Automatic Control Patents (Class 73/863.01)
  • Publication number: 20120111127
    Abstract: An autosampler is provided with a needle, a measuring pump which sucks and discharges liquid through the needle, a movement mechanism for the needle, and an injection port which has a needle sealing surface. A sample liquid is sucked into the needle and then the sample liquid discharged with the tip of the needle pressed to the needle sealing surface. When cleaning the needle sealing surface, a cleaning liquid in within the injection port is sucked and then the cleaning liquid is discharged and sucked into the injection port at a position at which the tip of the needle does not make contact with the needle sealing surface. Alternatively, after the cleaning liquid is discharged into the injection port, the needle may be caused to perform an up and down motion such that the tip of the needle contacts the needle sealing surface and then is lifted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Maeda, Kenichi Yasunaga, Takafumi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8168137
    Abstract: The pipette rack comprises a plate, a peripheral base and a peripheral skirt. The plate has a first surface and defines an array of tip receptacles extending therethrough in a first direction orthogonal to the first surface. The tip receptacles are contoured to provide a clearance fit at locations axially offset from one another along a part of a pipette tip. The base extends in the first direction from the plate to a distal end surface. The skirt extends in the first direction from the base, and is outwardly offset therefrom to expose the distal end surface of the base so that the distal end surface contacts the plate of a similar pipette rack when the pipette racks are stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William Ryan Powell, Ian Yates
  • Publication number: 20120048036
    Abstract: An automatic analysis apparatus that is capable of aligning the timing of sample dispensing and efficiently carrying out tests of a plurality of items. An intermediate disk (disk) is set so that an A-cycle for carrying out an operation for pretreatment and B-cycles for carrying out operations for dispensing a sample to a reaction disk and a flow analysis mechanism serving as test mechanisms are combined to use n-units of the B-cycles as a dispensing operation cycle time period of the sample. Therefore, the timing of sampling can be efficiently aligned so that the test of an item having a short analysis cycle can be carried out during the test of an item having a long analysis cycle, and so that the tests of an item having a large number of requests can be carried out during the test of the item having a small number of requests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomonori Mimura, Akihisa Makino, Sakuichiro Adachi
  • Patent number: 8119065
    Abstract: An active sampler for detecting contaminants in liquids comprises an inlet, an outlet and a sampling unit positioned such that the liquid flows along a path from the inlet, through the sampling unit, to the outlet. The sampling unit has a plurality of sampling chambers that are substantially fluidly sealed relative to one another, wherein one of the sampling chambers is selectively positioned in the flow path. The active sampler also comprises an actuator, which relatively moves the sampling unit and the inlet and outlet such that one sampling chamber is positioned out of the flow path while another of the sampling chambers is positioned in the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Enigma Science, LLC
    Inventors: William D. Bowers, Gregory F. Quinn
  • Publication number: 20120036944
    Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic analyzer, in which when a specimen that cannot be analyzed due to an abnormality or needs to be remeasured exists, the automatic analyzer can swiftly reload the specimen that cannot be analyzed due to the abnormality or needs to be remeasured without waiting for completion of a measurement of another specimen held by a rack holding the specimen that cannot be analyzed or needs to be remeasured. The automatic analyzer has means for storing information of a rack loaded in the analyzer and specimen information, displaying identification information of the rack loaded in the analyzer to a user, specifying a specimen that needs to be reanalyzed due to an abnormality or needs to be collected for a remeasurement, interrupting analysis of a specimen rack holding the specimen, and collecting the specimen rack. The automatic analyzer can collect and reload the specified specimen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Chida, Hirokazu Iwamatsu, Kano Shimizu, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Kiyotaka Umino
  • Publication number: 20120017669
    Abstract: A liquid gas vaporization and measurement system, and associated method, for efficiently vaporizing a continuous sample of liquid gas, such as liquid natural gas (LNG), and accurately determining the constituent components of the gas. A constant flow of liquid gas sampled from a mass storage device is maintained in a vaporizing device. Within the vaporizing device the liquid gas is flash vaporized within heated narrow tubing. The liquid gas is converted to vapor very quickly as it enters one or more independently operating vaporizer stages within the vaporizing device. The vapor gas is provided to a measuring instrument such as a chromatograph and the individual constituent components and the BTU value of the gas are determined to an accuracy of within +/?0.5 mole percent and 1 BTU, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: MUSTANG SAMPLING LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth O. Thompson, Walter F. Grehold
