Analyzer transport device

• US 6,180,060 B1
• Filed: 03/10/1995
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Instruments Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tekmar Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Thomas B., Westendorf, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Soderquist, Arlen
• Application Number:
  US08/401,876
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 73/191, 73/234.1, 73/234.2, 738/630.1, 738/631.1, 738/631.2, 738/636.1, 738/642.1, 738/642.3, 738/648.5, 738/648.7, 366/108, 366/110-112, 366/145, 366/146, 366/208, 366/209, 366/218, 366/240, 422/62-64, 422/67, 422/68.1, 422/70, 422/75, 422/89, 422/90, 422/99, 422/102, 436/47, 436/48, 436/161, 436/174, 436/172, 436/181
• US Class Current: 422/64
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2226 Sampling from a closed space, e.g. food package, head space
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2229 Headspace sampling, i.e. vapour over liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/041 lifting items out of a rack for access
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/24 Automatic injection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/30 of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 with step of insertion or removal from test line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25875 Gaseous sample or with change of physical state

Abstract

A sample transport device for use in analyzing samples by the headspace analysis technique. The device has a cylindrical platen with counterbored chambers for accepting sample vials. The platen is heated and caused to rotate from a first vial transport point to a sampling point and then back for ejection of the sample vial. Vertical movement of the sample vials is accomplished by use of elevator rods connected to level winding screws mounted below the cylindrical platen.

Claims

1. A device for heating and agitating sample vials having caps with a septum therein for withdrawing gaseous material from a headspace of said vials for analysis by gas chromatography, comprising:

a platen mounted on a support and having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having a bottom wall for supporting one of said sample vials on the bottom wall, the bottom wall having an opening for providing access to retained sample vials from below;

an electrically powered heater mounted to heat said platen;

a vial transport mounted relative to the platen for transporting a vial from above a chamber to lower the vial into such chamber, and the reverse;

a vial mixing device mounted relative to the platen and alienable with the chamber and comprising a rod at least partially extendible into said chamber through said opening from below to contact said vial and mix the contents by pulsating the vial to increase the rate of transport of gaseous components from liquid in said sample vial to said headspace; and

a needle mounted relative to the platen for alignment with the chamber for extracting material from said headspace through said septum after said needle punctures said septum of said vial.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said chambers is sized to slideably receive one of said sample vials and hold it in heat conductive relation to the platen.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the vial mixing device in pulsating the vial causes the vial to move up and down within the chamber to maintain the vial in heat conductive relation to the platen.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the platen comprises heat-conducting material.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the platen comprises aluminum.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a tip of said rod extends into said chamber through said opening from below to contact said vial.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrically powered heater comprises a cartridge heater.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said rod is selectively at least partially extendible into each of said plurality of chambers.

9. A transport device for handling sample vials having caps with a septum therein for withdrawing material from a headspace of said vials for analysis by gas chromatography, comprising;

a platen having a plurality of side by side chambers, said chambers having bottoms for retaining said sample vials above said bottoms, and the bottoms providing an access opening to retained sample vials from below;

an electrically powered heater located within said platen;

a vial transport which conveys a vial into one of said chambers from a point above said chamber to rest on the bottom of the chamber, and the reverse;

a vial mixing device having a vial mixing rod which is positioned to selectively enter said chamber through the access opening from below to contact a supported vial and mix the contents by pulsation of the sample vial to increase the rate of transport of gaseous components from a liquid in said sample vial to said headspace, said rod contacting the bottom of the vial and being powered to pulse the vial vertically and mix the contents thereof;

a needle supported relative to the platen for extracting material from said headspace through said septum after the vial is heated and pulsed by operation of the rod;

said pulsed and heated vial being engageable with said needle by a movable member supported relative to the platen which drives said vial septum and needle into septum puncturing contact when the needle and chamber are aligned.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein each of said chambers is sized to slideably receive one of said sample vials and hold it in heat conductive relation to the platen.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the vial mixing device in pulsating the vial causes the vial to move up and down within the chamber to maintain the vial in heat conductive relation to the platen.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the platen comprises heat-conducting material.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the platen comprises aluminum.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein a tip of said rod enters said chamber through the access opening from below to contact said supported vial.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the electrically powered heater comprises a cartridge heater.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein said rod is selectively at least partially extendible into each of said plurality of side by side chambers.

17. A device for handling sample vials and heating and agitating the samples prior to withdrawing material from a headspace of each of the vials for analysis by gas chromatography, comprising:

a heated vial holder having a plurality of chambers each having an open end, and an opposite bottom vial retaining end with an aperture therein, each of the chambers being of a size to slidably receive one of the sample vials through the open end in a heat-conductive relationship to the vial holder and support the vial on the vial retaining end;

a needle for extracting the material from the headspace of the vials;

a mechanism for inserting and removing selected vials through the open ends into and from the respective vial holder chambers;

an insertion device to cause the needle to be selectively inserted in each of the vials carried in the chambers for extracting the material from the headspace; and

a vial mixing device for agitating a vial in a chamber of the heated vial holder prior to extracting the material, the vial mixing device comprising an agitator acting through the aperture in the vial retaining end of the chamber and being operable to engage the vial in a resting position on the vial retaining end and cause agitation of the vial contents by reciprocally pulsing the vial while the vial is retained in the respective chamber of the vial holder.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the vial mixing device in agitating the vial causes the vial to move up and down within the chamber to maintain the vial in heat conductive relation to the vial holder.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the vial holder comprises heat-conducting material.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the vial holder comprises aluminum.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the agitator comprises a rod.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein a tip of the rod enters said chamber through the aperture from below to contact said vial.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the heated vial holder comprises a cartridge heater.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein said agitator is selectively at least partially extendible into each of said plurality of chambers.