Needle drive, system and method

A liquid chromatography sample manager comprising:

• a thermal chamber;
• a sample platter mounted in the thermal chamber, the sample platter configured to rotate about a first vertical axis, the sample platter including at least one carrier bay for receiving a sample vial carrier having an array of sample vials loaded therein;
• a needle arm mounted within the thermal chamber, the needle arm configured to rotate about a second vertical axis that is in a fixed position within the thermal chamber, wherein a combination of the rotation of the needle arm and the rotation of the sample platter provides complete coverage over an entirety of a working portion of the sample platter;
• and
• a sample delivery system in fluidic communication with a solvent delivery system, the sample delivery system including a sample needle attached to the needle arm, the sample delivery system configured to transfer a first sample from a first sample vial carrier located in the sample platter into a chromatographic flow stream.

A liquid chromatography system comprising:

• a solvent delivery system;
• a sample manager having a thermal chamber, the thermal chamber including:
• a sampling mechanism mounted within the thermal chamber, the sampling mechanism including;
• a sample platter mounted therein, the sample platter configured to rotate about a first vertical axis;
• a needle arm configured to rotate about a second vertical axis that is in a fixed position within the thermal chamber, wherein a combination of the rotation of the needle arm and the rotation of the sample platter provides complete coverage over an entirety of a working portion of the sample platter;
• and
• a sample delivery system in fluidic communication with the solvent delivery system, the sample delivery system including a sample needle attached to the needle arm, the sample delivery system configured to transfer a first sample from a first sample vial carrier located in the sample platter into a chromatographic flow stream;
• a liquid chromatography column located downstream from the solvent delivery system and the sample delivery system;
• and
• a detector located downstream from the liquid chromatography column.