  • Publication number: 20120011943
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to improve response property and accuracy of temperature control of a liquid sample, and is provided with a vaporization tank that retains the liquid sample, one or more heaters that are provided in the vaporization tank and respectively have heating parts that come into contact with the liquid sample to heat the liquid sample, a temperature detection part that is provided in contact with an outer surface including the heating part of any of the heaters and detects a temperature of the outer surface, and a control part that receives a temperature detection signal from the temperature detection part to control electric power supplied to the heaters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Oba, Tadayuki Nagano
  • Publication number: 20110290040
    Abstract: A sample processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of sample processing units each configured to process a sample; at least one transport device configured to provide a transport path along which a rack is transported to or from one of the plurality of sample processing units, wherein a rack comprises a plurality of positions configured to hold containers thereat, and at least some of the positions are correlated to at least some of the sample processing units; a controller comprising at least one processor and at least one memory that stores computer programs executed by the at least one processor to: direct the at least one transport device to transport the rack to deliver a container held therein to a sample processing unit correlated to a position of the container at which the container is held in the rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroo Tatsutani, Nobuyoshi Yamakawa, Nobuhiro Kitagawa, Tomoyuki Asahara
  • Publication number: 20110290996
    Abstract: The present invention provides a pump device 50 which is usable to dilute a sample 52 before analysis. A first pump 54 pumps the sample to a mixing region 58 where it mixes with a diluent 66. A second pump 64 pumps the diluted sample to the analysis instrument. The flow of the diluent to the mixer is equal to the difference of the flow of the sample to the mixer and the flow of the diluted sample to the instrument. Pumps 54 and 64 are independently controllable by a controller unit which is arranged so that data from the instrument can be used to determine the dilution factor of the sample. Thus, the controller can control this dilution factor in real time, upon receipt of such data from the instrument, by change either one of (or both) the pump's flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: Thermo Electron Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Neil Shaw, Philip Marriott
  • Publication number: 20110271773
    Abstract: A rack buffer unit 8 serving as a sample-container switching unit is provided between a rack conveying module 4 and a rack conveying module 5 which convey racks 2 on which the sample containers 1 are mounted, and an urgent-sample loading module 7 installing a rack 2 on which a sample container 1 storing a sample desired to be preferentially analyzed is mounted is provided. The rack 2 which is in the process of sample dispensing and the rack 2 desired to be preferentially analyzed are switched from each other by the rack buffer unit 8, and the sample container 1 mounted on the rack 2 desired to be preferentially analyzed is moved to a sample dispensing position in a short period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidenobu Komatsu, Katsuhiro Kambara, Tetsuji Kawahara, Kentaro Wada
  • Patent number: 8028592
    Abstract: An electronic metering apparatus for metering liquids, with a longitudinal, handleable housing, a drive, arranged in the housing, with an electric motor, at least one displacer device, arranged in the housing or being capable to be arranged on the same, with a displacer element, which is connected to the drive and/or connectable to the same, at least one holding device on the bottom end of the housing for holding a pipette point or a syringe, at least one electric operational control in or on the housing, at least one electric information device in or on the housing, an electric control unit arranged in the housing, which is connected to the electric motor, the electric operational control and the electric information device, and which controls the information device depending on the position and/or previous changes of the position of the displacer element, in order to put out an information concerning the next reasonable dislocation of the displacer element, and an electric power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Peter Molitor, Karl-Friedrich Andres, Peter Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8007723
