Automatic sample processing apparatus

Apparatus for separating a sample mixture into its lighter and heavier components comprising:

• means including a centrifuge drum having an interior chamber having a bottom end wall and a truncated conical interior side wall,
• the interior side wall having an outwardly extending cavity therein ringing the interior side wall adjacent the bottom end wall,
• the cavity being at least partly defined by an inner wall and an outer wall and extending upwardly behind the interior side wall;
• means for spinning the centrifuge drum to force the heavier components into the cavity;
• means for aspirating at least one of the separated components from the centrifuge drum while the centrifuge drum is spinning;
• means for evacuating the remaining component from the centrifuge drum, the evacuating means comprising valve means coupling the cavity to outside the centrifuge drum;
• and
• actuating means for selectively opening the valve means to allow the remaining components to pass from the cavity to the outside through the valve means.

Apparatus for separating a sample into its lighter and heavier components comprising:

• means including a hollow shaft;
• means comprising a centrifuge drum mounted on the shaft,
• the centrifuge drum having an interior chamber having a bottom end wall and a truncated conical interior side wall having an outwardly extending cavity therein ringing the interior side wall adjacent the bottom end wall,
• the cavity being at least partly defined by an inner wall and an outer wall extending upwardly behind the interior side wall;
• means for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis to spin the centrifuge drum and force the heavier components into the cavity;
• means comprising a vacuum source;
• means including a tube extending from the interior centifuge drum chamber through the hollow shaft;
• a seating member mounted on the hollow shaft to rotate therewith;
• a stationary coupling member having an orifice therethrough and adapted to be seated on the seating member;
• external means coupling the orifice of the stationary coupling member to the vacuum source means;
• and
• means comprising a needle-like member mounted on the tube to extend from the rotating hollow shaft through the rotating seating member into the orifice of the stationary coupling member,
• the separated sample component being aspirated in the tube through the hollow rotating shaft and the needle-like member into the stationary coupling member orifice and therethrough into the external means responsive to the vacuum source means.

Apparatus for loading a sample into a centrifuge drum through an aperture in the bottom end wall of the drum comprising:

• means including a sample container;
• means for loading the sample into the sample container at an initial position;
• means for transporting the sample container means between the initial position and a loading position directly below the centrifuge drum;
• means for vertically repositioning the sample container means to move the sample container means into juxtaposition with the centrifuge drum so that the sample container means engages and communicates with the aperture in the bottom end wall of the centrifuge drum;
• and
• means for spinning the centrifuge drum and the sample container means about a common longitudinal axis to cause the sample to flow from the sample container means into the centrifuge drum through the aperture.

Apparatus for loading a sample from a sample container into a centrifuge drum having a bottom end wall having an aperture therein aligned with the top end of the sample container and separating the sample into its lighter and heavier components, the apparatus comprising:

• means for moving the sample container and the centrifuge drum into juxtaposition so that the top end of the sample container communicates with the aperture in the bottom end wall of the centrifuge drum;
• means for spinning the centrifuge drum and the sample container about a common longitudinal axis to cause the sample to flow from the sample container into the centrifuge drum through the aperture and separate into the heavier components and the lighter components in the centrifuge drum;
• and
• means for aspirating at least one of the separated components from the centrifuge drum while the centrifuge drum is spinning.

A method of loading a sample from a sample container into a centrifuge drum having a bottom end wall having an aperture therein aligned with the open top end of the sample container and separating the sample into its lighter and heavier components, the method comprising:

• moving the sample container and the centrifuge drum into juxtaposition so that the top end of the sample container communicates with the aperture in the bottom end wall of the centrifuge drum;
• spinning the centrifuge drum and the sample container about a common longitudinal axis to cause the sample to flow from the sample container into the centrifuge drum through the aperture,
• the spinning further causing the heavier components and the lighter components to separate in the centrifuge drum;
• and
• aspirating one or both of the separated components from the centrifuge drum while the centrifuge drum is spinning.

