Automatic closed tube sampler

An autosampler for transporting racks of sealed sample tubes, mixing a sample material contained within said tubes, and aspirating said sample from said tubes, said autosampler comprising;

• input means for supporting a plurality of said racks in a vertical orientation and advancing them towards an input position;
• means for engaging said racks from said input position and transporting them through said autosampler;
• means for disengaging said racks from said transport means and rock said rack so as to mix said samples within said sample tubes;
• sample tube positioning means for positioning said sample tubes to be aspirated;
• aspiration means for aspirating said samples from said sample tubes;
• and
• output means for receiving said racks and for supporting a plurality of said racks in a vertical orientation.

An apparatus for transporting racks of sealed sample tubes, mixing a sample material contained within said tubes, and aspirating at least a portion of said sample from said tubes, said apparatus comprising;

• a rail having an input end and an output end;
• a car mechanism movably mounted to said rail, said car including a drive pawl to engage said racks;
• a car drive motor operably engaged to said car to move said car along said rail;
• a mixer channel disposed above and running parallel to said rail, said mixer channel being shaped to receive and support said racks;
• a mixer channel rotation motor operably engaged to said mixer channel to rotate said mixer channel about an axis, said axis being parallel to said rail;
• and
• an aspirator assembly mounted adjacent said mixer channel and aligned to aspirate said sample from said tubes when said mixer channel is rotated into an aspirate position.

A autosampler system comprising:

• a plurality of racks, each of said racks adapted to secure a plurality of sample tubes within each of said racks, each of said sample tubes having a closed end and an access end;
• an input queue for supporting a plurality of said racks in a vertical orientation;
• an output queue for supporting a plurality of said racks in a vertical orientation;
• a rail running between said input queue and said output queue;
• a car movably mounted to said rail so as to move between said input queue and said output queue, said car having means to engage said racks only when moving in a direction from said input queue towards said output queue;
• a mixer channel mounted proximate said rail between said input queue and said output queue, said mixer channel being rotatable between a plurality of positions, one of said positions being an aspirate position;
• and
• an aspirator assembly mounted proximate said mixer channel and aligned to aspirate at least a portion of a sample from said tubes when said mixer channel is rotated into said aspirate position.

A method for transporting racks of sealed sample tubes, mixing a sample material contained within said tubes, and aspirating at least a portion of said sample from said tubes, said method comprising the steps of;

• moving a car along a rail to engage one of said racks and load said rack into a mixer channel;
• rotating said mixer channel between a first dwell position and a second dwell position to mix said samples within said tubes;
• rotating said mixer channel to an index position;
• indexing said rack to position one of said sample tubes adjacent an aspiration assembly;
• rotating said mixer channel to an aspirate position to align said one of said sample tubes with said aspiration assembly;
• aspirating at least a portion of said sample.