Hewlett-packard Company

Fred Strohmeier

Hans-Peter Zimmermann

Klaus-Peter Hupe

Klaus E Witt

Werner Eberhardt

An apparatus for handling liquid vials in an analytical device comprises a single movable tray for accommodating a plurality of vials, and lifting devices arranged in the proximity of the tray for lifting vials out of the tray. The tray has a plurality of recesses for holding the vial. The recesses are open at the bottom so that a vertically movable finger of a lifting device which can be positioned underneath the bottom of a vial can move the vial out of the tray by an upward movement. When a vial has been lifted out of the tray, the tray remains freely rotatable so that a different vial can be positioned at a further lifting device and then lifted out of the tray. The invention provides a mechanically simple apparatus which is particularly suited for capillary electrophoresis for handling vials containing sample and electrolyte liquid. In capillary electrophoresis, two of the lifting devices are used for lifting vials to the ends of an electrophoresis capillary and a further lifting device is used for moving electrolyte vials to an arrangement for replenishing the electrolyte.

Apparatus for handling liquid vials in an analytical device

Apparatus and methods for processing liquids are provided. The apparatus include open-ended, hollow reactor compartments which are detachably connected to receptor ends of tube systems. In preferred embodiments, a portion of the tube system is fixed to a rotor arm which can be rotated in a circle and moved up and down. Another portion of the tube system is coupled to a metering syringe which serves for drawing in or ejecting fluids into or from the reactor compartment and/or the tube system. A plurality of process stations such as bottles containing reagents or solvents can be arranged on a circular tray such that they can be accessed by the reactor compartment or by the receptor end if the reactor compartment has been detached from the tube system. The invention can be used, for example, for automatic protein sequencing, whereby the proteins to be sequenced are held in place by a matrix in the reactor compartment.

Methods and apparatus for processing liquids

An apparatus for the stepwise performance of chemical reactions characterized by a cup-shaped reactor vessel spinning around its longitudinal axis, and a pipette for applying samples, reagents, and solvents onto the inner wall of the vessel. The pipette is rotatable around an axis, and can be positioned at a location from which it can be lowered into reservoirs for drawing in or for ejecting liquid. The pipette can furthermore be positioned at a location from which it can be lowered into the vessel for applying sample, reagents or solvents onto its inner wall or it can be positioned at a location from which it can be lowered to remove reaction products and excess products from the bottom of the vessel. The apparatus can be used for automatically sequencing proteins and/or peptides.

Apparatus for the stepwise performance of chemical reactions

A sample injector for a liquid chromatograph comprises a high pressure syringe unit, a sample intake unit having a needle which can be introduced into a sample container as well as into a seat, and a 6/2-way valve. The high pressure syringe unitis designed as a piston pump with a pump head and a piston which is driven by a motor via a drive mechanism. Pressurized liquid from a solvent delivery system (SDS) can enter the pump head through an inlet port and flow along the piston to an outlet port. When sample is to be injected into a chromatographic column, the 6/2-way vale is first switched to a position dotted whereby the pressurized solvent is shunted from the high pressure syringe unit to the column. The needle is then introduced into the container and the piston (5) is retracted to a position which draws in the desired volume of sample. Thereafter, the valve is switched back to its original position so that solvent delivered from the solvent delivery system passes through the high pressure syringe unit and can transport the sample to the column. Sincethe solvent flushes the entire syringe unit, it is ensured that no sample residues remain in the syringe unit which would otherwise impair the chromatographic measuring process.

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Rheinmuenster, Germany

Fred Strohmeier