High Speed, Compact Centrifuge for Use with Small Sample Volumes

• US 20140057770A1
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Labrador Diagnostics LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Theranos Incorporated
• Inventors: Holmes, Elizabeth A., Smith, Timothy, Frankovich, John Kent, Young, Daniel, Ridel, Scott, Siegel, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/945,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20140057770A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 494/10
• 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 15/02 for cooling, heating, or heat insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 5/0421 pivotably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 7/08 Rotary bowls centrifugal casting machines B22D
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 9/10 Control of the drive; Speed regulating for solid bowl screw centrifuges B04B1/2016
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 9/14 Balancing rotary bowls balancing per se G01M; Schrappers
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/3473 Circular or rotary encoders
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/488 delivered by variable reluctance detectors

Abstract

In one nonlimiting example, an automated system is provided for separating one or more components in a biological fluid, wherein the system comprises: (a) a centrifuge comprising one or more bucket configured to receive a container to effect said separating of one or more components in a fluid sample; and (b) the container, wherein the container includes one or more shaped feature that is complementary to a shaped feature of the bucket.

Claims

1-52. -52. (canceled)

1. A compact high speed centrifuge for use with sample containers, the centrifuge comprising:

a first portion comprising a thermally insulating material;

a second portion comprising a thermally conductive material;

wherein containers are arranged such that the containers are located in areas with the thermally insulating material;

wherein the thermally conductive material is configured to channel heat in a direction leading away from the containers.

2. A compact high speed centrifuge for use with sample containers, the centrifuge comprising:

a centrifuge body;

a drive mechanism for rotating said centrifuge body;

an active cooling unit for minimizing heat transfer to the sample;

wherein containers are arranged such that the containers are located in areas with reduced thermal exposure;

said active cooling unit configured to cool the drive mechanism;

wherein stator is located coaxially within a rotor of a motor in the drive mechanism.

3. A compact high speed centrifuge for use with sample containers, the centrifuge comprising:

a centrifuge body;

a drive mechanism for rotating said centrifuge body; and

a position detector for use in determining rotational position of the centrifuge body.

4-16. -16. (canceled)