# US 2014/0193312 A1 · Positioning device for a sample carrier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193312 A1 - Document ID: US20140193312A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/207,258 - Filed: 2014-03-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-18 - Assignees: Quantifoil Instruments GmbH - Applicants: Quantifoil Instruments GmbH - Inventors: Olaf Hoyer; Andreas Vester; Patrick Heinrich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193312A1 ## CPC - B01L 9/523: {for multisample carriers, e.g. used for microtitration plates} - G01N 35/04: Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} - B01F 35/42: Clamping or holding arrangements for mounting receptacles on mixing devices - B01L 2200/025: Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other - B01L 2300/0829: Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates - G01N 2035/042: {moved independently, e.g. by fork manipulator} - G01N 2035/0491: {Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control} - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) ## Abstract The invention relates to an apparatus for positioning a sample carrier plate, wherein the apparatus comprises a main body for receiving the sample carrier plate, positioning stops which are disposed in opposing first corner regions of the main body and are prestressed for clamping the sample carrier plate and mounted displaceably, an actuating device which is disposed at the main body and is equipped such that by actuating the actuating device the positioning stops can be transferred between an operating state engaging the sample carrier plate and an operating state releasing the sample carrier plate, and comprises a force transmitting element which is equipped to transmit an actuating force from the actuating device to the positioning stops. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for positioning a sample carrier plate, wherein the apparatus comprises: a main body for receiving the sample carrier plate; positioning stops, which are disposed in diagonally opposing first corner regions of the main body and are prestressed for clamping the sample carrier plate and mounted displaceably; an actuating device which is disposed at the main body and is adapted such that by actuating the actuating device, the positioning stops can be transferred between an operating state engaging the sample carrier plate and an operating state releasing the sample carrier plate; a force transmitting element which is adapted to transmit an actuating force from the actuating device to the positioning stops; wherein the force transmitting element comprises a rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein the rotatably mounted coupling disk is coupled to the actuating device and the positioning stops, first coupling rods, each of which is coupled to the respective positioning stop and to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein the first coupling rods are coupled in an articulated manner to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, a second coupling rod by which the actuating device is coupled to the rotatably mounted coupling disk; wherein the second coupling rod is connected in an articulated manner to the rotatably mounted coupling disk and is connected in an articulated manner to the actuating device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, which is adapted for centering the sample carrier plate with respect to a midpoint of the main body, and/or is adapted for positioning a microtiter plate as a sample carrier plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises an adapter plate for receiving the sample carrier plate wherein optionally the adapter plate is a flat adapter plate for positive receipt of a flat sample carrier plate, wherein further optionally the main body has a recess in which the adapter plate can be inserted so that it ends flush on an upper side. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the adapter plate has a surface structure which is adapted for the positive receipt of a sample carrier plate having a surface structure complementary to the surface structure of the adapter surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the adapter plate comprises a temperature-control unit integrated therein for controlling the temperature of a fluidic sample which can be received in the sample carrier plate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning stops are disposed exclusively at two opposite first corner regions of the main body, and/or wherein the positioning stops in each first corner region are formed by means of two stop elements having two mutually perpendicular stop lines for placement on a rectangular sample carrier plate, and/or wherein the positioning stops in each first corner region are formed by means of two stop elements having a round cross-section for placement on the sample carrier plate, wherein optionally the stop elements are formed as circular cylindrical pins, as conical pins, as pins having a circular cylindrical section and a conical section, as pins having a plurality of rings of different outside diameter mounted thereon, or as pins having a plurality of steps of different outside diameter formed integrally thereon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the positioning stops is assigned a first linear guide element in which the respective positioning stop is mounted linearly displaceably, wherein optionally the first linear guide elements are oriented such that the positioning stops are mounted displaceably parallel to one another, wherein further optional the first linear guide elements are adapted such that the positioning stops are mounted displaceably and parallel offset with respect to a diagonal of the main body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuating device comprises a slider for manual actuation by a user, wherein optionally the slider has a gripping piece having an arrow-shaped end section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuating piece comprises a coupling piece for coupling to an electrical actuator device, further optionally comprising the electrical actuator device, which engages in the coupling piece for transmission of an electrical actuating force to the force transmitting element, wherein optionally the electrical actuator device comprises a drive shaft and a lever arm disposed thereon, which acts on a force transmitting pin for transmission of the electrical actuating force, which pin is disposed movably in a linear guide groove of the actuating element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electrically controllable pipetting device, which is adapted for pipetting a fluid into cavities of the sample carrier plate, and/or further comprising a shaking device which is adapted for shaking the sample carrier plate mounted on the main body, wherein optionally the shaking device is adapted for acting upon the sample carrier plate with an orbital movement. