text: the diagram of fig1 shows the apparatus . in the drawing , in analysis section 31 , a computer 11 receives signals from a detector 12 . in operation the segmented integral liquid stream 13 to be analyzed is passed to the detector through a tubing 14 from a sample introducing device 15 . in the illustrated embodiment the liquid stream 13 , represented by a directional arrow , is transported from the sample introducing device 15 to the detector 12 under the pull of a vacuum applied by a vacuum assembly 16 described in greater detail below . the detector 12 scans samples in the stream 13 for characteristics of the composition , such as concentration . the data observed in the detector 12 is transmitted to the computer 11 as digital signals through an analog to digital converter 17 . the computer 11 takes the detector signals and provides analyses of samples of liquid from that data . the calculations for the analysis are done by linear and non - linear mathematical regression . the data from the detector from the introduction of the standard is analyzed by the computer 11 using a nonlinear regression algorithm to determine the algebraic model parameters which characterize the flow system . these parameters are than subsequently used with a linear regression algorithm to determine the characteristics of the fashioned sample . reference is made to the sequence of events illustrated in fig2 . a step pulse segment of standard of known concentration is fashioned and the transmittance of radiation as the standard reagent interface passes by the detector is observed by the computer . this transmittance signal is stored in the computer &# 39 ; s ram 18 , see fig1 along with the elapsed time from the start of flow and subsequently converted to absorbance using the following equation . where t o is the transmittance of a perfectly clear and colorless solution and t is the observed transmittance . a mathematical model which describes the interface is given by the following equation . ## equ1 ## where the parameters p 1 , p 2 and p 3 are determined by non - linear regression of the model over the absorbance - time data . parameters p 1 and p 2 are known as the dispersion number and average resident time of the device and characterize the extent of dispersion in the tube . they are functions of the geometry of the system and not of the concentration of the introduced species . parameter p 3 is simply the proportional constant that relates absorbance to concentration of the observed species of interest . it is precisely the determination of these parameters which constitutes instrument calibration . the above equation 2 is shown for determining absorbance as the detected property , represented by the symbol abs . in this equation when related to determining other properties the detected property may be represented by the symbol y ( t ). similarly in equation 2 , c std is a symbol representing a standard specimen . in this equation when related to observing a sample specimen , the sample specimen may be represented by the symbol c o . next a step pulse of sample of unknown concentration is fashioned and the transmittance of radiation as the sample / reagent interface passes by the detector is observed by the computer . this transmittance signal is stored in the computer &# 39 ; s ram 18 along with the elapsed time from the start of flow , and subsequently converted to absorbance using equation 1 . the same mathematical model that is used to perform the nonlinear regression is now used to calculate the sample concentration by performing a linear regression over the absorbance - time data for the sample . this results in an explicit expression for sample concentration : ## equ2 ## the mathematical model of equation 2 describes a sigmoidal curve as illustrated by fig3 . this is a plot of the detector signal generated upon fashioning of a step pulse of standard or analyte adjustent to the reagent segment . this plot illustrates the description of the standard / reagent interface and can be provided from the cpu on computer 11 on a display 19 . the mathematical analysis procedure described above for the step pulse fashioning can be applied with equal facility to conventional fia inpulse injection experiments , wherein the dispersion of the injection results in a peak curve typified by the curve in fig4 . in doing so , both the sequence of mathematical operations and regression algorithms are the same , while equation 2 is replaced by an expression representative of the smaller injection volume . ## equ3 ## where c represents the injected species concentration and δ the duration of the injection ( expressed in units of time ). for disclosures providing procedures useful for methods for adjusting model parameters of the type described herein reference may be made to &# 34 ; dispersion of soluble matter in solvent flowing slowly through a tube &# 34 ;, g . i . taylor , proceedings of royal society of london , series a , vol . 