    Abstract: A liquid transporting device capable of transporting a liquid, such as dispensing or distributing a liquid, to microplates in number larger than a value mountable on a table. The liquid transporting device comprises a table on an upper surface of which a storing member and a discharge receiving member are detachably mounted, sucking/discharger means, a control unit for transporting a liquid in accordance with a previously incorporate program while relatively moving the sucking/discharger means and the table, an input device, and an alarm signal notifier. The control unit has a function of determining whether ID information of the storing member and/or the discharge receiving member, which is a work target of the previously incorporate program, is identical to ID information of the storing member and/or the discharge receiving member mounted on the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Musashi Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazumasa Ikushima
  • Patent number: 7995216
    Abstract: A system and method utilizes an image analysis approach for controlling the collection instrument-to-surface distance in a sampling system for use, for example, with mass spectrometric detection. Such an approach involves the capturing of an image of the collection instrument or the shadow thereof cast across the surface and the utilization of line average brightness (LAB) techniques to determine the actual distance between the collection instrument and the surface. The actual distance is subsequently compared to a target distance for re-optimization, as necessary, of the collection instrument-to-surface during an automated surface sampling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Gary J. Van Berkel, Vilmos Kertesz
  • Patent number: 7981384
    Abstract: Liquid aspirators are described that include an aspirating pipette; a drive source for descending the aspirating pipette; and a controller for controlling the drive source; the aspirating pipette being stopped from being descended by loss of synchronism of the drive source caused by upward force to be exerted on the aspirating pipette. Analyzers are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Nagai, Noriyoshi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20110167930
    Abstract: A sample processing system that may be automated and methods are disclosed where samples are arranged on a carrier element and a process operation control system automatically processes the samples perhaps robotically with an operationally-influential exteriorly-consequential information monitor or a data capture element. Significant process details as well as operationally-influential exteriorly-consequential information may be monitored and an automatic notice element may cause notification of a person at some display that may be remote. Various people may be notified, such as an administrator, a supplier, or a manufacturer of an opportunity for some action such as reagent reordering or the like. A simulated motion display may be included to “watch” simulated operation in real time or long after completion of the actual processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Gordon Feingold, Marc Key, Rosanne Welchert, John Favuzzi
  • Patent number: 7958791
    Abstract: A method for operating a cryostorage device (100), especially for biological samples, is described which comprises a sample carrier (10) to receive at least one sample (11) and a data storage (20), wherein data are inductively transmitted from the data storage device (20) into a wireless transmission channel (40) and/or conversely using a resonant circuit (30) connected to the data storage device (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forshung e.V.
    Inventors: Heiko Zimmermann, Günter R. Fuhr, Rolf Hagedorn
  • Publication number: 20110113899
    Abstract: A transport device includes a first segment fixedly coupled to a wall. The transport device also includes at least one second segment coupled to the first segment. The at least one second segment includes at least one of a fluid-driven device, a rack and pinion drive device, and a carriage. The transport device further includes an automated position control system. The control system includes at least one axial positioning device coupled to the at least one second segment. The control system also includes at least one axial position feedback device coupled to at least one of the first segment and the at least one second segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Steven E. Dahler, Peter Alan Gregg, Christopher R. Banares
  • Publication number: 20110100103
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for diluting a sample, comprising an end-piece for dispensing a liquid diluent, means, having an upright extending upwards from the base, for supporting and moving the end-piece relative to the container support between a first position in which the outlet of the end-piece lies above the opening of the container, to allow the diluent to be fed into the container, and a second position in which the outlet is further away from the container. According to the disclosure, the second position of the outlet is to the side of the first, the upright is fixed to the base, and the upright has a cover at the upper end thereof for supporting the end-piece, the cover being rotatable on the upright between the positions, a rotary drive motor for rotating the cover between the positions being housed on the inside of the cover and/or of the upright.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: AES CHEMUNEX
    Inventor: Stéphane Seznec
  • Patent number: 7917313
