US 5,045,047 AGranted

Automated centrifuge

AssigneeZymark Corporation

InventorsBurleigh M. Hutchins, Raymond R. Dunlap, Louis Abrahams, Susan M. Amato

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Abstract

A centrifuge apparatus including a rotor; a drive coupled to the rotor; an inner ring adapted to pivotally support an annular array of inner containers having open upper ends; an inner coupling coupled between the rotor and the inner ring so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced inward pivotal movement of the upper ends into the centrifuge positions; an outer ring adapted to pivotally support an annular array of outer containers having open upper ends and displaced outwardly from the inner array in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the rotor means; an outer coupling coupled between the rotor and the outer ring so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced inward pivotal movement of the upper ends of the outer containers into centrifuge positions; and an inner orientation mechanism for preventing movement of the upper ends of the inner containers into their centrifuge positions.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A centrifuge apparatus comprising:

rotor means;
drive means coupled to said rotor means;
inner ring means adapted to pivotally support an annular array of inner containers having open upper ends;
inner coupling means coupling said rotor means to said inner ring means so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced pivotal movement of said inner containers into centrifuge positions wherein said open upper ends are directed radially inwardly;
outer ring means adapted to pivotally support an annular array of outer containers having open upper end and displaced outwardly from the inner array in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of said rotor means;
outer coupling means coupling said rotor means to said outer ring means so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced pivotal movement of said outer containers into centrifuge positions wherein said open upper ends are directed radially inwardly;
and
inner orientation means for preventing said movement of said upper ends of said inner containers into said centrifuge positions so as to permit decanting of said inner containers such that fluid is transferred from said inner to said outer containers.

5 more elements

A centrifuge apparatus comprising:

rotor means;
drive means coupled to said rotor means;
inner ring means adapted to pivotally support an inner array of inner containers having open upper ends;
inner coupling means coupling said rotor means to said inner ring means so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced inward pivotal movement of the upper ends into centrifuge positions wherein said open upper ends are directed radially inwardly;
outer ring means adapted to pivotally support an annular array of outer containers having open upper ends and displaced outwardly from the inner array in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of said rotor means;
outer coupling means coupling said rotor means to said outer ring means so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced pivotal movement of said outer containers into centrifuge positions wherein said open upper ends are directed radially inwardly;
inner feed means comprising a first supply manifold having an inner outlet port positioned for alignment with each of the open ends of the inner containers;
and
outer feed means comprising a second manifold having an outer outlet portion positioned for alignment with each of the open ends of the outer containers and adapted to feed liquid directly into said outer containers independently of said inner containers.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.