In this section, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
"variable" (as a noun) means a feature or property (e.g., a dimension, a physical condition such as temperature, a quality such as density or colour) which, in respect of a particular entity (e.g., an object, a quantity of a substance, a beam of light) and at a particular instant, is capable of being measured; the variable may change, so that its numerical expression may assume different values at different times, in different conditions or in individual cases, but may be constant in respect of a particular entity in certain conditions or for practical purposes (e.g., the length of a bar may be regarded as constant for many purposes).
Attention is drawn to the definitions of terms or expressions used, appearing in the notes of several of the classes in this section, in particular those of "measuring" in class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01 and "control" and "regulation" in class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G05.
Classification in this section may present more difficulty than in other sections, because the distinction between different fields of use rests to a considerable extent on differences in the intention of the user rather than on any constructional differences or differences in the manner of use, and because the subjects dealt with are often in effect systems or combinations, which have features or parts in common, rather than "things", which are readily distinguishable as a whole. For example, information (e.g., a set of figures) may be displayed for the purpose of education or advertising (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G09), for enabling the result of a measurement to be known (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01), for signalling the information to a distant point or for giving information which has been signalled from a distant point (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G08). The words used to describe the purpose depend on features that may be irrelevant to the form of the apparatus concerned, for example, such features as the desired effect on the person who sees the display, or whether the display is controlled from a remote point. Again, a device which responds to some change in a condition, e.g., in the pressure of a fluid, may be used, without modification of the device itself, to give information about the pressure (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01L) or about some other condition linked to the pressure (another subclass of class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01, e.g., Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01K for temperature), to make a record of the pressure or of its occurrence (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G07C), to give an alarm (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G08B), or to control another apparatus (Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G05).
The classification scheme is intended to enable things of a similar nature (as indicated above) to be classified together. It is therefore particularly necessary for the real nature of any technical subject to be decided before it can be properly classified.
This class covers, in addition to "true" measuring instruments, other indicating or recording devices of analogous construction, and also signalling or control devices insofar as they are concerned with measurement (as defined in Note 2 below) and are not specially adapted to the particular purpose of signalling or control.
In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
"measuring" is used to cover considerably more than its primary or basic meaning. In this primary sense, it means finding a numerical expression of the value of a variable in relation to a unit or datum or to another variable of the same nature, e.g. expressing a length in terms of another length as in measuring a length with a scale; the value may be obtained directly (as just suggested) or by measuring some other variable of which the value can be related to the value of the required variable, as in measuring a change in temperature by measuring a resultant change in the length of a column of mercury. However, since the same device or instrument may, instead of giving an immediate indication, be used to produce a record or to initiate a signal to produce an indication or control effect, or may be used in combination with other devices or instruments to give a conjoint result from measurement of two or more variables of the same or different kinds, it is necessary to interpret "measuring" as including also any operation that would make it possible to obtain such a numerical expression by the additional use of some way of converting a value into figures. Thus the expression in figures may be actually made by a digital presentation or by reading a scale, or an indication of it may be given without the use of figures, e.g. by some perceptible feature (variable) of the entity (e.g. object, substance, beam of light) of which the variable being measured is a property or condition or by an analogue of such a feature (e.g. the corresponding position of a member without any scale, a corresponding voltage generated in some way). In many cases there is no such value indication but only an indication of difference or equality in relation to a standard or datum (of which the value may or may not be known in figures); the standard or datum may be the value of another variable of the same nature but of a different entity (e.g. a standard measure) or of the same entity at a different time.
In its simplest form, measurement may give merely an indication of presence or absence of a certain condition or quality, e.g. movement (in any direction or in a particular direction), or whether a variable exceeds a predetermined value.
Attention is drawn to the Notes following the title of section G, especially as regards the definition of the term "variable".
In many measuring arrangements, a first variable to be measured is transformed into a second, or further, variables. The second, or further, variables may be (a) a condition related to the first variable and produced in a member, or (b) a displacement of a member. Further transformation may be needed. [6]
When classifying such an arrangement, (i) the transformation step, or each transformation step, that is of interest is classified, or (ii) if interest lies only in the system as a whole, the first variable is classified in the appropriate place. [6]
This is particularly important where two or more conversions take place, for instance where a first variable, for example pressure, is transformed into a second variable, for example an optical property of a sensing body, and that second variable is expressed by means of a third variable, for example an electric effect. In such a case, the following classification places should be considered: the place for the transformation of the first variable, that for sensing the condition caused by that variable, subclass Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01D for expression of the measurement, and finally the place for the overall system, if any. [6]
The measurement of change in the value of a physical property is classified in the same subclass as the measurement of that physical property, e.g. measurement of expansion of length is classified in subclass Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01B.
