Hoffmann-la Roche Inc.

Bruker Biospin Ag

Weidmann Plastics Technology Ag

Hansjörg Tschirky

Michael Fey

Remo Anton Hochstrasser

Tilo Callenbach

Kurt Himmelsbach

Manfred Kansy

Karl Mazenauer

Roberto Seydoux

Heinrich Büttgen

Michael Warden

Werner Schneider

A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer for investigating a liquid sample in a sample tube, in particular a glass sample tube (), has a sample bushing () surrounding the sample tube having a bore into which one end of the sample tube is inserted with tight fit. The sample bushing () is preferably substantially cylindrical and the bore extends along the cylindrical axis. The NMR spectrometer has a gripping device () for handling the sample bushing (), the gripping device () having at least three gripping fingers (), and the outer periphery of the sample bushing () has at least one groove () into which the gripping fingers () can engage to press onto the two outer edges of the groove () when the gripping device () is closed. The cooperation between the groove and the gripping device permits fully automated, precise handling of the samples.

NMR spectrometer with gripping device for handling a sample bushing with outer groove

An integrally built, linear array of cuvettes is made of a plastic material. Every cuvette of the array has the same shape and dimensions. Neighboring cuvettes are connected to each other by a single web. Each of the single webs has a curved shape and each cuvette has means forming integral part thereof and serving for accurately positioning the cuvette into an opening of a cuvette holder and means for removably connecting the cuvette to the cuvette holder. Each cuvette has an upper chamber and a lower chamber having a common symmetry axis passing through the centers of both chambers. Each of the upper and lower chambers has a substantially cylindrical shape. The cross-section of the upper chamber at the central part thereof is larger than the cross-section of the lower chamber. The lower chamber has an open lower end. The upper chamber has an open top end and an annular bottom wall having a central circular opening which connects the upper chamber with the lower chamber. The inner surface of the bottom wall of the upper chamber () is part of a conical surface the cross-section of which forms an angle of about 80 degrees with the symmetry axis, so that there is an abrupt change of cross-section between the upper chamber and the lower chamber. A two-dimensional array of cuvettes comprises a plurality of linear cuvette arrays inserted into a cuvette holder having a matrix array of cuvette receiving openings. A system of two-dimensional cuvette arrays is built by stacking two or more of such two-dimensional arrays of cuvettes. Foil shaped layers serving, e.g. as a filter, are adapted to be attached to each cuvette to cover at least one opening thereof.

Cuvette arrays

Growing community of inventors

Ettingen, Switzerland

Hansjörg Tschirky