Abstract: The invention relates to a system that consists of a plurality of sample plate carriers with resettable built-in memory devices and an information input/output station for the aforementioned memory devices. In the preferred embodiments, the aforementioned station comprises a storage cassette for the carrier, or an intermediate station through which the sample plate carrier is passed when it is handled by a robot arm. The cassette has an input/output port for selectively entering or extracting information into or from the memory unit. This information may relate to the specific sample plates or sample plate carriers that holds the memory element and may relate to positions of the carriers and events that occurred with the samples on the specific sample plates. Each sample plate carrier is provided with a locking mechanism for removably locking the sample plates in the carrier.

Abstract: Proposed is a high throughput system composed from individual computer-controlled sample-processing stations, each of which is assigned at least one instrument identifier (ID). Each sample array that has to be processed in the system is uniquely associated with a specific electronic memory that can be accessed by the sample array processing stations of the system. This memory may be located on memory chips built into or removably attached to sample plates that carry the samples to be analyzed, or in a location remote from the sample plates, e.g., in a CPU. The instrument ID specific records of executable commands that are stored in the memory comprise a set of commands for controlling processing of associated sample arrays on a station the type of which matches the ID. Each executable command for the station of a particular type has to be provided with a command definition record (CDR) that includes at least a command name and the processing station ID to which this command is addressed.

Abstract: A sample plate processing system of the invention in its simplest version consists of a sample deposition station with a data input/output unit and a sample processing station for processing and/or analyzing samples carried by the sample plates. The sample processing station is also equipped with data input/output unit. Both data input/output units interacts with an electronic memory permanently built into each sample plate for loading information into any sample plate which is processed by the stations for or for retrieving information from the aforementioned plate at any current moment of the process. The aforementioned information may contain records of the events history and the current status of the samples and the respective sample plates.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention consists of two module, one of which carries an sample plate handling device, which is docked to the mass spectrometer in a working position for loading ionized samples from the atmospheric pressure environment to the vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer, while the other one is used for picking up the sample plate carrier with preliminarily prepared and inserted sample plates into and from the storage cassette and for transferring the sample plates carriers to a stand-by position. The sample plate handling device is moveable between the aforementioned working position and the stand-by position and is provided with means for taking the stand-by sample plate from the carrier and for holding it during delivery of the ionized samples to the mass spectrometry, as well as with means for shifting the sample plate inside the sample plate handling device in the X-Y coordinate system for arranging a selected sample cell coaxially with the center of the ion-sampling orifice.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system that consists of a plurality of sample plate carriers with resettable built-in memory devices and an information input/output station for the aforementioned memory devices. In the preferred embodiments, the aforementioned station comprises a storage cassette for the carrier, or an intermediate station through which the sample plate carrier is passed when it is handled by a robot arm. The cassette has an input/output port for selectively entering or extracting information into or from the memory unit. This information may relate to the specific sample plates or sample plate carriers that holds the memory element and may relate to positions of the carriers and events that occurred with the samples on the specific sample plates. Each sample plate carrier is provided with a locking mechanism for removably locking the sample plates in the carrier.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention consists of two module, one of which carries an sample plate handling device, which is docked to the mass spectrometer in a working position for loading ionized samples from the atmospheric pressure environment to the vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer, while the other one is used for picking up the sample plate carrier with preliminarily prepared and inserted sample plates into and from the storage cassette and for transferring the sample plates carriers to a stand-by position. The sample plate handling device is moveable between the aforementioned working position and the stand-by position and is provided with means for taking the stand-by sample plate from the carrier and for holding it during delivery of the ionized samples to the mass spectrometry, as well as with means for shifting the sample plate inside the sample plate handling device in the X-Y coordinate system for arranging a selected sample cell coaxially with the center of the ion-sampling orifice.