219 , p . 186 ( 1953 ); a description of non - linear regression algorithms in &# 34 ; optimum seeking methods &# 34 ;, d . j . wilde , prentice hall , n . y ., n . y . ( 1964 ) pp . 145 - 150 ; and a description of statistical linear data regression in &# 34 ; probability and statistics for engineers and scientists &# 34 ;, macmillan , n . y ., n . y ., ( 1978 ), chap . 8 . it will be understood that it is a feature of the present invention that the mathematical regression calculations of the computer 11 are used to treat all of the rapidly collected points at the interfacial zone of the dispersion regardless of whether there is used the pulse segment portion or a well - defined impulse sample portion . these points are represented by the curves of fig3 , 8 to 23 and are used in analysis which is the object of this invention . in an aspect of this invention the stream 13 in fig1 is an entirely liquid stream , the flow of which is stopped intermittently and consists of segments fashioned in an integral liquid stream . the segments are referred to here as pulse segments as a representation of transient quantities brought about by an intermittent application of a transporting force from a vacuum . the entirely liquid stream consists of pulse segments of liquid fashioned as described below by non - continuous flow , but united together at interfaces to become integrated into the integral liquid stream . thus , the pulse segments are separate fragments of the stream each cut off from adjoining segments by an interface so as to provide a finite part of the stream usually between two other parts of the stream and thus being with the other segments the constituent parts making up the stream . it is a feature of this aspect of the invention that the useful and effective size of an analyzed sample has a very wide range , so that the size of the sample is not critical except that the sample portion must be of at least such a size that nearly the original concentration of the pulsed segment appears at the detector upon analysis of the interface at the detector . stated otherwise , in fashioning a sample pulse segment for analysis , the shape or form of the slug making up the pulse segment must be such that the detector can observe the analyzed interface from a point where no subverting dispersion in the sample has taken place to the interface itself . the stream 13 as illustrated and described herein is identified as a segmented integral liquid stream . all the segments making the whole are liquid and the whole stream consists entirely of these liquid segments so that in fashioning the individual pulse segments , they are integrated to unite and form the complete stream . fig6 shows the curve record for the readings obtained from the dispersion data observed from pulse segments fashioned in the system of fig1 . the recorded analyzed samples are detected at intervals of 270 μ sec . and the observed absorbance is recorded . referring to fig5 there is shown a system for fashioning the pulse segments of a segmented integral liquid stream and transporting the stream to and through the detector to perform the single interface analysis in accordance with the present invention . referring first to an embodiment of the sample introducing device 15 , a multiple of samples and reagents are represented by storage in a number of tanks 20 from which the samples and reagents may be individually drawn through a plurality of tubings 21 to a connector board 22 where the samples flow into a plurality of tubings 23 of reduced diameter . the samples and reagents are next processed through a degasser 24 to release the dissolved gas in the sample prior to further handling and the eventual analysis . the degasser 24 contains in a vacuum sealed housing 25 , a porous tube 26 for each of the individual tubings 23 and its respective sample or reagent . as described in greater detail below , by adjusting the vacuum in housing 25 in relation to the porosity of the tubes 26 and the rate of stream flow , the liquid stream flow of the sample can be rendered substantially free of gas upon transport through delivery tubes 27 and zero dead volume valve 28 . typical tube sizes for tubes 23 and 27 and those throughout are 30 mil internal diameter . the manifold 29 fashions pulse segments making up the stream 13 in the tubing 14 in pulse segments as shown in the