Patent ID: 11879875
Assignee: WATERS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 17:
18. A method of calibrating a sample manager comprising:
rotating a sample platter within the sample manager about a first vertical axis so that a first opening in the sample platter aligns with a sample needle on a needle arm, the sample platter including at least one carrier bay for receiving a sample vial carrier having an array of sample vials loaded therein;
rotating the needle arm about a second vertical axis that is in a fixed position within a thermal chamber above the aligned first opening and recording a first encoder position of each of the sample platter and the needle arm, wherein a combination of the rotation of the needle arm and the rotation of the sample platter provides complete coverage over the at least one carrier bay of the sample platter when the second vertical axis of rotation of the needle arm remains in the fixed position;
moving the sample platter so that a second opening in the sample platter aligns with the sample needle on the needle arm;
moving the needle arm above the aligned second opening and recording a second encoder position of each of the sample platter and the needle arm; and
with the known first and second encoder positions, back-calculating the geometric parameters of the sample platter and the needle arm to calibrate the movement of the sample platter and the needle arm.