Abstract: An evaporating system for evaporating solvents from chemical samples held in supply plates, which accelerate evaporation by warming the samples in a hot air bath. The system includes adapters to allow the use of supply plates of varying heights, such as either standard micro-plates or deep well micro-plates.

Abstract: A robotic system for processing a plurality of products, the system including a plurality of units arranged to sequentially receive the products and each having a work station for effecting a specific operation on the products; and a robotic device associated with each unit and operable to sequentially obtain the products from a preceding unit, to transport the products to the work station of its associated unit and to transport the products from the associated work station to a position accessible to a robotic device of a succeeding unit.

Abstract: A dissolution testing system including a base; a plurality of vessels mounted on the base; an agitation mechanism for agitating a liquid content of the vessels; and a head supported above each of the vessels and operable to automatically inject a liquid media into the vessel.

Abstract: A processing system for processing a plurality of products, the system including a plurality of interchangeable units arranged to receive the products and each having a work station for effecting a specific operation, and a canopy covering said work station, the units being interconnected to form an enclosed chamber encompassing the work stations and covered by the interconnected canopies; an environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions within the chamber; and a transport system for transporting the products within the chamber and between the work stations.

Abstract: A processing system for processing a plurality of products, the system including a plurality of interchangeable units arranged to sequentially receive the products and each having a work station for effecting a specific operation on each of the products, the operation requiring a given time period; and wherein each work station accommodates simultaneously a predetermined number of the products, and the given time period and predetermined number associated with each unit are different than the given time periods and predetermined numbers of other said units. A transport system transports the products through the processing system so as to provide for each product a common occupancy time therein.

Abstract: A method of operating liquid chromatography apparatus. The method includes the steps of determining a given rate of liquid flow desired from a piston pump to the column; establishing for the piston a predetermined stroke length and rate of reciprocation for providing the given rate of liquid flow; determining for each cycle of the pump a desired liquid volume that would be delivered to the column by the pump if producing the given rate of liquid flow; ascertaining for each cycle of the pump the actual liquid volume delivered thereby to the column; determining for a predetermined operating period of the pump the total desired liquid volume that would have been delivered to the column by the pump if producing the given rate of liquid flow during each cycle of the predetermined operating period; and determining the total actual liquid volume delivered to said column by said pump during all cycles of said predetermined operating period.

Abstract: A mechanical coupling including a drive shaft reciprocable on an axis; an actuator shaft mounted for reciprocating rectilinear motion on the axis; and a coupling mechanism for transmitting reciprocating motion of the drive shaft to the actuator shaft; the coupling mechanism including a pivot joint allowing relative pivotal movement between the drive shaft and the actuator shaft, and a translational joint allowing relative translational movement between the drive shaft and the actuator shaft in directions transverse to the axis, the translational joint having a flexible link connecting the pivot joint and the drive shaft.

Abstract: A liquid chromatography system including a liquid pump having a pumping chamber, an inlet port, an outlet port, and a purge port, all communicating with the pumping chamber; a separation column; an outlet valve connected between the outlet port and the separation column and adapted to control liquid flow therebetween; a source of mobile phase; an inlet valve connected between the inlet port and the source and adapted to control liquid flow therebetween; and a purge valve connected to the purge port.

Abstract: A liquid chromatography system including a liquid pump having a pumping chamber, an inlet port, an outlet port, and a purge port, all communicating with the pumping chamber; a separation column; an outlet valve connected between the outlet port and the separation column and adapted to control liquid flow therebetween; a source of mobile phase; an inlet valve connected between the inlet port and the source and adapted to control liquid flow therebetween; and a purge valve connected to the purge port.

Abstract: An evaporation apparatus including a vessel defining an opening at the top thereof and forming an evaporation chamber to hold a liquid composition; a condenser assembly disposed above and hermetically sealed to the vessel and having a wall defining a condensation chamber communicating with the evaporation chamber through the opening, an accumulator for receiving liquid condensed on the wall, and a drain for removing liquid received by the accumulator; a fluid drive disposed above the condenser assembly and adapted to produce fluid flow downwardly through the condensation chamber and into contact with the liquid composition in the evaporation chamber and then upwardly into the condensation chamber; a heating mechanism for heating the liquid composition in the evaporation chamber so as to cause evaporation thereof; and a cooling means for cooling the wall so as to produce condensation thereon of vapor included in the fluid flowing upwardly from the evaporation chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in isolating solids from liquids by evaporating the liquid, including a vessel for receiving a composition of liquid and solid substances; a gas supply for supplying a drying gas; a gas line for directing the drying gas from the gas supply to the vessel; a liquid supply for supplying a solvent capable of dissolving the solid substance; and a liquid line for directing the solvent from the liquid supply to the vessel. Also included is a sensing means for sensing conditions of evaporation within the vessel and an automatic control system adapted to sequentially initiate a flow of drying gas to the vessel, initiate a flow of solvent to the vessel in response to sensing of a given evaporation condition by the sensing means, interrupt the flow of solvent to the vessel after a certain quantity of solvent has been received thereby, and interrupt the flow of drying gas to the vessel in response to sensing of a particular evaporation condition by the sensing means.

