Autosampler

Abstract

An autosampler for manipulating a specimen container into and out of a furnace of a parent instrument is disclosed. The autosampler has upper, lower and middle gripping fingers which grip and stabilize a crimped wire, which has a large bend therein. The middle gripping finger is positioned between and opposed to the upper and lower gripping finger and has a portion at one end thereof sized and shaped to receive the bend of the crimped wire. The gripping fingers grip and hold the crimped wire while a tray table moves to place the specimen container on a hook at the bottom of the crimped wire. If the specimen container is sealed, a hole may be punctured therein by a puncturing apparatus, which has a housing which is movable between an upper and lower position and biased toward the lower position. A pin is positioned inside the housing. When the specimen tray moves into the upper position, the sealed specimen container moves the housing from the lower position to the upper position thereby exposing the pin and causing it to puncture the sealed specimen container. An electrostatic discharge device which includes a housing having a channel thereabout is also provided. A high voltage source is electrically connected to a pin positioned inside the housing and in fluid communication with the channel for supply voltage to the pin and generating multiple free ions as a result thereof. Pressurized gas directs the free ions toward an electrostatic field to neutralize the ions therein.