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for monitoring a fluid transfer process, including the steps: providing an allowable pressure profile; detecting a pressure occurring in the course of the fluid transfer process; comparing detected pressure with the allowable pressure profile and signaling an error, if the detected pressure is not within the allowable pressure profile. The allowable pressure profile is defined by interpolation points, the interpolation points being based on a probability function representing a family of pressure courses of a plurality of fluid transfer processes. The allowable pressure profile can be divided into at least two distinct process sections, each section corresponding to a distinct process phase of the fluid transfer process. The probability function is calculated from a family of test pressure curves and reflects the statistical behavior of the pipette system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Guenter Ziegler, Peter Wenzig
  • Patent number: 7893368
    Abstract: A weight measurement device is configured and arranged to measure the weight of a measurement object. The weight measurement device includes a container and a wind-guard cover. The container is configured and arranged to receive the measurement object therein. The wind-guard cover is configured and arranged to selectively cover an upper space of the container. The wind-guard cover has a transverse air-blocking part configured and arranged to block an air flow flowing in a transverse direction with respect to the container. The container also is equipped with an air control device that injects temperature-adjusted air into a chamber that accommodates the container and the wind-guard cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoshi Yamamoto, Kenji Kojima
  • Patent number: 7891235
    Abstract: The method is for monitoring water quality in a water system. A water pipe is provided for conveying water therein. A particle sensor is in operative engagement with the water pipe. The particle sensor continuously counts particles in the water of the water pipe. The particle sensor triggers the taking of a water sample only when the particle count reaches a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Predect AB
    Inventor: Sudhir Chowdhury
  • Publication number: 20110004418
    Abstract: Systems and devices for collecting time and space resolved air samples are disclosed. In some embodiments, the systems and devices include the following: a housing including an air inlet; a pump positioned to draw air from outside the sampler and into the housing; electronically controllable valves positioned within the housing for receiving air from the pump; air sampling filters for receiving air from the valves; a printed circuit board including a microcomputer, a global positioning satellite tracking device, and programmable memory, the microcomputer being configured to control the valves to allow air to flow to particular air sampling filters to collect an air sample, the microcomputer being configured to record time data and positioning data from the global positioning satellite tracking device simultaneous to collecting the air sample, the data being stored in the programmable memory; and a power source to provide power for the sampler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventors: Steven N. Chillrud, James P. Cowin, Martin J. Iedema, Beizhan Yan, Thomas A. Seim
  • Publication number: 20100300217
    Abstract: A specimen processing device is disclosed that comprises: a processing unit configured to aspirate a specimen from a specimen container accommodating the specimen, and to process the aspirated specimen; a state transition section configured to make the processing unit undergo transition to a pause state; an instruction accepting section configured to accept an instruction to start processing of the specimen when the processing unit is in the pause state; and a pause state releasing section configured to release the processing unit from the pause state to make the processing unit perform the processing of specimen when the instruction to start the processing is accepted by the instruction accepting section. A specimen processing method using a specimen processing device is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventor: Toru Mizumoto
  • Publication number: 20100294046
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for storage, retrieval and sampling of materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Jef D. Boeke, Min Li, Heng Zhu, Shunyou Long
  • Publication number: 20100288056
    Abstract: A structure for holding sample-containing receptacles includes a cover with holes formed therein through which the receptacles can be accessed with a substance transfer mechanism, such as a robotic pipettor. When the transfer mechanism is inserted into and then withdrawn from a receptacle, a string of viscous material may be suspended from the mechanism. A viscous string removal element adjacent each opening engages the string of viscous material and dislodges the string from the mechanism when the mechanism moves in a prescribed path with respect to the removal element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Craig Clark, John M. Gilker, Norbert D. Hagen, Tom R. Horn
  • Patent number: 7820015
    Abstract: A device for recording the boiling curve of liquids, in particular petroleum products, made of a distillation apparatus which includes a distillation column and a condenser, a sample dish connected to the distillation apparatus and a pump connected to the sample dish to fill the sample dish, wherein the filling means and the condenser are made of well heat-conducting material and the filling means and the condenser are connected to a temperature controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Grabner Instruments Messtechnik Nfg. Gesellschaft m.b.H. & Co. KG.
