Barnstead Thermolyne Corporation

Jason A Harms

Steven C Peake

A pressure vessel, such as a bench top sterilizer, including a pressurizable chamber housing having an interior for receiving items to be sterilized. The chamber housing includes an access opening and the sterilizer or pressure vessel includes a door with hinge structure facilitating door movement between an opened condition, a latch condition and a latched and sealed condition. A seal is connected with at least one of the chamber housing and the door and is disposed in sealing engagement around the access opening when the door is in the latched and sealed condition. After latch structure on the door is initially actuated by a user, a motorized drive mechanism with a rotatable output connects with the latch structure such that rotation of the output moves the door from the initially latched condition to the latched and sealed condition.

Pressure vessel having electromechanical latching mechanism

A dry bath with a heat conductive block having a plurality of bores adapted to receive tubes containing samples of material. The dry bath includes a heater and a temperature sensor mounted to the block. A heat controller executes a control cycle of initially operating the heater to heat the block in the absence of the tubes to a desired temperature. Next, the heat controller automatically detects a change in temperature of the block in response to tubes being placed in the bores, wherein the samples in the tubes have a temperature different, for example, less, than the desired temperature. In that case, the heat controller operates the heater to first automatically heat the block to a temperature greater than the desired temperature. Thereafter, the heat controller automatically reduces the heat being applied to the block while heat continues to transfer to the samples such that the block and samples simultaneously reach, and are maintained at, the desired temperature. The dry bath may also include a fan and provides for other cycles of operation of the heat controller.

Growing community of inventors

Dubuque, IA, United States of America

Jason A Harms