The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 24, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 25, 1997
Geoffrey Fletcher Auchinleck, Vancouver, CA;
Automed Corporation, , CA;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for loading and unloading of sample tubes contained in sample tube carriers from the buckets of a swing bucket centrifuge wherein the method includes the steps of lifting the buckets off the rotor of the centrifuge, pushing sample tubes contained in sample tube carriers out of the buckets, pushing new sample tubes contained in sample tube carriers into the buckets, and lowering the buckets back on to the rotor of the centrifuge. The buckets are suspended from axially aligned pins which fit into slots on opposite sides of the buckets and include openings in the sides of the buckets to admit sample tubes contained in sample tube carriers. Once the centrifuge rotor has moved a bucket into a defined position, a lifting mechanism raises the bucket from the centrifuge rotor to a position adjacent to a pushing mechanism which can push sample tubes contained in sample tube carriers out of the bucket and can push new sample tubes contained in sample tube carriers into the bucket.