Abstract: A centrifuge apparatus including a rotor; a drive coupled to the rotor; an inner ring adapted to pivotally support an annular array of inner containers having open upper ends; an inner coupling coupled between the rotor and the inner ring so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced inward pivotal movement of the upper ends into the centrifuge positions; an outer ring adapted to pivotally support an annular array of outer containers having open upper ends and displaced outwardly from the inner array in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the rotor means; an outer coupling coupled between the rotor and the outer ring so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced inward pivotal movement of the upper ends of the outer containers into centrifuge positions; and an inner orientation mechanism for preventing movement of the upper ends of the inner containers into their centrifuge positions.

Abstract: An angular position measurement system including a rotatable mechanism, a potentiometer coupled to the rotatable mechanism and adapted to produce a first output signal indicative of the angular position thereof; a graduated element retaining a plurality of annularly distributed graduations representing different angular positions of the rotatable mechanism, and a detector for producing second output signals in response to alignment thereof with any of the graduations. Also included is a drive for producing relative movement between the graduated element and the detector in response to rotation of the rotatable mechanism so as to render the second output signal indicative of an angular position of the rotatable mechanism and a comparator for comparing the angular positions indicated by the first and second output signals.

Abstract: A robot system having various work stations and control means which allows recognition of the identity, position and geometry of a plurality of the work stations and assures movement of a robot manipulator among the work stations without its colliding with them even if new work stations are substituted for original work stations or if work stations of substantially different geometry are moved from one position to another. In a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, the control means of the robot system derives its operating and clearing procedures from information fed to it from intelligence, or code, that is specifically associated with each of the work stations. This arrangement allows rapid set up of a laboratory robot to perform any of a large number of combinations of events.

Abstract: Improved compound gripper device particularly useful with laboratory glassware and suitable for use with low or high gripping forces. When gripping forces are high, external gripper member is displaced into a resilient gripping pad which pad is of the type which provides the high-friction gripping force. On release of the gripping force, the external member is released and serves as a means to provide positive displacement of the object being held from the resilient, high-friction, gripping element.

Abstract: In a robotic system for efficient serialization of processing a number of samples by a robotic manipulator through an identical sequence of processing steps with a plurality of the samples being processed through the sequence at a given time, such that they must share the services of the manipulator, the improvement wherein a computer control means 92 operates a schedule-control feature which forms means both(a) to relate (1) the time within said sequence required to carry out all said steps which do not require the robotic manipulator (22) to (2) the time within said sequence which does require the robotic manipulator and the minimum number of processing spaces (305) for samples in non-robotic-manipulated time steps; and(b) to provide a priority of action for manipulator such that the sample which is both ready for further processing and most advanced in the sequence is given priority for further completion when said manipulator (22) is available for said further processing.

Abstract: An improved system for evaporating liquid to obtain solid residue where by small quantities of a solid are recovered from a first liquid medium and dissolved in another liquid medium. The invention comprises a receptacle for holding the liquid to be treated and structure which localizes entry of an evaporating, or carrier, gas along the wall of the receptacle as it moves downwardly and into contact with the material to be treated. Such localization of inlet gas also provides a relatively quiescent central zone in the receptacle through which exiting gas, carrying evaporated liquid, can be removed without disturbing the flow of inlet gas.

Abstract: Apparatus constructed such that it may control various other equipment for the performance of various work tasks, even other equipment yet to be designed for work tasks yet to be designed. The improvement in the apparatus feature a call-back control procedure which is activatable from device intelligence to ensure that a specific robotic device can be "called-back", i.e. reactivated, to perform some specific action without the necessity of there being a code entry in the sequence intelligence of the central computer system enabling the specific action. The apparatus comprises a central computer control means comprising (1) a dictionary storage means for tagging and storing command-specific parameters for a specific work tasks and that specific robot module to which each of the parameters belongs and (2) sequencing means to schedule said work-tasks for a plurality of said modules. The module also can be activated for the task without use of the sequencing means, e.g.

Abstract: A scoop for picking up particulate, granular, or penetrable solids. The scoop itself is a rugged one-piece construction that has a bucket member which is pushed into solids to be scooped in a normal "open" position. The scoop is constructed in the shape of a wedge to facilitate entry into the mass of solids and allows the force exerted on the scoop by the solids to assist in closing of the scoop.

Abstract: A compact robot of the 3-axis type comprising a base-mounted motor control system with means to sense the position of a robot arm through a servo-system comprising position-sensing potentiometers mounted in the motor control system and a feed-back control system to co-ordinate the vertical and horizontal movement of a robot arm.