partly broken away section of tubing 14 in fig5 b . in the illustrated embodiment the stream 13 is transported to a diluter 30 . a diluent is introduced into the diluter 30 through a tube 32 from a suitable source of supply . the sample stream 13 from manifold 29 are the diluent are suitably mixed in the diluter 30 and the product transported to the detector 12 for observation and determination . the system illustrated in fig5 a and 5b is identified herein as a step pulse fashioning system . the flow of stream 13 is segmented as illustrated in the broken away portion of tube 14 . force for this segmented flow is provided by the vacuum assembly 16 through vacuum valves 36 and 40 . valves 36 and 40 are vacuum valves which when opened draw the sample or reagent into the system . the volume drawn in is controlled and determined by the period these valves 36 and 40 are open . in a normal operational sequence of the system of fig5 a and 5b , the vacuum driving it may be in the range of 2 1 / 2 to 15 inches of hg . the valves are solenoid drive pinch valves . referring to the operation of the system , reference is made to table 1 which gives the sequence of operation of the valves and describes the results of each operation . the flow rate is 2 m / 1 - 12 m / 1 per minute , preferably 2 - 4 . the diluter 30 contains two small chambers 33 and 34 separated by a membrane 35 . a suitable membrane 35 is a teflon membrane with a 1 . 0 micron pore size supported on a non - woven polypropylene sheet . on the first step of operating cycle i as charted in table 1 , under the pulling force provided by the vacuum assembly 16 through valve 36 the stream is drawn in the system and the diluter 30 is filled from the manifold 29 by opening a flow through the zero dead volume valves 28a , 28b , and valve 36 with valve 40 closed . the flow of the stream 13 through the diluter 30 is controlled by valves 28a , 28b and 36 , which transport at least one pulse segment of the stream to the point a between the diluter 30 and the valved source of air pressure 37 which provides back pressure . in step 2 the valves 28a , 28b and 36 then close . this positioning of the pulse segments of the integral liquid stream 13 in the sample side of the diluter 30 , the tubing 55 provides a reservoir of fashioned segment or segments on the sample side of the membrane in chamber 33 of the diluter 30 to provide a supply of liquid available to be forced through the membrane 35 under the back pressure asserted from the pressure source 37 . the pulse segments are fashioned in the operation of the valves 28a and 28b introducing fluid flow into the manifold 29 under the transporting force put in action from the vacuum assembly 16 . it will be understood that this fashioning of the pulse segments is directly concerned with the formation of the segmented integral liquid stream described above and illustrated by stream 13 in the embodiment of fig5 a and 5b . the porous membrane 35 of the diluter 30 is not wetted by either the liquid of the segmented stream 13 or the diluent from tube 32 , but is permeable to the liquid of the segmented stream 13 upon the application of back pressure on the reservoir consisting of the segmented stream positioned upstream from point a into the diluter 30 . next , the step 3 in the sequence of analysis cycle i , after providing the reservoir of pulse segments , first valve 40 and valve 42 are opened and then a suitable valve is opened at the source of pressure 37 exerting positive pressure on chamber 34 side of the membrane 35 in the diluter 30 . the pulse segment permeates through the membrane 35 and mixing with the diluent in chamber 33 is drawn in a diluted state from the diluter 30 by force exerted from the vacuum assembly 16 by the opening of a main control valve 40 positioned downstream of the detector 12 . varying the amount of back pressure used , alters the amount of the solution transferred to the diluent . the flow of the diluted segmented stream 13 from the diluter 30 in a tubing 38 is controlled by valve 40 and is positioned by transporting the pulse segments to a point a downstream from the detector 12 so as to assure filling the detector 12 with sample or reagent in pulse segments . the delivery of fashioned pulse segments of sample or reagent to the detector 12 may include suitable valve - controlled apparatus for introducing other substances into the analyzed liquid of the segmented stream . in the embodiment of fig5 b valves 39 and 41 illustrate the controls for providing dye through valve 39 and a reagent for forming the appropriate interface through valve 41 from suitable sources . in one example of an analysis according