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US 7,641,854 B2Granted
Multifunctional multireactor control system with dynamic multiple protocols, templates and digital notebooks and methodology
OwnerLi Younginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and a methodology for controlling multifunctional multireactor chemical synthesis instruments employ real time automatic controls, calculations, feedbacks and optional graphic tracking of parameters, process characteristics and events and offer templates for designing otherwise complex sequences for the bench chemist, physicist or biologist. Automatic lab notebook construction is also provided as well as remote monitoring and control options, warning alarms and shut down alarms.
Claims30
A multifunctional multireactor control system with dynamic multiple protocols, templates and digital notebooks for a multifunctional multireactor chemical synthesis instrument having a main housing having at least one independent multireactor work station, each work station adapted to receive a multireactor reaction vessel;
- having at least one cooling unit functionally connected to each of said at least one independent work station to impart controlled cooling thereto, each said cooling unit including:
- a cooling element in proximity to each of said at least one independent work station and having an inlet port for injection of a phase change coolant, a heat absorbent area and an outlet port for removal of said phase change coolant;
- and, injection means for injecting said phase change coolant in liquid form via said inlet port to said cooling element;
- having at least one heating unit functionally connected to each of said at least one independent work station to impart controlled heating thereto;
- having an inert gas blanket supply means connected to each of said at least one independent work station;
- having at least one stirring mechanism connected to each of said at least one independent work station;
- having programmable liquid transferring means for moving liquid from a liquid supply means to a reaction vessel through individual programming for each of said at least one independent work station wherein said liquid is transferred though an orifice in a stopper of said at least one independent work station;
- and having control means connected to each cooling unit and each heating unit and to each stirring mechanism for programmable automatic control thereof, which comprises:
- said control means including at least one programmable central processing unit having input means, output means, storage means and functional software to provide separate real time modules for each of said at least one independent work station, and to provide said system with the following for each of said modules:
- (a) means to separately control at least one of on/off flow and rate of flow, to separately control at least one of on/off heating and rate of heating, and to separately control said stirring mechanism, said control means including a programmable device;
- (b) a plurality of working templates that present various preset operations offered to a user, said operations including heating, heating and stirring, cooling, cooling and stirring, heating with inert gas blanket, cooling with inert gas blanket, ambient and stirring;
- (c) an instructional program including list of available templates to show a user how to select, customize and operate the templates and the system;
- (d) input means for a user to select templates and operational step sequences and to key in parameters for each template including a plurality of reactants used, times, temperatures and other functional operations to create a work station protocol, and storage thereof;
- (e) start up for user to initiate actual start up of reactor with template selected sequences in accordance with selected parameters;
- (f) automatic sequencing of each independent work station in accordance with said template selected sequences and parameters;
- (g) dynamic real time presentation of operating conditions and parameters, and at least one variable versus variable subpresentation selected from the group consisting of temperature versus time, pressure versus time and enthalpy versus time, said presentation being in at least one format selected from the group consisting of graphic, listing, streaming, and storage for retrieval on demand;
- (h) user monitoring of all parameters and of said dynamic real time presentation;
- (i) user manual override to alter, delete or extend any parameter, sequence or template;
- and
- (j) generation of a digital laboratory notebook showing all parameters, sequences and dynamic real time presentations, dates, times, and users.
