Aliquoting of serial liquid samples
First Claim
1. A liquid aliquoting apparatus for obtaining an aliquot of a series of liquid samples comprising:
- a liquid collection container forming a liquid collection chamber, a top portion of said liquid collection container forming an opening, said opening having a cross section large enough to accommodate a fluid sample intake into said liquid collection chamber, at least one aliquot storage container, each one forming an aliquot storage chamber below said liquid collection chamber, at least one generally vertical aliquot measurement container, each one forming an aliquot measurement chamber;
vent means positioned at a high point of each said aliquot measurement container, each said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with said liquid collection chamber through said vent means;
fill means positioned in a region of a low point of each said aliquot measurement container and said liquid collection container, each said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with said liquid collection chamber through said fill means;
drain means positioned at said low point of each said aliquot measurement container and said liquid collection container, each said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with each corresponding said aliquot storage chamber; and
volume displacement means for discharging a fluid from each said aliquot storage chamber and intaking a liquid sample from each corresponding said aliquot measurement chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and process for obtaining an aliquot of serial liquid samples. A measured aliquot of each serial liquid sample is obtained and passed to an aliquot storage chamber with discard of the remainder of each liquid sample. A liquid collection container is provided sufficiently large for the largest single liquid serial sample with a generally vertical aliquot measurement container forming at least one aliquot measurement chamber. Each aliquot measurement chamber has a cross-sectional area in the same relation to the cross-sectional area of the liquid collection chamber as the quantity of each aliquot that is desired to bear to the liquid samples. The bottom of each aliquot measurement container is in the same general horizontal plane as the bottom of the liquid collection container. In one embodiment, the apparatus and process is operated by an aliquot valve which in a first position places each aliquot measurement chamber in communication only with the liquid collection chamber and when in a second position, places each aliquot measurement chamber in communication only with a corresponding aliquot storage chamber.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A liquid aliquoting apparatus for obtaining an aliquot of a series of liquid samples comprising:
- a liquid collection container forming a liquid collection chamber, a top portion of said liquid collection container forming an opening, said opening having a cross section large enough to accommodate a fluid sample intake into said liquid collection chamber, at least one aliquot storage container, each one forming an aliquot storage chamber below said liquid collection chamber, at least one generally vertical aliquot measurement container, each one forming an aliquot measurement chamber;
vent means positioned at a high point of each said aliquot measurement container, each said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with said liquid collection chamber through said vent means; fill means positioned in a region of a low point of each said aliquot measurement container and said liquid collection container, each said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with said liquid collection chamber through said fill means; drain means positioned at said low point of each said aliquot measurement container and said liquid collection container, each said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with each corresponding said aliquot storage chamber; and volume displacement means for discharging a fluid from each said aliquot storage chamber and intaking a liquid sample from each corresponding said aliquot measurement chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
- a liquid collection container forming a liquid collection chamber, a top portion of said liquid collection container forming an opening, said opening having a cross section large enough to accommodate a fluid sample intake into said liquid collection chamber, at least one aliquot storage container, each one forming an aliquot storage chamber below said liquid collection chamber, at least one generally vertical aliquot measurement container, each one forming an aliquot measurement chamber;
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34. A liquid aliquoting apparatus for obtaining an aliquot series of liquid samples comprising:
- a liquid collection container forming a liquid collection chamber, a top portion of said liquid collection container forming an opening, said opening having a cross section large enough to accommodate a fluid sample intake into said liquid collection chamber, an aliquot storage container forming an aliquot storage chamber below said liquid collection chamber, a generally vertical aliquot measurement container forming an aliquot measurement chamber;
vent means positioned at a high point of said aliquot measurement container, said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with said liquid collection chamber through said vent means; fill means positioned in a region of a low point of said aliquot measurement chamber and said liquid collection container, said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with said liquid collection chamber through said fill means; drain means positioned at said low point of said aliquot measurement container and said liquid collection container, said aliquot measurement chamber in fluid communication with each corresponding said aliquot storage chamber; and volume displacement means for discharging a fluid from said aliquot storage chamber and intaking a liquid sample from said aliquot measurement chamber. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
- a liquid collection container forming a liquid collection chamber, a top portion of said liquid collection container forming an opening, said opening having a cross section large enough to accommodate a fluid sample intake into said liquid collection chamber, an aliquot storage container forming an aliquot storage chamber below said liquid collection chamber, a generally vertical aliquot measurement container forming an aliquot measurement chamber;
Specification