SAMPLE HANDLING DEVICE FOR AND METHODS OF HANDLING A SAMPLE

• US 20100218620A1
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qinstruments GmbH
• Original Assignee: Quantifoil Instruments GmbH (BICO Group AB)
• Inventors: Dittmann, Leander, Gessner, Giso, Vester, Andreas, Hoyer, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 8,323,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/863.110
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/22 with supporting means moving in a horizontal plane, e.g. describing an orbital path for moving the containers about an axis which intersects the receptacle axis at an angle
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/16 operating with systems involving rotary unbalanced masses

Abstract

A sample handling device (100) for handling a sample, the sample handling device (100) comprising a drive shaft (101) being drivable by a drive unit (102), a base plate (103) mounted to follow a motion of the drive shaft (101) when being driven by the drive unit (102), wherein the base plate (103) is configured to receive a sample carrier block (104) mountable to follow a motion of the base plate (103), and a compensation weight (105, 106) mounted asymmetrically on the drive shaft (101) in a manner to at least partially compensate an unbalanced mass of the sample handling device (100) during the motion.

Claims

1. A sample handling device for handling a sample, the sample handling device comprising:

a drive shaft being drivable by a drive unit;

a base plate mounted to follow a motion of the drive shaft when being driven by the drive unit, wherein the base plate is configured to receive a sample carrier block mountable to follow a motion of the base plate;

a compensation weight mounted on the drive shaft in a manner to at least partially compensate an unbalanced mass of the sample handling device during the motion; and

a magnetic guide system adapted for converting an eccentric motion of the drive shaft into an orbital motion of the base plate.

3. The sample handling device of claim 1, comprising a guide structure,

wherein the guide structure is mounted to remain spatially fixed when the base plate is moving;

wherein the base plate is mounted at the guide structure to enable the base plate to move within a plane and to disable the base plate to move out of the plane.

4. The sample handling device of claim 1, comprising a first guide plate and a second guide plate,

wherein the first guide plate and the second guide plate are mounted to remain spatially fixed when the base plate is moving;

wherein the base plate is mounted between the first guide plate and the second guide plate to enable the base plate to move within a plane and to disable the base plate to move out of the plane.

7. The sample handling device of claim 4,

comprising at least one first magnetic element arranged on and/or in the base plate;

comprising at least one second magnetic element arranged on and/or in at least one of the first guide plate and the second guide plate;

wherein the at least one first magnetic element and the at least one second magnetic element are configured to cooperate in a manner to convert an eccentric motion of the drive shaft into an orbital motion of the base plate.

14. The sample handling device of claim 1,

comprising the sample carrier block mountable on the base plate to follow a motion of the base plate.

24. The sample handling device of claim 14,

comprising at least one third magnetic element arranged on and/or in the base plate;

comprising at least one forth magnetic element arranged on and/or in the sample carrier block;

wherein the at least one third magnetic element and the at least one forth magnetic element are configured to cooperate in a manner to fasten the sample carrier block at the base plate by an attracting magnetic force.

27. The sample handling device of claim 1,

comprising a cover element adapted for covering the sample carrier block.

29. The sample handling device of claim 27,

comprising at least one fifth magnetic element arranged on and/or in the cover element;

comprising at least one sixth magnetic element arranged on and/or in a casing of the sample handling device;

wherein the at least one fifth magnetic element and the at least one sixth magnetic element are configured to cooperate in a manner to fasten the cover element at the casing by an attracting magnetic force.

30. The sample handling device of claim 29, wherein the at least one fifth magnetic element is configured to conduct an electric current to and/or from the cover element.

32. The sample handling device of claim 1,

comprising a support element adapted to at least partially accommodate the drive shaft and the drive unit and adapted in such a manner that the base plate is mountable on the support element.

33. The sample handling device of claim 32, wherein the support element comprises at least one guide hole and the base plate comprises at least one guide pin configured to correspond to the at least one guide hole so that the base plate is mountable on the support element by inserting the at least one guide pin into the at least one guide hole.

34. The sample handling device of claim 33, wherein the support element comprises a plurality of, particularly three, circularly arranged guide holes and the base plate comprises a plurality of, particularly three, circularly arranged guide pins configured to correspond to the plurality of guide holes.

35. The sample handling device of claim 33, comprising a seventh magnetic element arranged in an interior of the at least one guide hole and comprising an eighth magnetic element provided on the at least one guide pin.

37. The sample handling device of claim 32, wherein the support element comprises at least one first bearing hole, the base plate comprises at least one second bearing hole configured to correspond to the at least one first bearing hole, wherein the sample handling device comprises at least one ball arranged partially within the at least one first bearing hole and partially within the at least one second bearing hole to thereby form a ball bearing between the support element and the base plate.

38. The sample handling device of claim 37, wherein the support element comprises a plurality of, particularly three, circularly arranged first bearing holes and the base plate comprises a plurality of, particularly three, circularly arranged second bearing holes configured to correspond to the plurality of first bearing holes, and wherein the sample handling device comprises a plurality of, particularly three, balls.

