US 11,441,842 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for removing moisture from a surface in a container

AssigneeMerck Patent GmbH

InventorLuc Felden

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Abstract

An apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) for removing moisture from a surface (522) in a container (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), characterized by: a centrifuging element comprising a mount (140; 1401, 1402) for attaching said container (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) to said centrifuging element and a drive (105) coupled to said mount (140; 1401, 1402) for rotating said attached container (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) and centrifuging said moisture off said surface (522) in said attached container (500; 5001, 5002; 500′); and a heating element (200) for providing heat energy and evaporating said moisture from said surface (522) in said attached container (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), and a corresponding method.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus (10;

20;
30;
40;
60) for removing moisture from a surface (522) of a closed or sealed container containing a sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′), comprising the closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′):
a centrifuge comprising a mount (140;
1401, 1402) attaching said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′) to said centrifuge and a drive (105) coupled to said mount (140;
1401, 1402) rotating said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′) about a rotational axis (150) and centrifuging said moisture off said surface (522) in said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′);
and
a heat source (200) providing heat energy and evaporating said moisture from said surface (522) in said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′).

18 more elements

A method (70) for removing moisture from a surface (522) in a closed or sealed container containing a sample to be analyzed (500;

5001, 5002;
500′), said method comprising:
centrifuging said moisture off said surface (522) in said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′) using a centrifuge comprising a mount (140;
1401, 1402) attaching said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′) to said centrifuge and a drive (105) coupled to said mount (140;
1401, 1402) rotating said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′) about a rotational axis (150);
and
evaporating said moisture from said surface (522) in said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500;
5001, 5002;
500′) using a heat source (200) providing heat energy.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/302,667Filed 18 Mar 2015
Priority: EP 142900977 Apr 2014
Published: US 2017/0030644 A12 Feb 2017
Granted: 13 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

F26B 5/08
Drying solid materials or objects by processes not involving the application of heat: by centrifugal treatment
F26B 7/00
Drying solid materials or objects by processes using a combination of processes
F26B
Drying solid materials or objects by removing liquid therefrom

Family

US 2017/0030644 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Feb 2017
US 11,441,842 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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