    Inventors: Matthias Burian, Roland Aschauer
  • Patent number: 7819030
    Abstract: A hybrid manual-electronic pipette combines a manually driven piston with real-time electronic measurement of liquid volume and piston displacement while compensating for both pipette-specific and pipette model-specific variations. The hybrid nature of the pipette facilitates increased accuracy and improved ease of use, and enables additional functionalities not practicable with traditional manual pipettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Rainin Instrument, LLC
    Inventors: Haakon T. Magnussen, James S. Petrek, William D. Homberg
  • Publication number: 20100263458
    Abstract: A fluid detection device features a collection container having an inlet port for coupling to a fluid line of the fluid source and an outlet port for coupling to a corresponding fluid line of the pump; and a circuit board containing a water detection sensor configured to respond to the presence of fluid in the collection container and provide a water detection sensor signal for activating or deactivating the pump for pumping the fluid from the collection container. The fluid detection device may take the form of an inline field effect fluid detection device that includes the collection container having at least one inlet port, at least one outlet port, a mesh filter and the circuit board containing the at least one water detection sensor to measure the presence of the fluid, e.g. water, and the circuit technology (e.g. field effect sensing) to activate the pump. At least two wires would exit the device that will connect to the power source and the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: ITT MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael Howard IRVING
  • Patent number: 7808393
    Abstract: In order to enable supply of a sampling air to a smoke detection portion at a stable flow velocity, the present invention provides a smoke detector including: a black box (21) including a smoke detection portion (25) having an inflow port and an outflow port; a sampling pipe (30) laid in a monitor space; a gas flow pipe (P) connected to the sampling pipe and which houses a fan (3) therein; a flow path branching portion (33) provided to the gas flow pipe on a secondary side of the fan and connected to the inflow port of the smoke detection portion; and a flow path merging portion (32) which is provided to the gas flow pipe on the secondary side of the fan and connected to the outflow port of the smoke detection portion, and at which a pressure of a fluid flowing through the gas flow pipe is lower than a fluid flowing through the gas flow pipe at the flow path branching portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Nohmi Bosai Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yokota
  • Patent number: 7776271
    Abstract: A clinical specimen processing apparatus that includes: a preparation device that is configured to conduct operations to perform predetermined processing of clinical specimen; a controller in communication with the preparation device, wherein the controller is configured to detect an operating condition of the preparation device which performs the predetermined processing; a central processing unit that is configured to: 1) compare a detection value detected by the controller to a first threshold value and a second threshold value; and 2) determine whether or not the preparation device is in any one of three condition stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Nakaya, Hideyuki Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20100180698
    Abstract: Device for taking samples of liquid from a collection container, characterised in that it comprises a support for liquid sample collection containers; a support for a set of containers into which the sample of liquid will be deposited; a support for connection elements; a container handling mechanism; and a device for inserting the containers into which the sample of liquid will be deposited into the connection element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: GRIFOLS, S.A.
