Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
  • B01D21/26—Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force or centripetal force
  • B01D21/262—Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force or centripetal force by using a centrifuge
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
  • B01D21/30—Control equipment
  • B01D21/34—Controlling the feed distribution; Controlling the liquid level ; Control of process parameters
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
  • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
  • B04B15/00—Other accessories for centrifuges
  • B04B15/02—Other accessories for centrifuges for cooling, heating, or heat insulating
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
  • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
  • B04B15/00—Other accessories for centrifuges
  • B04B15/08—Other accessories for centrifuges for ventilating or producing a vacuum in the centrifuge
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
  • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
  • B04B5/00—Other centrifuges
  • B04B5/04—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers
  • B04B5/0407—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles
  • B04B5/0414—Radial chamber apparatus for separating predominantly liquid mixtures, e.g. butyrometers for liquids contained in receptacles comprising test tubes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
  • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
  • B04B9/00—Drives specially designed for centrifuges; Arrangement or disposition of transmission gearing; Suspending or balancing rotary bowls
  • B04B9/02—Electric motor drives
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N1/28—Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q
  • G01N1/40—Concentrating samples
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2221/00—Applications of separation devices
  • B01D2221/10—Separation devices for use in medical, pharmaceutical or laboratory applications, e.g. separating amalgam from dental treatment residues
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N1/28—Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q
  • G01N1/40—Concentrating samples
  • G01N1/4022—Concentrating samples by thermal techniques; Phase changes
  • G01N2001/4027—Concentrating samples by thermal techniques; Phase changes evaporation leaving a concentrated sample

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a vacuum centrifugal concentrator used to concentrate a liquid specimen in a short time by using vacuum and centrifugal force, and more particularly, to a vacuum centrifugal concentrator with an improved structure that fits a small design.
• the vacuum centrifugal concentrator uses vacuum and centrifugal force to evaporate a solvent from a solute or impurities in a liquid specimen, for concentration in a short time, so as to analyze the elements of the liquid specimen.
• the vacuum centrifugal concentrator comprises a chamber connected to a vent pump for creating a vacuum, a tube holder which, even in high speed rotation, stably retains a plurality of tubes containing liquid specimen to be concentrated, a driving unit, such as a motor, that rotates the tube holder in the chamber at a high speed, and a heating unit which heats the inside of the chamber so as to reduce the concentration time or enable optimal concentration.
• a motor is disposed on the outside of the bottom of a chamber as a driving unit to drive a tube holder.
• a rotation shaft is additionally installed in-line with the drive shaft, on the inside of the bottom surface of the chamber, and is supported so that the rotation shaft is inserted into the tube holder and can rotate with the tube holder.
• a magnetic clutch is installed at the end of the drive shaft and the end of the rotation shaft, both parts of the magnetic clutch facing each other and magnetically attracting each other with the bottom surface of the chamber disposed between them, such that power is transferred between the ends. That is, considering the vacuum condition of the chamber, the structure is formed not to penetrate the shaft but to transfer power.
• the chamber is a non-magnetic substance.
• the chamber has a hole on one side connected to a vent pump so that the chamber can be evacuated by pumping.
• This vacuum centrifugal concentrator is also used for centrifugal separation of liquids of different specific gravities or of solid matter, by only rotating the tube holder in a non-vacuum state without operating the vent pump.
• a variety of devices including a shaker, an incubator, and a centrifuge, are used, and if possible, all required devices should be placed in one location.
• conventional devices are bulky and expensive. In particular, they take up too much space and cost too much to be practical for a narrow personal laboratory. Accordingly, a smaller and more economical device which enables placement of as many devices as possible in a narrow space and reduces expenses with a variety of functions is needed.
• the vacuum centrifugal concentrator described above needs a space for a magnetic clutch in a space for installing a motor below the bottom surface of the chamber, and thus, it is difficult to make it smaller. Also, additional components, such as the magnetic clutch, needed in the conventional vacuum centrifugal concentrator make it more expensive.
• the magnetic attraction between opposite parts of the magnetic clutch acts as a load on the motor and causes a corresponding loss of driving force.