to this invention in the embodiment of fig5 a and 5b valves 40 , and the pressure source 37 are opened to transport diluted pulse segments from the diluter 30 in tubing 38 and form a slug mixture of the pulse segment and the valve 40 is closed to position the slug mixture upstream from point a . then valve 41 , valve 42 and valve 40 are opened to introduce through valve 41 a salt to form an interface . the interface flows through the detector 12 and the detector 12 senses and takes measurements . this observed data is transmitted on a line 61 to the analog - to - digital converter 17 in fig1 as described above . with the completion of the readings the control valves 40 and 41 are closed and the sequence of steps of that cycle of analysis has been completed . the table 1 charts the sequence of steps in four analysis cycles i , ii , iii and iv in a characteristic example of the operation of the apparatus illustrated in the embodiment of fig5 a and 5b . the stream structure for each of these cycles is different thus illustrating the adaptability , versatility and flexibility of the present invention . each of the cycles i , ii , iii , and iv consists of a sequence of six steps with each of the steps related to the states of the valves which fashion the segments and control the transport of the structured stream , and each step characterized by the stream flow . the stream structures processed in the respective cycles i , ii , iii and iv are as follows : ______________________________________cycle stream structure______________________________________i h . sub . 2 o , acid and dyeii sample and acidiii sample , acid and dyeiv sample , standard and dye______________________________________ table 1__________________________________________________________________________valving sequencesteps open close characteristics of steps__________________________________________________________________________cycle i1 , 28a , 28b , 36 fill diluter and tube to b2 , 36 , 28b , 28a flow stops3 , 42 , 39 , 40 , 37 flow through cell to a slug mixture formed , water , std , & amp ; dye . 4 , 37 , 40 , 39 , 42 flow stops5 41 , 40 forms interface , flow through flow cell and read a / d , water , std & amp ; dye . 6 , 40 , 41 flow stopscycle ii7 , 28b , 28c , 367 fill diluter with sample + acid . fill tube to point b8 , 36 , 28c , 28b flow stops9 42 , 40 , 37 flow beyond a sample is diluted by acid and forms sulg10 37 , 40 , 42 flow stops11 , 41 , 40 forms interface . flow through flow cell and read a / d . ( sample & amp ; acid ) 12 40 , 41 flow stops . cycle iii13 , 28b , 28c , 36 fill diluter and tube to point b14 , 36 , 28c , 28b flow stops15 42 , 39 , 40 , 37 mixes dye with diluted sample , and acid , flow through flow cell to a16 40 , 39 , 37 , 42 flow stops17 41 , 40 forms interface . flow through flow cell and read a / d . ( sample , acid , & amp ; dye ) 18 40 , 41 flow stopscycle iv19 , 28c , 28d , 36 fill diluter and tube to b20 36 , 28d , 28c flow stops21 42 , 39 , 40 , 37 flow through cell to a slug mixture formed sample , std , & amp ; dye . 22 37 , 40 , 39 , 42 flow stops23 41 , 40 forms interface . flow through flow cell and read a / d ( sample , std , & amp ; dye ) 24 40 , 41 flow stops__________________________________________________________________________ referring to the operation of the vacuum assembly as embodied in fig5 b , two different waste reservoirs 43 and 44 are connected via three - way valve 45 to a vacuum pump 46 . with the three - way valve 45 connecting reservoir 43 to the pump 46 and switch 50 in the appropriate position , as illustrated , reservoir 43 is available to be evacuated and simultaneously reservoir 44 is available for exerting the transporting force of the system through valve 40 . thus during an analysis cycle the reservoir , 44 draws the stream 13 in the system of fig5 a and 5b when valve 40 is open . at the close of the cycle , liquid has collected in the reservoir 44 and the observed data has been collected and transmitted from detector 12 . at this point in the step sequences after the vacuum valve 40 is closed , a vent valve 54 and a dump valve 47 opens to drain the contents of reservoir 44 through a suitable outlet 48 . the next cycle begins with switch 50 closing to pump down reservoir 43 . after the reservoir 43 is pumped down , switch 50 opens , and the valve 45 switches reservoir 44 to vacuum pump 46 , while switch 50 is opened . a vacuum is created in reservoir 44 after the vent valve 54 and dump valve 47 are closed . the now evacuated reservoir 43 is available to exert the transporting force in the system . thus the reservoirs 43 and 44 are alternately evacuated , filled with