Patent ID: 9499782
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: C12M,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A sampling system for collecting a fluid sample from an enclosed container, the sampling system comprising: (a) a sanitizing fluid inlet valve; (b) a gas inlet valve; (c) a sample collection valve operable between an open position that allows a fluid sample to flow from the enclosed container into a fluid flow path and a closed position that restricts the flow of fluid from the enclosed container to the fluid flow path; (d) a first outlet valve operable between an open position and a closed position; and (e) a variable volume reservoir comprising a reservoir inlet, a reservoir outlet, and a reservoir having a volume that can change from a first volume to a second volume when (c) is in the closed position, with the second volume being smaller than the first; wherein the fluid flow path interconnects (a) - (e), wherein when (a) and (b) are oriented to restrict flow of the sanitizing fluid and gas through the respective valves and (d) is in the closed position, (c) can be in the open position to withdraw a fluid sample from the enclosed container into a first portion of the fluid flow path for delivery to the variable volume reservoir that is located downstream from the first portion of the fluid flow path, wherein when (a) and (b) are oriented to restrict flow of the sanitizing fluid and gas through the respective valves and (c) is in the closed position, the fluid sample can be discharged from the variable volume reservoir along a second portion of the fluid flow path through (d), and wherein when (a) is oriented to permit flow of the sanitizing fluid through the sanitizing fluid inlet valve, (b) is oriented to restrict flow of the gas through the gas inlet valve, and (c) is in the closed position, a sanitizing fluid can be introduced into the fluid flow path through (a) to sanitize at least the first portion of the fluid flow path, wherein the variable volume reservoir comprises a pump that is configured to draw the fluid sample in the first portion of the fluid flow path into the variable volume reservoir through the reservoir inlet and direct the fluid sample out of the variable volume reservoir into the second portion of the fluid flow path through the reservoir outlet.