Analysing materials by measuring the pressure or volume of a gas or vapour
P:40
G01N 9/00
Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity (weighing apparatus Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01G)
G01N 9/24
·
by observing the transmission of wave or particle radiation through the material
P:30
G01N 11/00
Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
G01N 11/10
·
by moving a body within the material
P:20
G01N 13/00
Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects (scanning-probe techniques or apparatus Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01Q) [1,7]
Investigating characteristics of particles; Investigating permeability, pore-volume or surface-area of porous materials (identification of micro-organisms Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...C12Q) [4]
This group does not cover the investigation of spectral properties of light per se, or measurements of the properties of materials where spectral properties of light are sensed and primary emphasis is placed on creating, detecting or analysing the spectrum providing that the properties of the materials to be investigated are of minor importance (see also Note (4) after the title of class Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01). Those subjects are covered by group Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01J 3/00. [7]
G01N 21/01
·
Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation [3]
G01N 21/03
· ·
Cuvette constructions [3]
G01N 21/11
· ·
Filling or emptying of cuvettes [3]
G01N 21/13
· ·
Moving of cuvettes or solid samples to or from the investigating station [3]
G01N 21/15
· ·
Preventing contamination of the components of the optical system or obstruction of the light path [3]
G01N 21/17
·
Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated (where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01N 21/63) [3]
Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light [3]
G01N 21/63
· ·
optically excited [3]
G01N 21/64
· · ·
Fluorescence; Phosphorescence [3]
G01N 21/71
· ·
thermally excited [3]
G01N 21/75
·
Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated (systems in which material is burnt in a flame or plasma Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01N 21/71) [3]
G01N 21/76
· ·
Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence [3]
G01N 21/77
· ·
by observing the effect on a chemical indicator [3]
G01N 21/84
·
Systems specially adapted for particular applications [3]
G01N 21/85
· ·
Investigating moving fluids or granular solids [3]
by transmitting the radiation through the material
G01N 23/20
·
by using diffraction of the radiation, e.g. for investigating crystal structure; by using reflection of the radiation
G01N 23/22
·
by measuring secondary emission [2]
P:90
G01N 24/00
Investigating or analysing materials by the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance or other spin effects (arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic resonance effects Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...G01R 33/20) [3,4,5]
Association of two or more measuring systems or cells, each measuring a different parameter, where the measurement results may be either used independently, the systems or cells being physically associated, or combined to produce a value for a further parameter [5]
using cells and probes with solid electrolytes [5]
G01N 27/42
· · ·
Measuring deposition or liberation of materials from an electrolyte; Coulometry, i.e. measuring coulomb-equivalent of material in an electrolyte [5]
G01N 27/447
· · ·
using electrophoresis [5]
G01N 27/453
· · · ·
Cells therefor [5]
G01N 27/48
· · ·
using polarography, i.e. measuring changes in current under a slowly-varying voltage
G01N 27/49
· · ·
Systems involving the determination of the current at a single specific value, or small range of values, of applied voltage for producing selective measurement of one or more particular ionic species [5]
by investigating the ionisation of gases; by investigating electric discharges, e.g. emission of cathode (particle spectrometers Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...H01J 49/00)
G01N 27/64
· ·
using wave or particle radiation to ionise a gas, e.g. in an ionisation chamber
Investigating or analysing non-biological materials by the use of the chemical methods specified in the subgroups (testing the effectiveness or completeness of sterilisation procedures without using enzymes or microorganisms Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...A61L 2/26; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or micro-organisms Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...C12Q 1/00); Apparatus specially adapted for such methods [4]
Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing (measuring or testing processes other than immunological involving enzymes or micro-organisms, compositions or test papers therefor; processes of forming such compositions, condition responsive control in microbiological or enzymological processes Fulltext... Hierarchy... Expanded...C12Q) [3]
G01N 33/50
Note(s)
In this group, the following expression is used with the meaning indicated:
"involving", when used in relation to a material, includes the testing for the material as well as employing the material as a determinant or reactant in a test for a different material. [3]