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:
Dec. 15, 2015
Filed:
Sep. 02, 2014
Virgin Instruments Corporation, Sudbury, MA (US);
Marvin L. Vestal, Framingham, MA (US);
Kevin Hayden, Newton, MA (US);
Virgin Instruments Corporation, Sudbury, MA (US);
Abstract
A sample plate handling system for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes a sample plate for supporting samples for analysis. A first sample plate receiver is positioned in a first chamber. First and second sample plate receivers are positioned in a second chamber. A first gate valve isolates the first and second chambers when closed and allows transfer of sample plates between the first sample plate receiver in the first chamber and one of the first and second sample plate receivers in the second chamber when the first gate valve is open. A first linear extender pushes a sample plate from the first sample plate receiver in the first chamber to the first sample plate receiver positioned in the second chamber, and then retracts a second sample plate from the second sample plate receiver positioned in the second chamber and transports the second sample plate to the first sample plate receiver in the first chamber. A first sample plate receiver is positioned in a third chamber. A second gate valve isolates the third chamber from the second chamber when closed and allows transfer of sample plates between the first sample plate receiver in the third chamber and one of the first and second sample plate receivers in the second chamber when the second gate valve is open. A second linear extender pushes a sample plate from the first sample plate receiver in the third chamber to the first sample plate receiver positioned in the second chamber, and then retracts the second sample plate from the second plate receiver positioned in the second chamber and transports it into the third chamber.