Apparatus and method for drying a solid or liquid sample
AssigneeModular SFC, LLC
InventorsHerbert J. Hedberg, Brian Kangas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure describes a sample drying system and method that provides a high rates of evaporation and sublimation that is commonly employed in compound processing procedures. The drying increases the sample-solute concentration and removes the solvent completely to produce the dried sample as a non-volatile solute precipitate. Re-circulating of drying gas is disclosed along with a solvent cold trap.
Claims32
A sample drying system comprising:
- a centrifuge defining a central axis about which the sample carrier rotates;
- at lest one sample container, holding a sample to be dried, positioned radially with respect to the central axis, wherein the sample container defines an opening substantially facing the central axis;
- a drying gas,
- a flow pathway for the drying gas wherein the flow pathway includes an opening proximate the central axis and an exit adjacent to the at least one sample container opening;
- wherein when the sample carrier is rotating, the drying gas enters the flow pathway opening and is driven radially along the flow pathway to the opening of the at least one sample container;
- wherein the drying gas is driven to the sample to be dried;
- wherein the drying gas picks up volatile solvent molecules and carries them out of the sample container.
A sample drying system comprising:
- a centrifuge defining a central axis about which the sample carrier rotates;
- at least one sample container, holding a sample to be dried, positioned radially with respect to the central axis, wherein the at least one sample container defines an opening substantially facing the central axis;
- a drying gas;
- at least one tube section defining a flow pathways extending from an entrance port to the at least one sample container opening, the flow pathways not rotating with the sample carrier, wherein the drying gas is driven through the flow paths and into the at least one sample container, as it travels by with the rotating sample carrier, where the drying gas picks up solvent molecules and carries them out of the at least one sample container.
A method for drying samples, the method comprising the steps of:
- rotating at least one sample container around a central axis, the at least one sample container having an opening,
- positioning the at least sample container substantially radially, wherein when the sample carrier is rotating the at least one sample container, the opening substantially faces the central axis;
- flowing a drying gas along a flow pathway to the at least one sample container opening;
- flowing the drying gas to the sample to be dried;
- wherein the drying gas picks up volatile solvent molecules and carries them out of the sample container.
The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of controlling the volume of drying gas flowing into the at least one sample container.
A method for drying a sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- rotating a sample carrier around a central axis,
- holding a sample to be dried in at least one sample container that has an opening;
- radially positioning, with respect to the central axis, the at least one sample container with the opening substantially facing the central axis;
- introducing a drying gas into a plenum, wherein the plenum is positioned about along the central axis of the centrifuge;
- the drying gas exiting the plenum via flow pathways extending from the plenum to the at least one sample container opening, the flow pathways not rotating with the centrifuge, wherein the drying gas is driven through the flow paths and into the at least one sample container, as it travels by with the rotating sample carrier, and
- the drying gas picking up solvent molecules and carrying them out of the at least one sample container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.