FR2536539A1 - CHEMICAL MANIPULATOR - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. A CHEMICAL MANIPULATOR INCLUDES IN PARTICULAR A TURNTABLE4 CARRYING REACTION CONTAINERS 3, A MOBILE PLATE16 IN ROTATION AND VERTICALLY TRANSLATION, WHICH SUPPORTS A BATH AT CONSTANT TEMPERATURE14 AND A MIXER 15, AND AN AUTOMATIC TRANSPORT DEVICE35 BETWEEN THE TRANSPORTABLE ECHAN. ROTATING PLATE AND DIFFERENT BATHS AT CONSTANT TEMPERATURE32, 33, 34. THE MANIPULATOR WORKS FULLY AUTOMATICALLY UNDER THE DEPENDENCE OF A SEQUENCE CONTROLLER26. APPLICATION TO THE ANALYSIS OF LOTS OF SAMPLES.

Description

The present invention relates to a manipulator

  chemical, and it is more particularly concerned with a

  Advanced filter for the analysis of liquids in quantity

  microliter, and for the automation of the

  cessation of analysis. The typical analysis process for liquids in microliter quantities is very complex and much of the process is done manually by

an operator.

  The object of the invention is to provide an effective method for eliminating the aforementioned drawbacks. The apparatus of the invention comprises a centrifugal separator with a turntable which comprises reaction receipts and which is fixed to a pivot, a device which comprises a sample introduction nozzle and a suction nozzle for drying, and which makes it possible to move the nozzles in the vertical direction, a device which comprises a bath with

  constant temperature and a mixer and that can be moved

  in the vertical direction so as to move vertically

  the constant temperature bath and the mixer, a

  positive automatic transport for the reaction vessels

  tion, and another constant temperature bath placed at a position different from that of the aforesaid bath, whereby the reaction vessels can be moved between the

  turntable and a constant temperature bath.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the

  following description of a preferred embodiment

  chemical manipulator of the invention, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

  Figure 1 is a general block diagram of

  trant the chemical manipulator of the invention; and Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the

main part of the manipulator.

  In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a centrifugal separator, and a turntable 4 which carries at its peripheral part a number of reaction vessels 3 is rotatably mounted on a drive shaft 2 of the centrifugal separator 1. of a detection disc 5 mounted in the vicinity of the approximately central portion of the drive shaft 2 is arranged to penetrate into a detection sensor of

  position in rotation, 6, having a shape in 3 This configuration

  guration makes it possible to detect the rotational position of the

turntable 4.

  Above the centrifugal separator 1 is a nozzle raising / lowering device 10, which has a

  support plate 9 carrying a sample introduction nozzle

  7 and a drying suction nozzle 8 A shaft 11 which is integrally formed with the support plate 9 is slidably mounted in a support cylinder 12 and is designed to move vertically in the direction of the arrow A under the effect of the operation of a

electromagnet plunger 13.

  Further, below the centrifugal separator 1 is a device 17 for vertically moving a constant temperature bath 14 and a mixer 15 which are placed in a peripheral portion of a support plate 16 A shaft 18 formed of a alone with the support plate 16 is mounted in a support cylinder 20 which includes an electromagnet plunger 19 so that it can be moved up and down in the

  direction of arrow B In addition, it is possible to move

  wedge the support plate 16 in the direction of the arrow

  By actuating the solenoid plunger 19, the axes of the drive shafts 2 and 18 are coaxially placed. Constant temperature baths 32, 33, 34 and an automatic transport device 35 for the reaction vessels are placed adjacent to the separator

  centrifugal 1 The automatic transport device 35 com-

  takes a manipulator 36 to take the reaction vessels 3, an electromagnet plunger 37 for opening / closing the manipulator 36 in the direction of the arrow C, a displacement device 39 for moving in the direction of the arrow An axle 38 mounted on the solenoid plunger 37 so as to be secured thereto, a rotational driving device 40 for rotating the displacement device 39 in the direction of the arrow E and a device ascending / descending drive, 44, wherein a shaft 42 for supporting

  the displacement device 39 and the trapping device

  40 is placed in a support cylinder 41 comprising an electromagnet plunger 43, so as to

  to be able to move up and down, like the

  The device 44 can vertically move the devices 39 and 40 under the effect of the actuation of the

electromagnet plunger 43-.

  The sample provided by an introductory device

  sample 21 is ejected by the nozzle 7 in a quanti-

  microliter order, and the drying suction nozzle 8 is connected to a condenser 23 itself connected to a cooling device 22, and the outlet of the condenser 23

  is placed in communication with a vacuum pump 24.

