Apparatus and method for transferring test tubes
AssigneeYuki Tradomg Co. Ltd.
InventorAmir Zilberberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus consisting: a) a flat, flexible test tube holder ring and b) a mechanism to manipulate the angular orientation of the flat flexible test tube holder ring. The test tube holder ring includes: (1) an outer circumference, (2) an inner circumference, and (3) apertures to hold test tubes, wherein alternate apertures have circumferential walls to enable positioning the test tubes higher compared to their adjacent test tubes. The mechanism includes means to engage and to orient the angle of the test tube holder ring. When the angle of the means to engage the test tube holder ring is at one angle, the test tube holder ring is flat and planar, and when the angle of the means to engage the test tube holder is at a different angle the test tube holder ring has a conical shape.
Claims18
An apparatus for manipulating test tubes, the apparatus comprising:
- a) a flat, flexible test tube holder ring comprising;
- 1. an outer circumference,
- 2. an inner circumference, and
- 3. apertures to hold the test tubes, wherein alternate apertures have circumferential walls to enable positioning the test tubes higher compared to their adjacent test tubes;
- and, the apparatus comprising:
- b) a mechanism to manipulate the angular orientation of the flat flexible test tube holder ring, said mechanism comprising, means to engage and to orient the angle of the test tube holder ring, so that when the angle of the means to engage the test tube holder ring is at one angle, the test tube holder ring is flat and planar, and when the angle of the means to engage the test tube holder is at a different angle the test tube holder ring has a conical shape.
A method for moving test tubes to a centrifuge, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an apparatus comprising a flat, flexible test tube holder ring, having an outer circumference, an inner circumference, and apertures to hold the test tubes, wherein alternate apertures have circumferential walls to enable positioning the test tubes higher compared to their adjacent test tubes, the apparatus further including a mechanism to manipulate the angular orientation of the flat flexible test tube holder ring, said mechanism comprising a means to engage and to orient the angle of the test tube holder ring, so that when the angle of the means to engage the test tube holder ring is at one angle, the test tube holder ring is flat and planar, and when the angle of the means to engage the test tube holder is at a different angle the test tube holder ring has a conical shape;
- inserting the test tubes into the apertures of the apparatus;
- lifting, transferring, and holding the apparatus above the centrifuge;
- applying pressure on said flexing means to reorient said flat, flexible test tube holder to have a shape of a trimmed cone;
- inserting simultaneously the test tubes into the corresponding cells of said centrifuge;
- and
- applying, when the operation of said centrifuge is completed, pressure on said flexing means to slightly increase the orientation angle of the test tubes and simultaneously pulling the test tubes out of the cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.