Autosampler mechanism

A sampler mechanism for taking samples from multiple vials containing the samples, said sampler mechanism comprising,

• a sample station,
• needle means fixed in position at the station for taking a sample from a sample vial,
• vial transport means at the sample station for moving a sample vial in a first direction with respect to the fixed needle means to cause piercing of the vial septum and insertion of the needle means into the sample within the vial and for moving the vial in a second direction with respect to the fixed needle means to withdraw the needle from the vial after the sample has been taken,
• tray means for conveying individual ones of the multiple sample vials to and from the sample station and
• wherein the vial transport means rotate the sample vial while moving the sample vial longitudinally with respect to the needle means.

A sampler mechanism for taking samples from multiple vials containing the samples, said sampler mechanism comprising,

• a sample station,
• needle means fixed in position at the station for taking a sample from a sample vial,
• vial transport means at the sample station for moving a sample vial in a first direction with respect to the fixed needle means to cause piercing of the vial septum and insertion of the needle means into the sample within the vial and for moving the vial in a second direction with respect to the fixed needle means to withdraw the needle from the vial after the sample has been taken,
• tray means for conveying individual ones of the multiple sample vials to and from the sample station and
• including a tower assembly within which the fixed needle means are mounted, a crosshead axially movable within the tower assembly, vial cap stabilizer means mounted for rotation within the crosshead, a vial return spring within the tower assembly and engagable with the crosshead for biasing the vial cap stabilizer means into contact with the septum of a sample vial, said crosshead and vial cap stabilizer means having an opening for the needle means to permit movement of the crosshead and vial cap stabilizer means with respect to the needle means.

A sampler mechanism for taking samples from multiple vials containing the samples, said sampler mechanism comprising,

• a sample station,
• needle means fixed in position at the station for taking a sample from a sample vial,
• vial transport means at the sample station for moving a sample vial in a first direction with respect to the fixed needle means to cause piercing of the vial septum and insertion of the needle means into the sample within the vial and for moving the vial in a second direction with respect to the fixed needle means to withdraw the needle from the vial after the sample has been taken,
• tray means for conveying individual ones of the multiple sample vials to and from the sample station and
• including syringe means associated with the needle means for controlling the amount of sample withdrawn by the positive displacement of the syringe means.

A sampler mechanism for taking samples from multiple vials containing the samples, said sampler mechanism comprising,

• a sample station,
• needle means fixed in position at the station for taking a sample from a sample vial,
• vial transport means at the sample station for moving a sample vial in a first direction with respect to the fixed needle means to cause piercing of the vial septum and insertion of the needle means into the sample within the vial and for moving the vial in a second direction with respect to the fixed needle means to withdraw the needle from the vial after the sample has been taken,
• tray means for conveying individual ones of the multiple sample vials to and from the sample station and
• wherein the tray means include a main, circular platter mounted for rotation about an axis extending through the center of the platter, a plurality of individual planetary trays each carried by the main platter and each rotatable with respect to the main platter, each of said planetary trays having a plurality of sample vial holders located in a circle in the periphery of the planetary tray, and drive means operable in a first mode for rotating the main platter while the planetary trays are prevented from rotating with respect to the main platter and operable in a second mode for rotating each of the planetary trays concurrently and at the same rate of rotation while the main platter is held against rotation so that any sample vial in any planetary tray can be conveyed to the sample station.

Apparatus for withdrawing a fluid sample from a sample vial of the kind which has a septum sealing one end of the vial, said apparatus comprising,

• needle means for piercing the septum and for insertion within the body of the fluid sample within the vial,
• said needle means comprising a first hollow needle having an opening for the passage of the fluid sample into the interior of the needle and a second needle surrounding a portion of the length of the first needle and having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first needle to provide a passageway between the first and second needles,
• pressurizing means for supplying pressurized fluid through said passageway to pressurize the sample within the vial,
• first conduit means connected to the interior of the first needle,
• syringe means connected to the first conduit means and having a movable plunger which is retractable to withdraw a positively controlled amount of the sample during retraction of the plunger, and
• valve means in the first conduit means movable to block flow of fluid sample back to the sample vial and to permit injection of the liquid sample within the first conduit means to a sample using device, such as, for example, a liquid chromatograph.

A tray mechanism for carrying multiple sample vials while permitting any one of the sample vials to be conveyed to a sample station in any desired sequence with respect to the other sample vials, said tray mechanism comprising,

• a main, circular platter mounted for rotation about an axis extending through the center of the platter,
• a plurality of same-size individual planetary trays each carried by the main platter and each rotatable with respect to the main platter about an axis extending parallel to the axis of the main platter with each planetary-axis tray located at the same radial distance from the axis of rotation of the main platter,
• each of said planetary trays having a plurality of sample vial holders located in a circle in the periphery of the planetary tray at the same distance from the axis of rotation of the tray as the circle of vial holders of each of the other planetary trays, and
• drive means operable in a first mode for rotating the main platter while the planetary trays are prevented from rotating with respect to the main platter and operable in a second mode for rotating each of the planetary trays concurrently and at the same rate of rotation while the main platter is held against rotation so that any sample vial in any planetary tray can be conveyed to the sample station.

A method of withdrawing a fluid sample from a sample vial of the kind which has a septum sealing one end of the vial, said method comprising,

• piercing the septum with a first needle and inserting the first needle within the body of the fluid sample within the vial,
• piercing the septum with a second needle which has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first needle so as to provide a passageway between the first and second needles,
• pressurizing the sample within the vial by supplying pressurized fluid through said passageway between the needles,
• connecting a first conduit to the interior of the first needle,
• withdrawing a positively-controlled amount of the sample under pressure in the vial by exerting a controlled suction on the first conduit, and
• blocking the flow of the fluid sample back to the sample vial while injecting the sample from the first conduit into a sample-using device, such as, for example, a liquid chromatograph.