liquid , dumped and reevaluated . a dump valve 49 drains reservoir 43 through the outlet 48 . the switch 50 is connected to actuate the vacuum pump 46 . switches 51 and 52 are the liquid level detectors for reservoirs 43 and 44 , respectively . while valves 53 and 54 provide venting for the respective reservoirs 43 and 44 . fig7 is a detailed illustration of the degassing stage of the system embodied in fig5 a and 5b . as noted above , the degasser apparatus 24 has vacuum sealed housing 25 which is suitably evacuated to provide reduced pressures within the housing . the porous tubes 26 conduct the system liquid through the housing 25 while causing gases within the liquid to be removed from the liquid . these tubes 26 may be composed of a number of different materials . the tubes 26 are suitably inert , porous material which is not wetted by the liquid . in one embodiment the tubes 26 are composed of gore - tex tubing with 2 micron pores . fig7 is a detailed illustration of the degassing stage of the system embodied in fig5 a and 5b . as noted above , the degasser apparatus 24 has vacuum sealed housing 25 which is suitably evacuated to provide reduced pressures within the housing . the porous tubes 26 conduct the system liquid through the housing 25 while causing gases within the liquid to be removed from the liquid . these tubes 26 may be composed of a number of different materials . the tubes 26 are suitably inert , porous material which is not wetted by the liquid . in one embodiment the tubes 26 are composed of gore - tex tubing with 2 micron pores . effective degassing in the degasser 24 is directly related to the difference between the ambient pressure within the housing 25 at which gas passes through the tubing 26 and escapes from the liquid stream and the ambient pressure at which water will seep through tubing 26 . the housing 25 is evacuated to provide a pressure differential of about 10 inches of mercury between the external pressure in the housing 25 and the internal pressure in the tubing 26 . this pressure differential can range from a pressure one - tenth higher in the tubing 26 than the external pressure up to a pressure in the tube which is 12 . 8 pounds per square inch higher in the tubing . the length of this tubing 26 is selected or adjusted to allow complete degassing of the liquid within a given time period for the flow rate . fig8 to 17 show the curve records for the readings obtained from the dispersion data observed from pulse segments fashioned in a system of the nature of the systems illustrated in fig1 a and 5b . the recorded analyzed samples were detected at intervals of 270 μ sec and the observation recorded . the data was analyzed by a computer using the nonlinear regression algorithm to determine the algebraic model parameters characterizing the methyl or orange dye and alum which was analyzed in the flow system . these parameters were subsequently used with the linear regression algorithm to determine the concentrations of various samples of methyl orange dye and alum . the plotted curves of these fig8 to 17 illustrate the indicated values that were detected in the flow cell 12 of the system of this invention by readings taken every 270 μ sec . and analyzed and processed in the calculations described above . in general these plotted curves show the determination of the composition of the analyzed liquid slugs in the integral but segmented liquid stream at a single interface . the curves are of sigmoidal shape . the curves illustrate the results that were obtained and in analysis by using the liquid integrity of a fashioned stream to provide liquid segments or slugs , for observation , analysis and calculation . these results substantiated achievement of the objects stated above . fig8 is a chart illustrating the application of this invention to the detection and observation of dye concentrations . in graphical form it depicts the curves representing the results of detection of methyl orange dye in step pulse segments of discrete segmented flow conditions . samples a to b of 2 ppm of methyl orange and samples c and d of 4 ppm of methyl orange were passed in segments through the flow cell 12 and transmittance values against time were detected as illustrated in the plotted curves a , b , c and d of fig8 . fig9 shows the results of standardization of the apparatus of the nature of fig1 a and 5b for detecting concentrations of methyl orange dye using sample 1 having a concentration of 2 parts per million of methyl orange introduces into the system . fig9 illustrates the results from a determination from a sample 1 of 2 ppm drawn through the system . this determination is a standardization