    Inventors: Diego Lopez Alvarez, Sergi Roura Adell, Francisco Rodriguez Garcia, Oriol Causi Casamor, Shinji Wada
  • Patent number: 7737416
    Abstract: There is provided a mini environment type transfer unit which can efficiently transfer a sample to a critical dimension scanning electron microscope (CD-SEM) even in the case of use of a SMIF pod which can store only one photomask. In addition to a load port, a stocker which can store a plurality of photomasks is provided in the mini environment type transfer unit. A mask storage slot in which a plurality of storage units are stacked is provided in the stocker, and one photomask is stored in each storage unit. A sensor is provided in each storage unit to determine whether or not the photomask is normally stored. Additionally, a sensor is provided in each storage unit to detect whether or not the photomask exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Gunji, Hidetoshi Sato, Katsuya Kawakami, Hideki Yatabe
  • Publication number: 20100132484
    Abstract: A method and system for automatically processing of liquid samples involving mixing of the samples with fluids are disclosed. The system includes a storing and handling device for storing and handling of fluid containers, which includes: a storing member provided with a plurality of storing positions, adapted for accommodating the fluid containers, the storing member having at least two storing levels, each of which extending in a plane, which are being stacked in a direction orthogonally aligned to the plane; and a handler, adapted for automatically transferring the fluid containers at least with respect to the storing positions. A method for operating such storing and handling device is also disclosed, wherein individual fluid containers are transferred between storing positions of a same or different storing levels in accordance with processing of the liquid samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Gottlieb Schacher, Rolf Sigrist
  • Patent number: 7726210
    Abstract: There is provided a device and a method capable of simply manipulating a sample, without the need for an expensive device. A device of the present invention comprises a pipette 4, and vibration section 5, a control section 7 and a storage section 8. At least part of the pipette 4 will be disposed within a liquid 2. The control section 5 causes the pipette 4 to vibrate. The control section 7 supplies vibration signals to the vibration section 5. The storage section 8 stores parameters for generating vibration signals. These parameters include information for generating a first vibrating wave causing a wave motion for drawing a particular sample 3 being within a specified distance from a tip of the pipette 4 to occur within a liquid 2, and information for generating a second vibrating wave causing a wave motion for rotating the drawn in sample 3 to occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: The University of Electro-Communications
    Inventors: Ohmi Fuchiwaki, Naoto Chiba, Hisayuki Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7709267
    Abstract: A system and method for extracting headspace vapor is generally disclosed comprising pressurizing a vessel containing headspace vapor with a carrier gas and subsequently venting the sample mixture through an adsorbent trap and out a vent. A flow controller is employed to gradually increase the flow therethrough as the pressure drops as a result of the gradual depletion of headspace vapor in the vessel and, in certain embodiments, the flow controller maintains a constant flow rate. Due to the time saved, in some embodiments, multiple pressurization-venting cycles are implemented to maximize the amount of vapor extracted from the vial. Due to the constant flow rate, in certain embodiments, the pressure decay is monitored and compared to reference values in order to determine whether the sample vessel has a leak or other defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: PerkinElmer LAS, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Tipler, Christopher Mazza
  • Publication number: 20100089179
    Abstract: There is provided an automatic sequential sampler for roof-top runoff of rainwater, which comprises: a sensing part, a controlling part and a sampling part, and more particularly, which takes samples of rainwater, at regular intervals, by sensing whether it rains and controlling the rotation and stop of a sample bottle shelf in the sampling part, using a timer and a counter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Bong Joo Lee, Yong Cheol Kim, Sang Ho Moon, Ki Hwa Park, Byoung Woo Yum
  • Publication number: 20100077873
    Abstract: Gas is supplied from positive pressure (105 Pa or more) to an analyzer of high vacuum (10?2 Pa or less) precisely and stably, while keeping conditions constant and replicating the conditions, and performing switching to a desired gas within a short time. According to a gas introducing device and a method, a plurality of types of gases are synthesized in a mixing chamber, the synthesized gas is introduced and is decompressed by a decompression pump to a pressure ranging from 0.1 Pa to 0.1 MPa, and the decompressed gas is introduced to a gas analyzer through a switching operation using a gas switching valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Keisuke Kishita, Hisashi Sakai
  • Patent number: 7687028
    Abstract: A sequential, time-integrated collector having an electronic controller that actuates either of two electrically-actuated valves, each connected to a water reservoir. At a preset time interval (e.g., every 30 minutes), time-integrated water samples are transferred into sample vials in a multi-sample carousel. Evaporation that could change the isotopic composition of a precipitation sample is minimized by sealing the opening of each sample vial by pressing each vial against a flat, low-friction surface, such as a Teflon® sheet, from the time each sample vial is filled until it is removed from the collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventor: Tyler Benjamin Coplen, II
