| abstract |
This invention relates to a method and to apparatus for chemical and biochemical analyses which employ an energy-transmissive core and may employ one or more sheaths which selectively absorb, react with, and/or filter an analyte or a product of an analyte. The core is transmissive to a chosen energy carrier and it has an inlet end and an outlet end. Between these ends it has an extended length. The passage of energy through the core is modified by reason of events which occur in one or more of the sheaths or in the case where no sheath is employed, by reason of events which occur in an ambient fluid. The resulting modification of the transmitted energy is a measure of such events which in turn are a measure of the analyte. The energy may be any of several types of energy which can be transmitted through the core from end to end and which is susceptible to modification by reactions in the sheath or sheaths or ambient fluid. The energy may be electromagnetic, electrical or sonic. In the method aspect of the invention a permeable core may be used which is bare, i.e. without a sheath, and exposed directly to an environment, e.g. the air or an industrial fluid. |