An automatic sample processing apparatus comprising:

• means comprising a rotating support means and a plurality of centrifuge apparatus mounted on the rotating support means, each centrifuge apparatus comprising a centrifuge drum and means for spinning the drum to separate the sample into its lighter and heavier components;
• means rotating in synchronization with the rotating centrifuge apparatus support means for transporting a plurality of samples to an initial position;
• means for sequentially loading each of the samples from the transporting means into corresponding ones of the centrifuge drums, the loading means receiving the sample from the transporting means at the initial position, transporting the sample to a loading position, and loading the sample into the centrifuge drum;
• means associated with each of the centrifuge apparatus comprising aspiration means coupled to interior of the centrifuge drum;
• means comprising a plurality of vacuum containers rotating in synchronization with the rotating centrifuge apparatus support means for aligning the aspiration means associated with a particular one of the centrifuge apparatus with a corresponding one of the vacuum containers at an aspiration position;
• and
• means for inserting the aspiration means into the vacuum container at the aspiration position to aspirate one of the separated sample components from the centrifuge drum while the centrifuge drum is spinning.

A method of loading a sample from a sample container into a centrifuge drum having a bottom end wall having an aperture therein aligned with the open top end of the sample container and separating the sample into its lighter and heavier components, the method comprising:

• moving the sample container and the centrifuge drum into juxtaposition so that the open top end of the sample container communicates with the aperture in the bottom end wall of the centrifuge drum;
• spinning the centrifuge drum and the sample container about a common longitudinal axis to cause the sample to flow from the sample container into the centrifuge drum through the aperture,
• the spinning further causing the heavier components and the lighter components to separate in the centrifuge drum;
• and
• removing one or both of the separated components from the centrifuge drum.

A method of loading a sample from a sample container into a centrifuge drum and separating the sample into its lighter and heavier components, the centrifuge drum having a conical interior side wall with a trap means comprising a cavity in the side wall ringing the interior side wall and further having a bottom end wall having an aperture therein aligned with the open top end of the sample container, the method comprising:

• moving the sample container and the centrifuge drum into juxtaposition so that the open top end of the sample container communicates with the aperture in the bottom end wall of the centrifuge drum;
• spinning the centrifuge drum and the sample container about a common longitudinal axis to cause the sample to flow from the sample container into the centrifuge drum through the aperture;
• the spinning further causing the heavier components to be forced into the cavity while the lighter components are forced up the conical interior side wall;
• and
• removing one or both of the separated components from the centrifuge drum.

Apparatus for loading a sample from a sample container into a centrifuge drum having a bottom end wall having an aperture therein aligned with the open top end of the sample container and separating the sample into its lighter and heavier components, the apparatus comprising:

• means for moving the sample container and the centrifuge drum into juxtaposition so that the open top end of the sample container communicates with the aperture in the bottom end wall of the centrifuge drum;
• means for spinning the centrifuge drum and the sample container about a common longitudinal axis to cause the sample to flow from the sample container into the centrifuge drum through the aperture and separate into the heavier components and the lighter components in the centrifuge drum;
• and
• means for removing one or both of the separated components from the centrifuge drum.

Apparatus for loading a sample from a sample container into a centrifuge drum and separating the sample into its lighter and heavier components, the centrifuge drum having a conical interior side wall with a trap means comprising a cavity in the side wall ringing the interior side wall and further having a bottom end wall having an aperture therein aligned with the open top end of the sample container, the apparatus comprising:

• means for moving the sample container and the centrifuge drum into juxtaposition so that the open top end of the sample container communicates with the aperture in the bottom end wall of the centrifuge drum;
• means for spinning the centrifuge drum and the sample container about a common longitudinal axis to cause the sample to flow from the sample container into the centrifuge drum through the aperture and to further cause the heavier components to be forced into the cavity while the lighter components are forced up the conical interior said wall;
• and
• means removing one or both of the separated components from the centrifuge drum.