Automatic loading and unloading of centrifuge buckets: apparatus and method

• US 20040087426A1
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano SRL (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Jouan Italia SRL
• Inventors: Lattanzi, Giuseppe
• Granted Patent: US 6,866,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 494/20
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 13/00 Control arrangements specially designed for centrifuges; Programme control of centrifuges control arrangements for feed, charge, or discharge B04B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 2011/046 Loading, unloading, manipulating sample containers
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 5/0421 pivotably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00495 Centrifuges
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

For automated centrifugation of samples contained in test tubes, a centrifuge (c) has a rotating head (11) with swing-out buckets (30) for housing the test tubes. Means are provided for automatically positioning each bucket in the centrifugation chamber under a safety lid and to lift each bucket out of the centrifugation chamber. Magnetic means are provided to retain a cover on its bucket and a magnetic system is provided for removing the cover of each bucket in order to expose the test tubes to a robotic arm or similar device.

Claims

1. A centrifuge for buckets comprising a rotating head (11) rotatable around a rotation axis (b) in a centrifugation chamber (10) of the centrifuge, head trunnions integral with the rotating head and defining swing axes (a) for the buckets, a safety cover (19), an actuator for loading the buckets on the respective trunnions of the rotating head and unloading the buckets therefrom,

characterised in that said actuator (15) has magnetic bucket engaging means (17) for retaining a bucket (30) thereon.

2. A centrifuge as said in claim 1, further comprising bucket handling means (27, 28) for handling a bucket outside the centrifugation chamber, characterised in that said bucket handling means comprise magnetic means for engaging a bucket cover (32) provided with cooperating magnetic means (36) for cooperating with magnetic means of the handling means.

3. A centrifuge as said in claim 2, wherein said bucket handling means comprise a rotating column (27) coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotating head and a bucket handling arm (28) provided with said magnetic means.

4. A centrifuge as said in claim 2, for use with buckets provided with a bucket cover retained on a bucket base by magnetic means, characterised in that the magnetic means of the bucket handling means operate with a force that is stronger that the magnetic force retaining a bucket cover (32) on the bucket base (31).

5. A bucket for receiving sample test tubes for centrifuging in a centrifuge, said bucket comprising a base (31) and a removable cover (32), and having lugs (33) for swing mounting on trunnions of a centrifuge rotating head, characterised in that it further comprises magnetic means (35, 35′

) on said base and said cover for securing mutual engagement thereof.

6. A bucket as said in claim 5 further comprising magnetic retaining means (34) in the base undersurface and/or magnetic retaining means (36) in the upper surface of the cover.

7. A bucket loading/unloading apparatus for a centrifuge for centrifuging buckets swingably applied on a centrifuge rotating head, characterised in that it comprises a vertical actuator (15) provided with a bucket-engaging plate (16) having magnetic means, said actuator being movable between a retracted position, wherein it is at a distance below a bucket supported on a centrifuge rotating head, and an extended position, wherein it presents a bucket to handling means outside of the centrifugation chamber.

8. A method for loading/unloading buckets on a rotating head (10) of a centrifuge, said buckets comprising a base (31) and a cover (32) having mutually engaging magnetic means and further magnetic means (34, 36) in the base undersurface and on the cover, said method comprising the following steps

a. applying a bucket on a loading/unloading actuator (15) of the centrifuge

b. retaining the bucket thereon by means of magnetic force

c. retracting the actuator and leaving the bucket applied onto the rotating head (10).

9. A method for loading/unloading buckets on a rotating head (10) of a centrifuge, said buckets comprising a base (31) and a cover (32) having mutually engaging magnetic means and further magnetic means (34, 36) in the base undersurface and on the cover, said method comprising the following steps

engaging a centrifuged bucket with a loading/unloading actuator (15)

moving the actuator with the bucket thereon to an extended condition, wherein the bucket (30) is outside of the centrifugation chamber of the centrifuge

magnetically engaging the bucket cover (32) with a movement arm (28) and applying thereto a magnetic force stronger than the magnetic force retaining the bucket cover on the bucket base,

removing the bucket cover from the bucket base and transferring same to a parking area.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said transfer is a rectilineal movement.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein said transfer is a rotational movement.

12. A method according to claim 9 characterized in that after applying a magnetic force to the cover, the actuator is retracted with the base of the container over it, in order to leave free the movement of the arm 28 with the cover.