procedure in accordance with the descriptions for providing a model prediction curve related to methyl orange specimens . the recorded data was processed in a computer by non - linear regression to determine model parameters p 1 , p 2 , p 3 and the determination of the methyl orange concentration . this is non - linear regression of the sample over absorbance - time data detected in the cell 12 according to the calculations set forth above . the curves which represent a large number of readings , represent the plot of the concentration of methyl orange dye detected in the sample 1 by detection and observation at the interface between the sample segment and the reagent in the manner described above . curve ixa illustrates the observed and detected data and ixb represents the model prediction curve . in the non - linear regression of the standardization procedure illustrated by fig9 by the equation ( 2 ) above the observed , analyzed and calculated results provide the following which were parameters for calibration and the results of the standardization procedure . in this non - linear regression the c std of equation ( 2 ) is 2 ppm . fig1 - 13 illustrate the analysis of an unknown sample of methyl orange using the linear regression of equation ( 3 ) to ( 4 ). curve xa depicts the observations converted to absorbance obtained by the analysis of sample 1 . curve xb is the model prediction curve for that sample and indicates that concentration is 2 . 0 ppm because of the linear regression described in equations ( 3 ) and ( 4 ). fig1 thru 17 illustrate the example of applying the technique to the chemical analysis of standard addition and corresponds to the instrument described in fig1 a and 5b and the chart of table 1 . in fig1 curve xiva is the calibration curve to obtain the flow parameters , curve xivb is the curve of the analysis of the sample and curve xivc pertains to the analysis of the sample which contains in addition an added standard fig1 shows the standardization of the instrument using the dye aliquot using equation ( 2 ). the parameters determined were fig1 represents linear regression analysis done on the sample segment as represented by curve xivb of fig1 . the p 3 c is 0 . 05694 . fig1 represents linear regression analysis done on the sample plus added standard segment represented by curve xiv c . the result of the three analyses are combined using the following equation to determine the sample concentration of alum ## equ4 ## the result was 421 ppm as related to the known concentration of 400ppm . fig1 to 23 show curve records for readings obtained from dispersion data observed from the use of conventional flow injection instrument to analyze in accordance with this invention . in this embodiment analysis is carried out according to this invention by using conventional flow injection apparatus to prepare a mode prediction curve for the determination of the characteristics of a component in the flow injection analyzer apparatus . fig1 illustrates curves depicting the experimental observations of absorbance for methyl orange dye in four concentrations , 1 , 2 , 3 and 10 ppm , curves xviii ( a ), xviii ( b ), xviii ( c ), and xviii ( d ) respectively . fig1 depicts the observed data curve xixa for the 3 ppm methyl orange injection which was used as the standard . this curve xixa represents the observation of the absorbance as a function of time observed by the photodetector . curve xix ( b ) represents the model prediction curve resulting from non - linear regression of the curve xixa data using the equation ( 5 ). the close coincidence of curves xixa and xixb is noted . the parameter values obtained were fig2 depicts the analysis of a sample using the model parameters obtained in the standardization step described above . curve xxb is the same as curve xixb for the 3 ppm generated by different means , namely linear regression . curve xxa is the result of the observation of the 3 ppm sample of fig2 . fig2 , 22 and 23 illustrate examples of carrying out the analysis similar to that of fig2 with samples of the concentration of 2 ppm for fig2 , 1 ppm for fig2 , and 10 ppm for fig2 . the results are listed in the legends in the respective figures . among other advantages of the present invention it is to be noted that in the analysis it is not necessary to analyze the entire curve to do the analysis . all that is needed is any portion of the curve that is illustrated in the figures , providing that the model is sensitive to that section . further , when the measured quantity is not a linear function of concentration it is still possible to do the analysis with only one additional calibration point .