  • Publication number: 20100031757
    Abstract: A sample handling device (100) for handling a sample, the sample handling device (100) comprising a base part (101), a cover part (102), a first force generating unit (104, 105) adapted to generate an attracting force promoting attraction between the base part (101) and the cover part (102), a second force generating unit (108, 142) adapted to generate a counterforce having at least a component being oriented opposite to the attracting force to promote a motion of the base part (101) and the cover part (102) relative to each other, and a control unit (103) adapted for controlling the second force generating unit (108, 142) for moving the base part (101) and the cover part (102) relative to each other for influencing a sample space (130) between the base part (101) and the cover part (102) for accommodating the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: QUANTIFOIL INSTRUMENTS GMBH
    Inventor: Olaf Hoyer
  • Publication number: 20100018329
    Abstract: The invention pertains to an arrangement and a method for the automatic sampling in a storage tank system (1) interconnected to a pipe system (4) for supplying cleaning fluids, particularly in processing systems that are subject to high microbiological quality requirements in the food and beverage industry, particularly in breweries, with a storage tank system (1) that consists of several tanks and a sampling device (5) that is respectively associated with all tanks via permanent pipework. The invention ensures that the entire sampling system including all valves integrated therein can be cleaned and sterilized in a flow-through fashion regardless of the respective content of the tanks. Furthermore, the sampling should take place without a loss of the fluid to be sampled. This is procedurally achieved in that a volume flow Q(P) of the fluid (P) to be sampled is diverted from a selected tank (1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Leo Grziwotz, Uwe Sobottka, Arno Peter
  • Patent number: 7647190
    Abstract: An analyzing system, comprising: a sample processor for processing a sample based on a designated dilution parameter; a measurement section for measuring the sample processed by the sample processor; a dilution parameter memory for storing a first dilution parameter and a second dilution parameter which is different from the first dilution parameter and can be supplied by a user of the analyzing system; and a measurement controller for controlling the sample processor and the measurement section so as to process the sample based on the first dilution parameter and obtain a measurement value by measuring the processed sample; wherein, when a comparison of the measurement value and a predetermined threshold indicates a retest, the second dilution parameter is used for the retest, is disclosed. A diagnostic processing device and computer program product thereof are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Uemura, Kenichi Takahashi, Yasutaka Arino, Akinobu Seko, Yuji Takano
  • Publication number: 20100000339
    Abstract: An exhaust sampling system includes a pre-fill gas source having a pre-fill gas. A sampling conduit is configured to collect exhaust gas and make-up gas. A sample bag is fluidly connected to the sampling conduit and the pre-fill gas source. A controller is programmed to run a test procedure in which a sample of exhaust gas and make-up gas is collected in the sample bag. The controller sends a command that fills the sample bag with pre-fill gas prior to the test procedure. The pre-fill gas remains in the sample bag during the test procedure. In one example, the amount of pre-fill gas is selected to prevent the sample from condensing in the sample bag during the test procedure. In another example, the amount of pre-fill gas is selected to provide a sufficient volume of gases for analysis during the test procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: William Martin Silvis, James Williamson
  • Publication number: 20100000338
    Abstract: A system and method utilizes distance-measuring equipment including a laser sensor for controlling the collection instrument-to-surface distance during a sample collection process for use, for example, with mass spectrometric detection. The laser sensor is arranged in a fixed positional relationship with the collection instrument, and a signal is generated by way of the laser sensor which corresponds to the actual distance between the laser sensor and the surface. The actual distance between the laser sensor and the surface is compared to a target distance between the laser sensor and the surface when the collection instrument is arranged at a desired distance from the surface for sample collecting purposes, and adjustments are made, if necessary, so that the actual distance approaches the target distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Gary J. Van Berkel, Vilmos Kertesz
  • Patent number: 7641628
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a gas-supersaturated fluid and delivering the fluid at high delivery pressures to thereby prevent bubble nucleation is disclosed. The system comprises a housing for containing a removable fluid assembly for housing a fluid to be gas-supersaturated and a drive assembly for delivering the fluid to a delivery site. The housing assembly comprises a cylinder and a piston which may be advanced along the inner surface of the cylinder to pressurize and to deliver the fluid. To generate a gas-supersaturated fluid, the housing assembly is removed from the system housing, filled with a fluid, and gas is introduced at or slightly above the desired gas partial pressure into the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: TherOx, Inc.
