Patent ID: 7322254

Claim:
A valved process chamber on a sample processing device, the valved process chamber comprising: a process chamber comprising a process chamber volume located between opposing first and second major sides of the sample processing device, wherein the process chamber occupies a process chamber area on the sample processing device, and wherein the process chamber area comprises a length and a width transverse to the length, and further wherein the length is greater than the width; a valve chamber located within the process chamber area, the valve chamber located between the process chamber volume and the second major side of the sample processing device, wherein the valve chamber is isolated from the process chamber by a valve septum separating the valve chamber and the process chamber, and wherein a portion of the process chamber volume lies between the valve septum and the first major side of the sample processing device; wherein at least a portion of the valve chamber is located within a valve lip extending into the process chamber area, and wherein the valve septum is formed in the valve lip; and a detection window located within the process chamber area, wherein the detection window is transmissive to selected electromagnetic energy directed into and/or out of the process chamber volume.