# US 2017/0283188 A1 · Automated Positive Pressure Solid Phase Extraction Apparatus and Method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2017/0283188 A1
- Document ID: US20170283188A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/631,590
- Filed: 2017-06-23
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-17
- Assignees: Hamilton Company
- Applicants: Hamilton Company
- Inventors: Garrett Voss; Harrison Elings
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170283188A1

## CPC

- B65G 47/82: Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels {(means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453)}
- B01D 11/0207: {Control systems}
- G01N 35/109: {with two horizontal degrees of freedom}
- G01N 35/0099: {comprising robots or similar manipulators (robots per se B25J)}
- G01N 2001/4061: {Solvent extraction}
- G01N 2035/00564: {Handling or washing solid phase elements, e.g. beads}
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- 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)

## Abstract

An automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus and method comprising two tiered lifts devices each individually controllable to individually vertically translate within an elevator framework between a base on which the elevator framework is mounted and a manifold plate supported by the framework in a substantially horizontal plane parallel with and vertically above the two tiered lifts devices and a rectilinearly translating shuttle assembly comprising a shuttle supporting labware for rectilinear travel into and out of the elevator framework to handoff the labware to one of the two tiered elevator lifts or both.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1- An automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
a lifting and lowering assembly having tiered lift devices disposed at a tiered loading stage for placing tiered labware thereon and vertically moving the tiered labware along a vertical axis to a positive pressure manifold plate disposed vertically above said tiered loading stage; and
a shuttle disposed substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis between said tiered loading stage under said positive pressure manifold plate and a vertically accessible home stage horizontally distal from said tiered loading stage and reciprocally movable therebetween while holding the tiered labware thereon, said lifting and lowering assembly being operable to receive the tiered labware from said shuttle and vertically move the tiered labware to said positive pressure manifold plate along the vertical axis with an operability for concurrently reciprocating said shuttle.

### Claim at position 2

2- An automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
a lifting and lowering assembly having a plurality of individually vertically moveable tiered lift devices disposed at a loading stage for placing labware thereon to vertically move the labware along a vertical axis to a positive pressure manifold plate disposed vertically above the loading stage; and
a shuttle disposed substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis and horizontally movable between the loading stage under the positive pressure manifold plate and a vertically accessible home stage horizontally distal from the loading stage.

### Claim at position 3 (depends on 2)

3- The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of individually vertically moveable tiered lift devices comprises laterally spaced longitudinal support members disposed so as to define an open shuttle receiving area.

### Claim at position 4 (depends on 3)

4- The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a linear guide rail on which said shuttle is mounted to be horizontally movable between the loading stage under said positive pressure manifold plate and the vertically accessible home stage horizontally distal from the loading stage.

### Claim at position 5

5- An automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
a shuttle reciprocally movable along a horizontal length of a base plate on which said shuttle is mounted;
a vertically elevated manifold plate disposed over a portion of the horizontal length of said base plate so as to define an elevator shaft vertically below said vertically elevated manifold plate wherein said shuttle is horizontally reciprocally movable into and out of the elevator shaft;
an upper lift device disposed vertically below said vertically elevated manifold plate and configured to vertically reciprocally translate within the elevator shaft; and
a lower lift device disposed vertically below said upper lift device and configured to vertically reciprocally translate within the elevator shaft below said upper lift device.

### Claim at position 6 (depends on 5)

6- The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said lower lift device comprises laterally spaced longitudinal lower support members disposed in said elevator shaft so as to define a lower open receiving area dimensioned to allow said shuttle to reciprocally move into and out of the elevator shaft.

### Claim at position 7 (depends on 6)

7- The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said upper lift device comprises laterally spaced longitudinal upper support members disposed in said elevator shaft above said laterally spaced longitudinal lower support members so as to define an upper open receiving area dimensioned to allow said shuttle to reciprocally move into and out of the elevator shaft.