US 4,068,798 A · Method and apparatus for stopper removal

Abstract

Stoppers are separated from tubes they close by suspending a stoppered tube by its stopper, placing the suspended tube in a swinging bucket centrifuge, subjecting the suspended tube to centrifugal force. This may be accomplished by adapting a test tube rack to be placed in a centrifuge's swinging bucket type carrier. The rack is a two piece unit having upper and lower members that are separable. The test tubes use stoppers having an enlarged portion with a diameter which exceeds that of the test tube such that the tubes may be suspended from the upper member by their stoppers. The rack has a height which exceeds that of the test tubes such that when the rack with the tubes suspended therein are subjected to centrifugal force, the tubes withdraw from the stoppers. This leaves the stoppers positioned on the upper surface of the upper member. If now the upper member is lifted away, the stoppers are removed leaving the unstoppered test tubes positioned in the lower member of the rack.

Claims6

Dependent claims

Apparatus for removing stoppers from test tubes using a centrifuge having a swinging bucket-type carrier comprising, in combination,

a rack to be placed in said bucket-type carrier and having upper and lower separable members,
said upper member having an upper surface defining plural apertures receiving said test tubes,
at least a portion of each said stopper having an enlarged portion with an outside diameter greater than the diameter of its associated test tube, thereby to permit said test tubes to hang from said upper surface supported only by their respective stoppers,
said lower member having a bottom,
supporting means associated with said lower member for supporting said test tubes against lateral movement, and
the spacing between the bottom of said test tubes and said lower member bottom being greater than the length of the stoppers along the axis of said tubes in contact with said tubes, whereby subjecting said rack to centrifugal force separates said test tubes from said stoppers to rest on said lower member bottom such that said stoppers can be discarded and access had to the contents of said test tubes by removing said upper member from said lower member.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for stopper removal

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for stopper removal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6