Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.

Takayuki Watahiki

Katsunori Akatsu

Hiroyuki Takahashi

Shinji Watanabe

Yoshitaka Niinai

Hisanobu Oyama

A centrifuge capable of suppressing a long-time depressurization as compared with the case of starting depressurizing after cooling has been completed as well as shortening a cooling time of a rotor and a sample in the rotor is achieved as compared with the case of starting cooling is at the same time with depressurization. Operation of a Peltier element is started at the same time with operation start of the centrifuge. A bowl is cooled by heat absorption of the Peltier element, and the rotor is cooled by the bowl with using ambient air as a thermal medium. At this time, a vacuum pump depressurizing a rotor chamber is in an OFF state (ambient conditions). After a predetermined time is elapsed, the vacuum pump is turned on to start depressurization of the inside of the rotor chamber.

Centrifuge including depressurization unit and cooling unit that cooperate with each other

Each of changeable rotors has an identification mark portion thereon. The identification mark portion is detected to generate an identification signal. A microprocessor starts and accelerates rotation of the motor, detects whether the identification signal is detected during acceleration of the rotor, detects whether the identification signal has been detected before the motor reaches a predetermined rotation speed, to provide detection of the identification mark portion by the ID sensor. The microprocessor cyclically detects whether the identification mark portion is detected during rotating the rotor at the steady state rotation speed. The user is informed of error when the microprocessor fails to detect the identification mark portion a predetermined number of times or within a predetermined interval.

Centrifugal separator capable of reading a rotor identification signal under different rotor rotation conditions

The rotor data including a model name, a maximum rotating speed, and a rotor identification number of a rotor that is purchased after installation, for example, is stored through the inputting unit in an EEPROM in addition to the rotor data that was stored in the ROM before shipping. The inputted rotor data is displayed on the display in a list image together with the rotor data of the rotor data in the ROM to provide easily selection of the rotor. The inputted rotor data may be displayed with priority to the rotor data in the ROM. The rotor data may further include check data. It may be judged that the inputted rotor data is correctly inputted. If the rotor data is incorrectly inputted, an error message is displayed and the rotary data is not stored. If the rotor data is correctly inputted, the rotary data is registered in the RAM.

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki-ken, Japan

Takayuki Watahiki