Method and apparatus for automatically separating particulate matter from a fluid
AssigneeLaMina, Inc.
InventorRaouf A. Guirguis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated apparatus and method for batch processing a group of samples in respective containers. A monolayer of particulate matter is filtered from each sample and deposited on a corresponding slide for examination. A controller coordinates each mechanism and sub-assembly of the apparatus.
Claims38
An automated apparatus for batch processing a set of samples in respective containers, a monolayer of particulate matter from each sample being deposited on a corresponding slide for examination, the apparatus comprising:
- a container support arranging a group of containers in a first pattern;
- a first conveyer advancing said container support to a head stage;
- a group of heads corresponding to said group of containers and engaging respective containers at said head stage, each of said group of heads communicating with its respective sample;
- a pump producing a flow of each sample from its respective container through its respective head;
- a group of filters corresponding to said group of heads, each of said filters communicating with said flow of its respective sample and including:
- a membrane being interposed in a first branch of its respective sample flow and adapted for collecting its respective monolayer of particulate matter;
- and
- a frit being interposed in a second branch of its respective flow circumventing said membrane;
- a slide support arranging a group of the slides in a second pattern, said group of the slides corresponding to said group of heads;
- a second conveyer advancing said slide support to a deposit stage;
- and
- a controller coordinating each of said first conveyor advancing said container support, said group of heads engaging said group of the containers, said pump producing said flow of each sample, and said second conveyer advancing said slide support engagement;
- wherein said controller is adapted for coordinating automatic sample throughput and correlating each sample container with a corresponding slide.
An automated method for batch processing a set of samples in respective containers, a monolayer of particulate matter from each sample being deposited on a corresponding slide for examination, the method comprising:
- attaching a group of heads to a corresponding group of sample containers, each of said group of heads communicating with its respective sample;
- pumping a flow of each sample from its respective container through its respective head;
- filtering each said flow with a respective one of a group of filters corresponding to said group of heads, said filtering including:
- collecting the monolayer of particulate matter with a membrane in a first branch of each said flow;
- and
- circumventing said membrane through a frit in a second branch of each said flow;
- transferring each said membrane with its respective monolayer of particulate matter to a respective one of a group of slides, said group of slides corresponding to said group of heads;
- and
- controlling coordination of each of said attaching, pumping, filtering, and transferring operations to automatically deposit the monolayer of particulate matter from its respective sample to its respective slide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.