Methods for preparing a biological sample for testing by Maldi where such methods are selected based on sample parameters. Maldi scores are obtained for a range of sample parameters (e.g. McFarland, dispense volume and number of dispenses). From the data, sample preparation parameters can be selected for a biological sample being prepared for Maldi testing. One sample preparation strategy uses multiple dispenses of sample with an intervening drying step, which yields more accurate Maldi scores, particularly for samples at the low range of McFarland values (e.g. below about 2).

Provided is an analysis method capable of qualitatively determining resins adhering to crushed polysilicon with high sensitivity and further capable of quantitatively determining the resins with high precision. The analysis method comprises removing organic volatile components from crushed polysilicon by heating, then raising a temperature of the crushed polysilicon in a stream of an inert gas, collecting resin decomposition products produced at the heating temperature, and analyzing decomposition products unique to the resins, to thereby identify the types of the resins adhering to the crushed polysilicon. Moreover, it is also possible to prepare a standard curve regarding each of the decomposition products unique to the resins and to determine an adhesion quantity of each of the adhering resins based on the standard curve.

With a water, particulate and fibre mixture, a method of quantifying fibre content may include providing a sample of the mixture, filtering the sample to produce a particulate and fibre mixture, burning the particulate and fibre mixture to produce a fibre sample, and dissolving the fibre sample to produce a fibre solution. The fibre solution may be analyzed to determine an elemental content of the fibre solution. The elemental content may be compared to a known elemental content to estimate the fibre content.

The automatic analysis device includes an evaporative concentration unit configured to perform a concentration process of evaporating an extract solution obtained by extracting a component to be analyzed in a sample to concentrate the component to be analyzed; an analysis unit configured to analyze the component to be analyzed of the sample; and a control unit configured to control operations of the analysis unit and the evaporative concentration unit. The control unit determines whether to perform an evaporative concentration process on a component to be analyzed in the sample, and controls the evaporative concentration unit to concentrate a component to be analyzed in a sample which is determined to be subjected to an evaporative concentration process. The sample to be subjected to the evaporative concentration process is stored, and the control unit selects whether to perform the evaporative concentration on each sample or not based on stored content.

A liquid-sample component analysis method includes a dripping step of dripping a liquid sample onto a flat horizontal surface, a drying step of drying a liquid droplet of the liquid sample formed on the horizontal surface while keeping the liquid droplet still so as to obtain a plurality of concentrically-arranged ring-shaped deposits formed on the horizontal surface and composed of components having different particle diameters, and a measuring step of measuring a vibrational spectrum in each region including only one of the deposits so as to individually acquire vibrational spectra of the plurality of deposits.

A detector for, and a method of, detecting analytes in gases in described. The detector comprises a sorbent for sorbing therein and/or thereon and/or desorbing therefrom, an analyte included in a gas exposed thereto, at a zeroth temperature, pressure (T.sub.0,P.sub.0), a controller arranged to change the zeroth temperature, pressure (T.sub.0,P.sub.0) to a first temperature, pressure (T.sub.1,P.sub.1) according to a first equation, to desorb and/or sorb at least some of the analyte; and a sensor arranged to sense at least some of the analyte and to output a response corresponding to the sensed analyte. The response comprises and/or is a characteristic response of the analyte. The first response is modified based on a first baseline response at the zeroth temperature, pressure (T.sub.0,P.sub.0).

A method of collecting resin beads includes first to fourth steps. The first step is a step of preparing a sample on a thin film provided on an upper surface of a substrate. The second step is a step of irradiating the thin film with a laser beam and a laser beam with the laser beam and the laser beam being distant from each other. The third step is a step of producing a microbubble at a position irradiated with the laser beam and producing a microbubble at a position irradiated with the laser beam, by heating the sample by irradiation with the laser beams. The fourth step is a step of collecting a plurality of resin beads in a region between the microbubble and the microbubble by producing convection of the sample in a direction perpendicular to a direction of alignment of the microbubble and the microbubble.

A sample concentrating unit and a sample concentrating method are described, which enable fast, precise and reproducible analyte concentration in a sample by evaporation of sample solvent. A specifically directed gas stream in cooperation with a vacuum generated in the sample concentrating unit keeps the sample at boiling point during the entire evaporation procedure while reducing analyte loss and risk of cross-contamination. The fully automated sample concentrating unit is designed to be integrated into an in-vitro diagnostic analyzer.

An automatic tritium extraction device for environmental monitoring comprises a distillation chamber, a temperature control unit, a condensation unit and an auxiliary condensation unit. The distillation chamber is connected to a first pump, a second pump and a third pump. A delivery pipe comprises a first vertical pipe, a second vertical pipe and an oblique pipe which inclines upwards from the distillation chamber to the condensation unit. An automatic tritium extraction method for environmental monitoring comprises the following steps: 1) cleaning of a distillation chamber; 2) distillation rising; 3) distillation; 4) condensation; 5) discharging samples out of the distillation chamber. By the adoption of the automatic tritium extraction device and method for environmental monitoring, fully-automatic distillation and condensation of environmental tritium samples, automatic cleaning of the distillation chamber, and automatic and accurate addition of required agents are realized, and fully-automatic acquisition, preparation, distillation, purification, measurement and analysis of environmental tritium can be completed; and manual intervention is reduced, so that monitoring results are more accurate, and labor costs are saved.

The present invention relates to a steam sample concentrator and conditioning (SSCC) system. The SSCC finds use in concentrating impurities carried in steam (e.g., used in power generation and other industrial processes) and facilitating steam analysis.