17 more elements
A multifunctional multireactor control system with dynamic multiple protocols, templates and digital notebooks for a multifunctional multireactor chemical synthesis instrument having a main housing having at least two independent multireactor work stations, each work station adapted to receive a multireactor reaction vessel;
- having at least one cooling unit functionally connected to each of said at least two independent work stations to impart controlled cooling thereto, each said cooling unit including:
- a cooling element in proximity to each of said at least two independent work stations and having an inlet port for injection of a phase change coolant, a heat absorbent area and an outlet port for removal of said phase change coolant;
- and, injection means for injecting said phase change coolant in liquid form via said inlet port to said cooling element;
- having at least one heating unit functionally connected to each of said at least two independent work stations to impart controlled heating thereto;
- having an inert gas blanket supply means connected to each of said at least two independent work stations;
- having at least one stirring mechanism connected to each of said at least two independent work stations wherein said at least one stirring mechanism is magnetic;
- and having control means connected to each cooling unit and each heating unit and to each stirring mechanism for programmable automatic control thereof, which comprises:
- said control means including at least one programmable central processing unit having input means, output means, storage means and functional software to provide separate real time modules for each of said at least two independent work stations, and to provide said system with the following for each of said modules:
- (a) means to separately control at least one of on/off flow and rate of flow, to separately control at least one of on/off heating and rate of heating, and to separately control said stirring mechanism, said control means including a programmable device;
- (b) a plurality of working templates that present various preset operations offered to a user, said operations including heating, heating and stirring, cooling, cooling and stirring, heating with inert gas blanket, cooling with inert gas blanket, ambient and stirring;
- (c) an instructional program including list of available templates to show a user how to select, customize and operate the templates and the system;
- (d) input means for a user to select templates and operational step sequences and to key in parameters for each template including a plurality of reactants used, times, temperatures and other functional operations to create a work station protocol, and storage thereof;
- (e) start up for user to initiate actual start up of reactor with template selected sequences in accordance with selected parameters;
- (f) automatic sequencing of each independent work station in accordance with said template selected sequences and parameters;
- (g) dynamic real time presentation of operating conditions and parameters, and at least one variable versus variable subpresentation selected from the group consisting of temperature versus time, pressure versus time and enthalpy versus time, said presentation being in at least one format selected from the group consisting of graphic, listing, streaming, and storage for retrieval on demand;
- (h) user monitoring of all parameters and of said dynamic real time presentation;
- (i) user manual override to alter, delete or extend any parameter, sequence or template;
- and
- (j) generation of a digital laboratory notebook showing all parameters, sequences and dynamic real time presentations, dates, times, and users.
16 more elements
A multifunctional multireactor control methodology with dynamic multiple protocols, templates and digital notebooks for a multifunctional multireactor chemical synthesis instrument having a main housing having at least two independent multireactor work stations, each work station adapted to receive a reaction vessel;
- having at least one cooling unit functionally connected to each of said at least two independent work stations to impart controlled cooling thereto, each said cooling unit including:
- a cooling element in proximity to each of said at least two independent work stations and having an inlet port for injection of a phase change coolant, a heat absorbent area and an outlet port for removal of said phase change coolant;
- and, injection means for injecting said phase change coolant in liquid form via said inlet port to said cooling element;
- having at least one heating unit functionally connected to each of said at least two independent work stations to impart controlled heating thereto;
- having an inert gas blanket supply means connected to each of said at least two independent work stations;
- having at least one stirring mechanism connected to each of said at least two independent work stations;
- having programmable liquid transferring means for moving liquid from a liquid supply means to a reaction vessel through individual programming for each of said at least one independent work station wherein said liquid is transferred through an orifice in a stopper of said at least one independent work station;
- and having control means connected to each cooling unit and each heating unit and to each stirring mechanism for programmable automatic control thereof, which comprises:
- providing said control means with at least one programmable central processing unit having input means, output means, storage means and functional software to provide separate real time modules for each of said independent work stations, and providing said system with the following for each of said modules:
- (a) providing means to separately control at least one of on/off flow and rate of flow, to separately control at least one of on/off heating and rate of heating, and to separately control said stirring mechanism, said control means including a programmable device;
- (b) providing a plurality of working templates that present various preset operations offered to a user, said operations including heating, heating and stirring, cooling, cooling and stirring, heating with inert gas blanket, cooling with inert gas blanket, ambient and stirring;
- (c) providing an instructional program including list of available templates to show a user how to select, customize and operate the templates and the system;
- (d) having a user select templates and operational step sequences and to key in parameters for each template including a plurality of reactants used, times, temperatures and other functional operations to create a work station protocol, and storing said protocol;
- (e) having a user start up said reactor with template selected sequences in accordance with selected parameters by initiating a start up procedure;
- (f) automatically sequencing and operating each independent work station in accordance with said template selected sequences and parameters;
- (g) providing a dynamic real time presentation of operating conditions and parameters, and at least one variable versus variable subpresentation selected from the group consisting of temperature versus time, pressure versus time and enthalpy versus time, said presentation being in at least one format selected from the group consisting of graphic, listing, streaming, and storage for retrieval on demand;
- (h) having a user monitor all operating conditions and parameters and said dynamic real time presentation;
- (i) providing user manual override to alter, delete or extend any parameter, sequence or template;
- and
- (j) generating a digital laboratory notebook showing all parameters, sequences and dynamic real time presentations, dates, times, and users.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.