Patent ID: 6752030
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: B01L,G01N

Abstract:
An apparatus to align the mouth of a sample container with a sample needle of a sample device, said apparatus comprising:a sleeve guide comprising a cylinder having a cylinder wall, a first end, a second end, and an inside diameter and a top; a guidance ring comprising an annulus having an annulus wall, an inside diameter and an outside diameter, said inside diameter of said guidance ring dimensioned to securely hold said mouth of said sample container and said outside diameter of said guidance ring dimensioned to slidably fit inside said sleeve guide; and at least two diametrically opposed tabs attached to said outside diameter of said guidance ring said tabs comprising bolts threaded into holes in said outside diameter of said annulus wall of said guidance ring; and alignment means for aligning said guidance ring in said sleeve guide, said alignment means including at least two diametrically opposed slots cut in said cylinder wall of said sleeve guide, said slots starting at said first end of said sleeve guide and ending at said second end of said sleeve guide, said slots slidably accepting said tabs of said guidance ring so that said guidance ring may slide inside said sleeve guide from said first end of said sleeve guide to said second end of said sleeve guide to move said sample container into contact with said sample needle.