# US 11,441,842 B2 · Apparatus and method for removing moisture from a surface in a container > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,842 B2 - Document ID: US11441842B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/302,667 - Filed: 2015-03-18 - Published: 2017-02-02 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-07 - Assignees: Merck Patent GmbH - Applicants: Merck Patent GmbH - Inventors: Luc Felden - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441842B2 ## CPC - F26B 5/08: by centrifugal treatment - F26B 7/00: Drying solid materials or objects by processes using a combination of processes not covered by a single one of groups F26B3/00 and F26B5/00 {(F26B1/005, F26B5/04, F26B23/026 take precedence)} - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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′). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, adapted to: rotate said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) at a centrifugal acceleration of 1 m/s2 to 25000 m/s2, rotate said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) for a duration of 1 s to 500 s, rotate said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) at a centrifugal acceleration of 300 m/s2 for a duration of 10 s, or rotate said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) at a first centrifugal acceleration of 300 m/s2 for a first duration of 10 s and, thereafter, a second centrifugal acceleration of 0 to 10 m/s2 for a second duration of 120 s. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, wherein: said mount (140; 1401, 1402) attaches said container (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) such that said rotational axis (150) passes through said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) or a center point of said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), said mount (140; 1401, 1402) attaches said container (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) such that said rotational axis (150) does not pass through said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), or said centrifuge further comprises another drive (1301, 1302) coupled to said mount (1401, 1402) for rotating said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) about another rotational axis (1501, 1502) 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 said mount (1401, 1402) attaches said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) such that said other rotational axis (1501, 1502) passes through said container (500, 5001, 5002; 500′) or said center point of said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500, 5001, 5002; 500′). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, adapted to: provide said heat energy at a temperature of 25° C. to 600° C., provide said heat energy at a temperature of 10 K to 20 K below a melting point of said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), provide said heat energy for a duration of 1 s to 500 s, provide said heat energy using hot air or circulating hot air, or provide said heat energy in direct contact to a window on a cover (520, 5201, 5202) of said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), wherein said surface (522) is situated on said window. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, adapted to: evaporate said moisture from said surface (522) after centrifuging said moisture off said surface (522), or evaporate said moisture from said surface (522) while centrifuging said moisture off said surface (522). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, wherein: said surface (522) is formed hydrophobic, or said surface (522) is formed hydrophilic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, adapted to: rotate said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) at a centrifugal acceleration of 10 m/s2 to 10000 m/s2, or to rotate said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) for a duration of 3 s to 300 s. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, adapted to: provide said heat energy at a temperature of 50° C. to 150° C., or provide said heat energy for a duration of 3 to 300 s. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus (10; 20; 30; 40; 60) of claim 1, wherein the closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed is a Petri dish, test tube or PCR tube. ### Claim 10 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method (70) of claim 10, wherein: said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) is rotated at a centrifugal acceleration of 1 m/s2 to 5000 m/s2, said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) is rotated for a duration of 1 s to 500 s, said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) is rotated at a centrifugal acceleration of 300 m/s2 for a duration of 10 s, or said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) is rotated at a first centrifugal acceleration of 300 m/s2 for a first duration of 10 s and, thereafter, a second centrifugal acceleration of 0 to 10 m/s2 for a second duration of 120 s. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method (70) of claim 10, wherein: said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) is attached to said mount (140; 1401, 1402) such that said rotational axis (150) passes through said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) or a center point of said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) is attached to said mount (140; 1401, 1402) such that said rotational axis (150) does not pass through said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), or said centrifuge further comprises another drive (1301, 1302) coupled to said mount (1401, 1402) rotating said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) about another rotational axis (1501, 1502) 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 said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) is attached to said mount (1401, 1402) such that said other rotational axis (1501, 1502) passes through said closed or sealed container containing the a sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′) or said center point of said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′). ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method (70) of claim 10, wherein: said heat energy is provided at a temperature of 25° C. to 600° C., said heat energy is provided at a temperature of 10 K to 20 K below a melting point of said closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), said heat energy is provided for a duration of between 1 s and 500 s, said heat energy is provided using hot air or circulating hot air, or said heat energy is provided in direct contact to a window on a cover (520, 5201, 5202) of said attached closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed (500; 5001, 5002; 500′), wherein said surface (522) is situated on said window. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method (70) of claim 10, wherein: said moisture is evaporated from said surface (522) after said moisture is centrifuged off said surface (522), or said moisture is evaporated from said surface (522) while said moisture is centrifuged off said surface (522). ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method (70) of claim 10, wherein: said surface (522) is formed hydrophobic, or said surface (522) is formed hydrophilic. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed is a Petri dish, test tube or PCR tube. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the surface of the closed or sealed container containing the sample to be analyzed contains as the sample to be analyzed a single cell or living microorganisms.