to emit an incident light beam through said measurement segment of said flow channel;
• and
• (c) a photodetector disposed next to the inclined planar outer surface of the second body block and adapted to receive a transmitted light through said measurement segment of said flow channel.