Centrifugal separator and administration of user and actual operation of the same

• US 6,679,821 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2000
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eppendorf Himac Technologies Co., Ltd. (Eppendorf Se)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi KOKI Company Limited (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Numata, Satoshi, Takahashi, Kahoru, Tokunaga, Kazuyoshi, Yotsuyanagi, Mitsutoshi, Matsufuji, Noriyasu, Oyama, Hisanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooley, Charles E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORKIN, DAVID L
• Application Number:
  US09/679,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 494/1, 494/7-12, 494/20, 494/84, 494/85, 422/72
• 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

Abstract

A centrifugal separator includes an input section for allowing a user to enter operating conditions of a centrifugal separation of a sample accommodated in a rotor driven by a motor. A memory of the centrifugal separator stores a user ID code and a corresponding user name which are registered in advance by the user. Operation of the centrifugal separator is allowed when a user ID code entered through the input section agrees with the registered user ID code.

Claims

1. A centrifugal separator comprising:

a motor serving as an actuator;

a rotor driven by said motor;

an input section for entering operating conditions of a centrifugal separation applied to a sample accommodated in said rotor;

a display unit for displaying the operating conditions;

a memory section for allowing a user to register in advance a user ID code and a user name corresponding to said user ID code and storing control data of said centrifugal separator in connection with said user ID code and said corresponding user name; and

user identifying means for identifying a user by checking whether a user ID code entered through said input section agrees with said registered user ID code,

wherein said display unit displays said user name registered in said memory section while keeping said user ID code entered through said input section in secret when said user ID code entered through said input section agrees with said registered user ID code,

wherein said display unit has a display area for indicating entry of said user ID code and a display area for displaying said user name.

2. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein said memory section stores a machine ID code used for identifying said centrifugal separator, in addition to said user ID code and the corresponding user name.

3. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of user ID codes are assigned to each user, and said user identifying means identifies the user based on said plurality of user ID codes.

4. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein said display unit does not display said user ID code during a registration of said user ID and when said user ID code is entered through said input section.

5. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein said user name is a combination of characters and/or symbols which can identify the user.

6. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein an operation of said centrifugal separator is prohibited when the user identifying means judged that the user ID code entered through said input section disagrees with said registered user ID code.

7. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein a reservation of said centrifugal separator is allowed when both of said user ID code and said user name are accepted.

8. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 7, wherein the reservation of said centrifugal separator and its change or cancel are allowed only when said user ID code is accepted.

9. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 7, wherein said centrifugal separator executes data communication with a personal computer to share reservation data between the centrifugal separator and the personal computer, thereby allowing the user to make a reservation, and change or cancel the reservation at the personal computer.

10. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein said memory section stores actual operation data of said centrifugal separator together with operation conditions and the user name.

11. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 10, wherein said actual operation data include at least one item selected from the group consisting of date/time of use, type of the rotor, manufacturing number of the rotor, rotation number, temperature, operation time, cumulative rotation number, user name, sample, solvent, solution, additive, used tube, used bottle, used adapter, and other special note.

12. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 10, wherein said actual operation data are edited as a file data for each of individual users.

13. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 10, wherein said actual operation data are classified into subclasses corresponding to individual users, a total cumulative rotation number of each user during a predetermined duration is measured, and an actual operation ratio of each user is obtained based on the total cumulative rotation number during said predetermined duration as a ratio of use of said centrifugal separator by said each user relative to an overall operation of said centrifugal separator.

14. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 10, wherein said centrifugal separator is identified by a machine ID code which is attached to said actual operation data when said actual operation data are transmitted to an external device via a communication device.

15. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 14, wherein said actual operation data transmitted to said external device include at least one item selected from the group consisting of the user ID code, user name list, record of use of said centrifugal separator, programmed operating conditions of said centrifugal separator, and record of use of said rotor.

16. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 14, wherein deletion of said actual operation data from said memory section is allowed when said actual operation data is successfully transmitted from said centrifugal separator to said external device.

17. A centrifugal separator comprising:

a motor serving as an actuator;

a rotor driven by said motor;

a rotor housing in which said rotor is placed;

a display unit displaying operating conditions and actual operation data;

an operation panel allowing a user to set operating conditions and switch a screen image of said display unit;

a memory section storing the operating conditions,

wherein said memory section memorizes operating conditions of individual operations when said rotor is driven according to arbitrary operating conditions, and said display unit displays after finishing the individual operations said individual operating conditions stored in said memory section as an operation history,

said centrifugal separator further comprises a selecting means for allowing in a next operation the user to select a desirable one of the operating conditions contained in said operation history,

said display unit displays the selected desirable operating condition as set values of the next operation of the centrifugal separator, and

said rotor performs the next operation based on the selected desirable operating condition.

18. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a rotor information input section for allowing the user to enter rotor information, wherein the rotor information entered from said rotor information input section is stored in said memory section as one of the operating conditions.

19. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a clock section serving as a timekeeper for measuring an operation time of the centrifugal separator as well as a date/time of the centrifugal separating operation, wherein a start or end time of the centrifugal separating operation is stored in said memory section as one of the operating conditions.

20. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 17, wherein said operation panel allows the user to register a user ID code, and the registered user ID code is stored in the memory section as one of the operating conditions.

21. The centrifugal separator in accordance with claim 17, wherein the display unit displays lasting operating conditions of said rotor.