Patent ID: 8287823

Claim:
In a chemical analyzer having a plurality of reagent test slides arranged in a circle, and a reflectometer, a sample fluid metering device, a support for supporting the circular arrangement of reagent test slides in operative proximity to the reflectometer and the sample fluid metering device, and electronic circuitry electrically coupled to the reflectometer and sample fluid metering device, the reagent test slides being arranged side-by-side and residing in a single plane, each reagent test slide having a film portion carrying a chemical reagent, and a frame surrounding and supporting the film portion, the frame having at least two opposite side edges, the improvement comprising: the frame of each reagent test slide of the plurality of reagent test slides is generally trapezoidal in shape with the at least two opposite side edges being non-parallel to each other so that a greater number of trapezoidally-shaped reagent test slides may be situated side-by-side in a circular arrangement of a given radius than if each slide had a rectangularly-shaped frame.