Automatic sample container handling centrifuge and a rotor for use therein
AssigneeDade Behring Inc.
InventorGary Wayne Howell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifuge instrument and a rotor therefor which is loaded with sample containers automatically by gravity through an opening in a cover located over a core and, subsequent to centrifugation, is unloaded automatically, again assisted by gravity, through an opening in a floor disposed beneath the core. A sample container loading arrangement is provided to hold a plurality of sample containers and to individually present sample containers to the rotor.
Claims24
A centrifuge rotor for rotating a sample container about an axis of rotation, the rotor comprising:
- a core having at least one container-receiving cavity extending completely therethrough, the core comprising:
- a generally cylindrical central portion having a core mounting aperture therethrough, and
- a generally frustoconical radially outward portion, the container-receiving cavity being disposed in the generally frustoconical radially outward portion;
- a floor, the floor and the core being positioned relative to each other so that, unless inhibited by the floor a container receivable within the cavity in the core would drop by gravity therefrom,
- the floor and the core being movable together as a unit and also being movable with respect to each other from a closed position to an open position,
- in the closed position the floor at least partially closes the cavity in the core to inhibit a container receivable within the core from dropping from the core in response to gravity, while in the open position the container receivable within the cavity responds to gravity to drop from the core;
- a first latch system for selectably latching the floor and the core to maintain the core and the floor in the closed position.]
The centrifuge rotor of claim [2] 24 further comprising:
- a cover having a loading port therethrough, the cover and the core being movable with respect to each other to a loading position in which the loading port registers with the cavity in the core;
- and
- a second latch system for selectably latching the cover and the core.
The centrifuge rotor of claim [1] 24 wherein the floor comprises:
- a generally cylindrical central portion having a floor mounting aperture therethrough, and a generally frustoconical radially outward skirt portion, the skirt portion having the unloading port formed therethrough,
- the cylindrical portion of the floor and the cylindrical portion of the core being arranged such that the mounting apertures in the floor and in the core register axially with each other,
- wherein the first latch system is disposed in the cylindrical portions of the floor and the core.
The centrifuge rotor of claim [1] 24 wherein the container-receiving cavity in the core having radially inner and radially outer boundary walls, the boundary walls being disposed parallel to the axis of rotation.
The centrifuge rotor of claim [1] 24 wherein the core has a surface thereon, the surface of the core being subdivisible into a plurality of segments, the surface of some of the plurality of segments being interrupted by a sample container-receiving cavity that extends through the core while the surface of others of the segments is uninterrupted, some of the cavities being angularly spaced from an adjacent cavity by a first angular distance while others of the cavities are angularly spaced from an adjacent cavity by a second angular distance, the greater angular distance encompassing an uninterrupted surface of a segment of the core.
The centrifuge rotor of claim [1] 24 wherein the cover comprises:
- a generally cylindrical central portion having a cover mounting aperture therein;
- and
- a generally frustoconical radially outward skirt portion, an annular lip depending from the skirt portion, the skirt portion having the loading port formed therein.
A centrifuge instrument for rotating a sample container about an axis of rotation, the instrument comprising:
- a rotor, the rotor comprising:
- a core having at least one container-receiving cavity extending completely therethrough;
- a floor, the floor and the core being positioned relative to each other so that, unless inhibited by the floor a container receivable within the cavity in the core would drop by gravity therefrom,
- the floor and the core being movable together as a unit and also being movable with respect to each other from a closed position to an open position,
- in the closed position the floor at least partially closes the cavity in the core to inhibit a container receivable within the core from dropping from the core in response to gravity, while in the open position the container receivable within the cavity responds to gravity to drop from the core;
- a first latch system for selectably latching the floor and the core in a latched state and in an unlatched state, in the latched state the floor and the core occupy the closed position and are movable together as a unit,
- in the unlatched state the core is movable with respect to the floor while the core is maintained in a predetermined angular location with respect to the axis of rotation;
- and
- a motive source connected to the core for rotating the core and the floor as a unit when the latch is in the latched state and for rotating the core with respect to the floor when the latch is in the unlatched state.
In a sample test analyzer having
- a sample analysis device,
- a centrifuge instrument having a rotor for exposing a sample in a sample container to a centrifugal force field, and,
- a transport for transporting small containers having a sample therein from the centrifuge instrument to the sample analysis device,
- an improved rotor comprising:
- a core having at least one container-receiving cavity extending completely therethrough;
- and
- a floor, the floor and the core being positioned relative to each other so that, unless inhibited by the floor a container receivable within the cavity in the core would drop by gravity therefrom,
- the floor and the core being movable together as a unit and also being movable with respect to each other from a closed position to an open position,
- in the closed position the floor at least partially closes the cavity in the core to inhibit a container receivable within the core from dropping from the core in response to gravity, while in the open position the container receivable within
- the cavity responds to gravity to drop from the core.
The centrifuge rotor of claim [1] 24 wherein the container-receiving cavity has a mouth that opens in the central portion of the core, the cavity extending into the generally frustoconical radially outward portion.
A centrifuge rotor for rotating a sample container about an axis of rotation, the rotor comprising:
- a core having at least one container-receiving cavity extending completely therethrough, the core comprising:
- a generally cylindrical central portion having a core mounting aperture therethrough;
- and, a generally frustoconical radially outward portion, the container-receiving cavity being disposed in the generally frustoconical radially outward portion;
- a floor, the floor and the core being positioned relative to each other so that, unless inhibited by the floor a container receivable within the cavity in the core would drop by gravity therefrom, the floor and the core being movable together as a unit and also being movable with respect to each other from a closed position to an open position, in the closed position the floor at least partially closes the cavity in the core to inhibit a container receivable within the core from dropping from the core in response to gravity, while in the open position the container receivable within the cavity responds to gravity to drop from the core;
- and,
- a first latch system for selectably latching the floor and the core to maintain the core and the floor in the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.