  On the other hand, the constant temperature baths 32, 33, 34 are placed adjacent the centrifugal separator 1 and the automatic conveying device 35, and each bath is regulated at a temperature different from the others. These baths are connected to a device temperature control 25, as the bath at constant temperature 14,

  in order to be maintained at respective temperatures

  The output control signal of a sequence controller 26 is applied to the vacuum pump 24 at a

  rotational drive motor of the centrifugal separator

  1, to the solenoid plunger 1-9 of the device 17 for vertically moving the constant temperature bath and the mixer, to the sample introduction device 21, to the solenoid plunger 13 of the device 10 for moving the nozzles vertically, to the solenoid plunger 43 of the up / down driving device, which is mounted on the automatic transport device 35, -au

  rotational driving motor 40a of the driving device

  rotation 40, to a drive motor 39 has

  positive displacement 39, and the electromagnet plunger

  37 of the manipulator 36, to control these ele-

ments.

  We will now describe the operation of the

  chemical pulverizer of the invention having the structure

  above The sample introduced by the introduction device

  Sample ducting 21 is poured into the reaction vessel.

  3, in an amount of the order of one microliter, when the electromagnet plunger 13 actuates the support plate 9 so as to lower it, the introduction nozzle

  sample 7 then coming into position adjacent to the recipe

pient of reaction 3.

  In addition, to pour the sample into another reaction vessel 3 on the turntable 4-, the signal

  control from the sequence controller 26 turns

  at a predetermined angle the rotational drive motor

  1a, to bring the desired reaction vessel 3 to the position corresponding to the sample introduction nozzle.

  7 When the solenoid plunger 13 is actuated again,

  under these conditions, it lowers the support plate 9 and the sample in a microliter amount is poured into the reaction vessel 3 by the sample introduction nozzle 7, identical way

to that indicated above.

  To extract the water present in the reaction vessel 3, it is possible to actuate the rotary drive motor 1a to rotate the rotary table 4 and to

  place the reaction vessel 3 in the position corresponding to

  to the drying suction nozzle 8, after which it is possible to actuate the electromagnet plunger This has the effect of

  lowering the support plate 9 and fixing the

  The liquid contained in the reaction vessel 3 after the centrifugal separation is then sucked by means of the vacuum pump 24 and the condenser 23. At the same time, the undesired liquid is dispersed. because of the air entering through an air filter 8a and an air introduction pipe 8b, as shown in Figure 2, and is sucked in a short

  duration by drying suction nozzle 8.

  To quickly heat up or cool the sample in the reaction vessel 3, the

  support plate 16 by actuating the electronic plunger

  magnet 19 This has the effect of raising the temperature bath

  14, and to introduce the reaction vessel

  In this bath, therefore, the temperature of the container

  of reaction 3 becomes, after a certain period of time, the temperature

  previously fixed bath at constant temperature 14.

  To bring the reaction vessel into one of the constant temperature baths 32, 33, 34, 14, or to move it voluntarily between them by means of the

  automatic transport 35, the driving device is actuated

  ascending / descending 44, the mobility device

  39 and the rotational driving device 40, so as to bring the manipulator 36 in the position in

  which the reaction vessel 3 can be grasped.

  The pulper 36 is then actuated to seize the recess

  reaction 3, by the maneuver of the electronic plunger

  The repetition of a similar operation brings the reaction vessels into the desired constant temperature baths. This embodiment makes it possible to easily, precisely and automatically perform the centrifugal separation,

  introduction of samples, desiccation, exchange

  temperature, a mixture, etc., in the reaction vessel 3, without manual operations, by the use of the

  sequence controller, which shortens the operating time

  difficult conditions that were carried out by many

  In particular, this embodiment has a significant advantage in that it makes it possible to treat a

  batch of samples by automatically transporting the

  reaction vessels 3 of the centrifugal separator 1 to the baths at constant temperature 32, 33 or 34, by the use

  of the automatic transport device 35.

  It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the device described and shown,

  without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (1)

CLAIM   Chemical manipulator characterized in that it comprises a centrifugal separator having a turntable on which are mounted a number of reaction vessels; detection means for detecting the rotational position of the turntable; a device   constant temperature bath movement and mixing   which has a bath (A) and a mixer and is   below the centrifugal separator, so that it can be moved on the axis which supports it; a nozzle support device located in a position above the centrifugal separator, said nozzle support device having a sample introduction nozzle and a drying suction nozzle; a constant temperature bath   (B) placed at a position different from that of the temperature bath.   constant temperature (A); an automatic transport device   intended to transport the reaction vessels to the   constant temperature bath (B); and a sequencing controller   this is intended to control the sample introduction nozzle, the drying suction nozzle, the centrifugal separator, the constant temperature baths (A), (B), the   bath displacement at constant temperature (A) and mixing   geur and the automatic transport device; and this   chemical pulverizer is designed to move automatically   the reaction vessels between the constant temperature bath (B) and the turntable, by means of the sequence controller and the automatic transport device, for the purpose of treating (for example cooling or heating) the   reaction vessels, or to perform a process of analysis   lysis for a certain period such as a maintenance period.