40. The sample handling device of claim 37, comprising a ninth magnetic element arranged in an interior of the at least one first bearing hole and comprising a tenth magnetic element arranged in an interior of the at least one second bearing hole.

42. The sample handling device of claim 32, comprising at least one centering plunger arranged in a movable manner within the support element and being adapted to be moved to project out of the support element and to abut against a lower surface of the base plate to thereby drive back the base plate to a central position.

43. The sample handling device of claim 42, wherein the at least one centering plunger is adapted to be moved to project out of the support element upon switching off the drive unit.

45. The sample handling device of claim 42, comprising at least one centering hole arranged in the lower surface of the base plate corresponding to the at least one centering plunger to be engageable by the at least one centering plunger when being moved to project out of the support element.

48. The sample handling device of claim 1, wherein the base plate has a rectangular reception area adapted for receiving a rectangular sample carrier block.

49. The sample handling device of claim 48, wherein the base plate comprises a plurality of engagement members, particularly arranged in corners of the base plate, adapted for engaging the rectangular sample carrier block.

50. The sample handling device of claim 4, having exactly one compensation weight, particularly having exactly one compensation weight having a center of gravity being arranged at the same vertical level as a center of gravity of the cooperatively moving base plate and sample carrier block.

51. The sample handling device of claim 50, wherein the base plate has a recess in a bearing surface opposing a sample surface portion at which the sample carrier block is mountable, wherein at least a part of the exactly one compensation weight is received within the recess when the base plate is mounted on the support element.

53. The sample handling device of claim 14, wherein the sample carrier block comprises a vortex member adapted to provide a vortex function to a user operating the sample handling device.

70. The sample handling device of claim 1, comprising a sandwich bearing which comprises a first guide plate, a first bearing, the base plate, a second bearing, and a second guide plate;

wherein the only movable element in the sandwich bearing is the base plate;

wherein the base plate is arranged between the first bearing and the second bearing;

wherein the first bearing is arranged between the first guide plate and the base plate;

wherein the second bearing is arranged between the second guide plate and the base plate;

wherein each of the first guide plate, the base plate, and the second guide plate comprises magnetic elements;

wherein the magnetic elements of the first guide plate and the magnetic elements of the base plate are adapted to attract one another;

wherein the magnetic elements of the second guide plate and the magnetic elements of the base plate are adapted to attract one another.

2. (canceled)

5-6. -6. (canceled)

8-13. -13. (canceled)

15-23. -23. (canceled)

25-26. -26. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

44. (canceled)

46-47. -47. (canceled)

52. (canceled)

54-57. -57. (canceled)

58. A method of handling a sample, the method comprising

mounting the sample on a sample carrier block of a sample handling device;

mounting the sample carrier block on a base plate of the sample handling device, wherein the base plate is mounted to follow a motion of a drive shaft being drivable by a drive unit of the sample handling device;

driving the drive shaft by the drive unit;

at least partially compensating an unbalanced mass of the sample handling device during the motion by a compensation weight mounted on the drive shaft; and

converting an eccentric motion of the drive shaft into an orbital motion of the base plate by a magnetic guide system.

59. A sample handling device for handling a sample, the sample handling device comprising

a mountable sample carrier block;

a plurality of sample reception units arranged on and/or in the sample carrier block and each being adapted for receiving a respective sample container;

a sample temperature manipulation unit integrated in the sample carrier block and adapted for manipulating a temperature of each of the plurality of sample reception units, wherein the sample temperature manipulation unit is arranged symmetrically with respect to at least a part of the plurality of sample reception units;

wherein the sample carrier block comprises a central recess formed in a lower surface of the sample carrier block, the central recess being adapted for receiving the sample temperature manipulation unit to be inserted from the lower surface, the central recess having the same distance from at least the part of the plurality of sample reception units.

60. The sample handling device of claim 59, wherein the plurality of sample reception units are arranged in the sample carrier block in a rotationally symmetrically manner.

61. The sample handling device of claim 59, wherein at least a part of the plurality of sample reception units are arranged in the sample carrier block at the same distance from the sample temperature manipulation unit.

66. The sample handling device of claim 59, wherein the sample carrier block is cylindrical.

67. The sample handling device of claim 59, wherein the sample temperature manipulation unit is arranged thermodynamically symmetrically and/or geometrically symmetrically with respect to at least a part of the plurality of sample reception units.

62-65. -65. (canceled)

68. (canceled)

69. A method of handling a sample, the method comprising

mounting a sample carrier block;

inserting a plurality of sample containers in a plurality of sample reception units arranged on and/or in the sample carrier block;

manipulating a temperature of each of the plurality of sample reception units by a sample temperature manipulation unit integrated in the sample carrier block and arranged symmetrically with respect to at least a part of the plurality of sample reception units;

wherein the sample carrier block comprises a central recess formed in a lower surface of the sample carrier block, the central recess being adapted for receiving the sample temperature manipulation unit to be inserted from the lower surface, the central recess having the same distance from at least the part of the plurality of sample reception units.