SAMPLE CELL FILLING DEVICE FOR USE REMOTELY FROM A POLARIMETER AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20160202176A1
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rudolph Research Analytical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rudolph Research Analytical Corporation
• Inventors: Spanier, Richard C., Wagner, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 9,677,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 4/00 Measuring polarisation of light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/11 Filling or emptying of cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence

Abstract

A sample cell filling device for filling a sample cell to be used remotely from a polarimeter is provided. The filling device includes a liquid-sealed housing, light source and a diffuser viewing screen. The housing has a recess for receiving the sample cell, the sample cell having first and second optical windows at the respective ends. A light source transmits light from one optical window to the other optical window. A diffuser viewing screen receives light exiting from the sample cell such that light from the viewing screen can be observed by a user to determine the quality of the sample fill.

Claims

1. A sample cell filling device for filling a sample cell to be used remotely from a polarimeter comprising:

a liquid-sealed housing having a recess for receiving and supporting the sample cell, the sample cell having;

a first optical window at a first end and a second optical window at a second end; and

a first filling port located near the first end and a second filling port located near the second end, at least one of the first and second filling ports adapted to form a temporary liquid tight seal with a sample injecting device;

a light source that transmits light from the first optical window to the second optical window; and

a diffuser viewing screen that receives light exiting from the second optical window such that light from the viewing screen can be observed by a user to determine the quality of the sample fill.

2. The sample cell filling device of claim 1, wherein the viewing screen includes ground glass that diffuses the light exiting from the second optical window.

3. The sample cell filling device of claim 1, further comprising:

a focusing lens disposed in an optical path between the second optical window and the viewing screen.

4. The sample cell filling device of claim 3, further comprising an aperture through which the light from the focusing lens passes.

5. The sample cell filling device of claim 1, further comprising a magnifier to provide a magnified view of the light.

6. The sample cell filling device of claim 4, further comprising a mirror disposed in an optical path between the aperture and the viewing screen to reflect the light from the aperture to the viewing screen.

7. The sample cell filling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second filling ports is positioned at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the sample cell such that the sample makes only a single change of direction when the sample is being filled in the sample cell.

8. The sample cell filling device of claim 7, wherein the longitudinal axis of the at least one filling port when the sample cell is positioned in the sample filling device is substantially at 90 degrees to the horizontal plane of the sample cell filling device.

9. The sample cell filling device of claim 1, wherein the sample injection device is either a pipette or syringe.

10. The sample cell filling device of claim 9, wherein the pipette or syringe is calibrated to deliver a volume sufficient to fill the sample cell without overflow.

11. A sample cell filling device for filling a sample cell externally of and to be used remotely in a polarimeter comprising:

a liquid-sealed housing having a recess for receiving the sample cell at an inclined angle, the sample cell having a first optical window at a first end and a second optical window at a second end;

a light source positioned within the liquid-sealed housing and operable to transmit light from the first optical window to the second optical window;

a focusing lens positioned within the sealed housing and to receive light from the second optical window;

a diffuser viewing screen that diffuses light from the focusing lens such that light from the viewing screen can be observed by a user to determine the quality of the sample fill.

12. The sample cell filling device of claim 11, wherein the diffuser viewing screen includes ground glass that diffuses the light exiting from the second optical window.

13. The sample cell filling device of claim 11, further comprising an aperture positioned at a focal point of the focusing lens and through which the light from the focusing lens passes.

14. The sample cell filling device of claim 13, further comprising a mirror disposed in an optical path between the aperture and the diffuser viewing screen to reflect the light from the aperture to the diffuser viewing screen.

15. The sample cell filling device of claim 11, further comprising the sample cell having a first filling port located near the first end and a second filling port located near the second end, wherein at least one of the first and second filling ports is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the sample cell such that the sample makes only a single change of direction when the sample is being filled in the sample cell.

16. A method of checking the quality of a fill in a sample cell using a sample cell filling device away from a polarimeter, the method comprising:

placing an empty sample cell in a recess of a sample cell filling device, the sample cell having a first optical window at a first end and a second optical window at a second end, the recess being inclined to receive the sample cell at an inclined angle such that one of the first and second windows is lower than the other window, the filling device having a light source that transmits light from the first optical window to the second optical window, and a viewing screen that receives light exiting from the second optical window such that light from the viewing screen can be observed;

filling the sample cell with a sample through the filling port adjacent to the lower window;

observing the quality of the sample fill through the viewing screen;

determining that the sample cell has been filled when a uniform illumination through the viewing screen is observed;

removing the filled sample cell from the filling device and placing the filled sample cell in the polarimeter.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising capping the filling ports prior to removing the filled sample cell from the filling device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transferring the removed sample cell to the polarimeter for measurement.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising stopping the filling of the sample cell when the observed light from the viewing screen indicates a lack of uniformity.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the sample cell filling device is a liquid-sealed device, the method further comprising washing away excess sample from the liquid-sealed filling device which has overflowed from the sample cell.