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a prestressing device disposed adjacent to a third corner region of the main body, which is adapted for transmitting a prestress, in particular a tensile prestress, to the force transmitting element, wherein optionally the prestressing device comprises a spring, one end of which is fastened to the main body and the other end of which is coupled to the force transmitting element, wherein further the second corner region lies opposite the third corner region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatably mounted coupling disk is coupled to the actuating device and the positioning stops, wherein optionally the rotatably mounted coupling disk is coupled to the prestressing device, further optionally comprising further coupling rods, each of which is coupled to the respective positioning stop and to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein the further coupling rods are coupled in an articulated manner to the rotatably mounted coupling disk and are connected to the respective positioning stop in an articulated manner by means of a respective first linear guide, wherein further optionally the further coupling rods comprise a rectilinear section, which adjoins the respective first linear guide and comprise a bent section, which is guided around the rotatably mounted coupling disk. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupling rod is connected in an articulated manner to the rotatably mounted coupling disk and is connected in an articulated manner to the actuating device by means of a second linear guide, wherein optionally the second coupling rod is rectilinear, wherein further optionally one of the further coupling rods and the coupling rod are connected to the rotatably mounted coupling disk by means of a common connecting element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a third coupling rod, by which means the prestressing device is coupled to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein the third coupling rod is connected in an articulated manner to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein optionally the third coupling rod is rectilinear, wherein further optionally one of the further coupling rods and the third coupling rod are connected by means of a common connecting element to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein further optionally the further coupling rods, the coupling rod, and the third coupling rod are disposed in a coplanar manner, wherein further optionally the further coupling rods, the coupling rod, and the third coupling rod are mounted on a circular top surface of the coupling disk, wherein further optionally each of the coupling rods are connected by means of an appurtenant connecting element on the rotatably mounted coupling disk and the connecting elements of the further coupling rods are mounted radially further inward on the coupling disk than the connecting elements of the other coupling rods. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the prestressing device and the actuating device are mounted in a coplanar manner. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the actuating device and the force transmitting device are coupled in such a manner that in the operating state engaging the sample carrier plate the force transmitting element transmits a shaking force of the shaking device to the actuating device in such a manner that despite the action of the transmitted shaking force, the actuating device remains in a rest position with respect to a carrier plate of the main body, wherein optionally the actuating device and the force transmitting element are coupled by means of the coupling rod in such a manner that in the operating state engaging the sample carrier plate, the coupling rod transmits the shaking force perpendicular to a direction of displacement of the actuating device. ### Claim 17 A method for positioning a sample carrier plate, wherein the method comprises: receiving the sample carrier plate on a main body of a device; clamping the sample carrier plate on prestressed and displaceably mounted positioning stops, which are disposed in diagonally opposite first corner regions of the main body; actuating an actuating device disposed at the main body for transferring the positioning stops between an operating state engaging the sample carrier plate and an operating state releasing the sample carrier plate; and transmitting an actuating force from the actuating device to the positioning stops by means of a force transmitting element, wherein the force transmitting element comprises a rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein the rotatably mounted coupling disk is coupled to the actuating device and the positioning stops, and wherein first coupling rods are coupled to the respective positioning stop and to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein the first coupling rods are coupled in an articulated manner to the rotatably mounted coupling disk, wherein the actuating device is coupled to a rotatably mounted coupling disk by a second coupling rod; wherein the second coupling rod is connected in an articulated manner to the rotatably mounted coupling disk and is connected in an articulated manner to the actuating device.