    Inventors: Adib G. Daoud, James M. Gessert
  • Patent number: 7634367
    Abstract: A method for improving the accuracy or precision of a metered fluid includes: estimating a fluidic property of the fluid being metered; and adjusting one or more control parameters based on the estimated property to improve the accuracy or precision of a metered fluid. Preferably, the estimating the property of the fluid being metered includes: monitoring a physical event during the metering operation to collect sensed data; extracting features from the sensed data; and using the features to estimate fluid properties. In another preferred embodiment, the estimated fluidic property is viscosity and the sensed data is a pressure profile during a fluid aspiration. In another preferred embodiment, the method includes a diagnostic analyzer which includes a metering probe having a hard probe or a probe having a disposable tip and wherein the fluid is a body fluid sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Ortho-clinical Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhong Ding, Mark Sawczuk, Scott Stearns
  • Publication number: 20090293644
    Abstract: The apparatus comprises a single transportable structure provided with several separate compartments located in a vertical stack within a cabinet, with means for the vertical transport of gel cards, means for the transport of units for moving the cards and pipetting probes, being displaceable to the entire transverse cross-section of the compartments in at least two of the vertical compartments or floors through moving along coordinate axes X, Y, Z at right-angles, and control means so that automatic functioning can take place simultaneously with manual actions to load and unload the necessary materials (samples, reagents, cards, wash solutions and waste solutions) in a random manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: GRIFOLS, S.A.
    Inventor: Marc PELLICER SANCHO
  • Publication number: 20090293643
    Abstract: The pipette rack comprises a plate, a peripheral base and a peripheral skirt. The plate has a first surface and defines an array of tip receptacles extending therethrough in a first direction orthogonal to the first surface. The tip receptacles are contoured to provide a clearance fit at locations axially offset from one another along a part of a pipette tip. The base extends in the first direction from the plate to a distal end surface. The skirt extends in the first direction from the base, and is outwardly offset therefrom to expose the distal end surface of the base so that the distal end surface contacts the plate of a similar pipette rack when the pipette racks are stacked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: William Ryan Powell, Ian Yates
  • Patent number: 7618586
    Abstract: An automatic analyzer for performing qualitative and quantitative analyses of living samples, such as blood and urine, which effectively utilizes the sample and enables requested tests to be performed as many as possible, when sample deficiency is predicted as a result of measuring a sample volume in advance. The analyzer includes a unit for measuring a sample volume, and has a function of, when sample deficiency is predicted, automatically changing an analysis mode to a decrease sample assay for a part of tests, thereby reducing a sample volume required depending on the measured sample volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Saito, Kazuhiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7588725
    Abstract: An auto-injection system provides high throughput screening of fluidic samples. A sample injection valve has a first position which applies a reduced pressure to a sample sipper tube for aspirating a fluidic sample into the sample sipper tube, and a second position which delivers the fluidic sample to a sample supply loop. A column control valve has a first position which delivers the fluidic sample from the sample supply loop to a sample chromatography column, and a second position which reverses direction of fluid flow through the sample chromatography column to deliver the fluidic sample to a sample analyzer. A wash control valve has a first position which supplies a wash buffer solution to the sample chromatography column in a forward fluid flow direction, and a second position which supplies elution solvent to flush the sample supply loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: BioTrove, Inc.
    Inventors: Can Ozbal, Donald Green
  • Publication number: 20090223308
    Abstract: An analyzer comprising: a first measurement unit; a second measurement unit; a transportation device for transporting samples to at least one measurement unit selected from the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit; and a transportation controller for determining whether or not a sample is transportable to the selected one measurement unit on the basis of at least one of a state notification of the first measurement unit and a state notification of the second measurement unit, wherein the transportation controller controls the transportation device to perform a sample transportation operation of transporting the sample to the selected one measurement unit when the sample is transportable to the selected one measurement unit, and to perform the other transportation operation than the sample transportation operation when the sample is not transportable to the selected one measurement unit, is disclosed. Sample transportation method and a computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventor: Daigo Fukuma