• rotations of the motor do not correspond exactly to rotations of the tube holder, which makes it difficult to control the tube holder at a desired speed. It is necessary to very precisely control the speed of the tube holder, for example, for a case there is only a small difference between the specific gravities of substances to be centrifuged. Accordingly, the magnetic clutch has been an obstacle to increasing the reliability of experiments.
• the present invention provides a vacuum centrifugal concentrator that includes an improved tube holder that is directly driven inside a chamber, and does not include a separate magnetic clutch. These innovations reduce the size and cost of the concentrator, avoid loss of driving force, and enable the tube holder to be rotated at the same speed as the motor such that the speed of the tube holder can be controlled more precisely.
• a vacuum centrifugal concentrator comprising: a tube holder into which a tube containing a liquid specimen is inserted and held; a chamber which has a space to accommodate the tube holder so that the tube holder rotates inside the space; a cover which tightly opens and closes the chamber; a vent pump which makes the air inside the chamber flow out; and a driving unit that drives rotation of the tube holder.
• the driving unit comprises: a fixing axis which is fixed and penetrates the bottom surface of the chamber; a stator unit of a motor, which is fixed to the fixing axis from the outside of the chamber and has a plurality of windings disposed towards the inside of the chamber such that a magnetic field is formed; a rotor unit of the motor, which is supported by a bearing on the fixing axis inside the chamber, and integrally coupled with the tube holder so that the rotor unit rotates together with the tube holder, and has a permanent magnet disposed such that rotational torque is generated between the permanent magnet and the magnetic field.
• the fixing axis has a vent pipe running through its center and the bottom end of the vent pipe is connected to the vent pump. Accordingly, in the vacuum centrifugal concentrator according to the present invention, the stator unit and rotor unit of the motor are facing the outside and the inside, respectively, of the bottom part of the chamber disposed between them such that the tube holder is driven directly with the rotor unit of the motor, without a separate magnetic clutch.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum centrifugal concentrator according to the present invention with its cover open;
• FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a vacuum centrifugal concentrator according to the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is a sectional perspective view of a driving unit of the vacuum centrifugal concentrator according to the present invention.
• reference number 1 indicates a case forming a body
• reference number 2 indicates a chamber.
• the chamber 2 has an internal space which is open through the top surface of the case 1 , and the chamber 2 is opened and closed by a cover 4 connected by a hinge 3 to one side of the top surface of the case 1.
• the rim of the aperture of the chamber 2 is covered with a seal hoop 5 made of silicon so that when the cover 4 is closed, the seal hoop 5 adheres well to the cover surface and an airtight seal can be maintained.
• the cover 4 is made of a transparent substance so that the inside of the chamber can be observed.
• a tube holder 6 is disposed inside the chamber 2.
• the tube holder 6 is shaped like a bowl and has a plurality of tube support holes 8 formed at predetermined intervals into which test tubes can be inserted at an angle.
• the tube holder 6 is supported such that it can be directly driven inside the chamber 6 by an improved driving unit to be explained later.
• a control panel 9 on the front surface of the case 1 includes a power switch 10, a speed control knob 1 1 , a vacuum selection knob 12, a temperature meter 13, a temperature selection and setting button 14, and so on.
• a fixing axis 17 is fixedly installed penetrating the central part of the bottom surface 2a of the chamber 2.
• a stator unit 24 and a rotor unit 31 of a motor are supported by the fixing axis 17, facing each other, with the bottom surface 2a of the chamber 2, which the fixing axis 17 penetrates, disposed between the stator unit 24 and the rotor unit 31.
• the fixing axis 17 comprises a bearing support unit 17a, a flange unit 17b, and a screw unit 17c, and has a vent pipe 18 penetrating through the center of the fixing axis 17.
• the screw unit 17c of this fixing axis 17 is inserted into a hole 19 formed on the bottom surface 2a.
• a packing ring 20 for maintaining an airtight seal between the flange unit 17b and the chamber bottom surface 2a is coupled to the screw unit 17c, and then, a rubber washer 21 and a metal washer 22 are coupled, below the chamber 2, to the screw unit 17c passing through the hole 19 of the chamber 2.
• the fixing axis 17 is fixed.
• the rubber washer 21 absorbs vibration and shock when the motor rotates, such that noise is reduced.
• windings 26 are disposed on a disk-shaped bracket 25 to form a rotation magnetic field, and a sensor 27, such as a hall element, is disposed on one side to sense the rotational location of a rotor.
• the stator unit 24 is coupled to the screw unit 17c of the fixing axis 17 below the chamber 2, and lifted up close to the bottom of the chamber 2a. Then, by coupling a nut 30 together with a rubber washer 28 and a metal washer 29, the state unit 24 is fixed.
• the rubber washer 28 is for absorbing vibration and noise, like the rubber washer 21.
• the rotor unit 31 of the motor comprises magnet receptacle portions 31a and a bearing receptacle portion 31 b, and a permanent magnet 32 is disposed in each magnet receptacle portion 31a so that rotational torque is generated between the permanent magnets 32 and the magnetic field of the windings 26 of the stator unit 24 described above.
• a bearing 33 is placed in the bearing receptacle portion 31 b and the bearing support unit 17a of the fixed fixing axis 17 is coupled to the bearing 33 such that the bearing 33 is rotatably supported on the fixing axis 17.
• This rotor unit 31 also has a screw-shaped boss 34 protruding from the center of the top surface of the bearing receptacle portion 31 b, a vent connection pipe 35 penetrating the boss 34, and fixing pins 36 and 36' protruding from both sides of the boss 34.
• the tube holder 6 has fixing holes 37, 38 and 38' corresponding to the boss 34 and fixing pins 36 and 36' protruding from the top surface of the bearing receptacle portion 31b of the rotor unit 31 , such that the tube holder 6 can be solidly mounted on the bearing receptacle portion 31b to rotate together. While being solidly mounted on the bearing receptacle portion 31 b, by coupling the boss 34 penetrating upwards through the fixing hole 37 at the center of the tube holder 6 with a screw cap 39, the tube holder 6 is coupled to the rotor unit 31.
• An inhalation hole 40 is formed in the screw cap 39 and connected to the vent connection pipe 35 of the boss 34.
• the bottom end of the fixing axis 17 is connected to a vent pump 41 and a vent pipe 42 disposed inside the case 1.
• the bottom end of the fixing axis 17 may also be connected to another vent pump with a larger capacity outside of the case 1 through a branch pipe 43, which branches off from the vent pipe 42 and is linked to the outside of the case 1 , and a valve 44 that opens and closes the branch pipe 43.
• reference number 45 indicates an electric heater which is disposed between the side wall of the chamber 2 and the case 1 to heat the chamber 2
• reference number 46 indicates a controller containing all control circuits of the motor, vent pumps, valve, and electric heater described above.
• Reference number 47 indicates a test tube for a liquid specimen.
• the vent pump 41 if the vent pump 41 is operated, air inside the chamber 2 flows out through the vent pipe 18 of the fixing axis 17 to make the inside of the chamber 2 a vacuum.
• vapor from the liquid specimen in the test tube 47 also flows out thereby accelerating evaporation.
• the electric heater 45 heats the chamber 2 and then maintains a predetermined temperature in the chamber 2, which also accelerates evaporation of the liquid specimen in the test tube 47.
• the stator unit and the rotor unit of the motor are separated and face the outside and the inside of the chamber, respectively, such that the tube holder is driven directly by the rotor unit of the motor without a separate magnetic clutch. Accordingly, space which would be taken by a magnetic clutch is saved and space needed to install a motor below the chamber is greatly reduced, such that the concentrator has the advantage of being smaller, and in particular, slimmer. Also, there are fewer components so the concentrator is less expensive.
• direct driving of the tube holder enables more precise speed control.
• evacuation of the chamber of gas is performed through the vent pipe of the fixing axis placed at the center of the rotation of the motor, such that the concentrator has a nice and neat appearance, it is easier to keep the chamber sealed airtight, and vacuum efficiency is improved.
• the vacuum centrifugal concentrator according to the present invention can also be used as an ordinary centrifuge, whose revolutions per minute (RPM) can be set by a user, when the vent pump is removed or not driven.
• RPM revolutions per minute

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Centrifugal Separators (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27729538

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (8)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2002
  • 2002-11-27 KR KR1020020074268A patent/KR20030013353A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2003
  • 2003-11-05 WO PCT/KR2003/002351 patent/WO2004047993A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-11-05 AU AU2003277697A patent/AU2003277697A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (4)

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