Patent ID: 6203760
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: B25J,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
An autosampler for manipulating a specimen container comprising:a ground plate;at least one specimen container tray removably fixed to the ground plate, the specimen container tray having a plurality of recesses for receiving a specimen container;a specimen container manipulating device, positioned on top of the ground plate and adjacent to the specimen container tray, comprising:a gripper comprising a gripper housing and a plurality of gripping fingers extending distally from the gripper housing and movable between an open and closed position, wherein in the closed position, the gripping fingers grip and hold a specimen container;shape memory metal positioned inside the gripper housing for controlling movement of the gripping fingers between the open and closed positions; anda heat source for applying heat to the shape memory metal, wherein when heat is applied to the shape memory metal, the temperature of the shape memory metal rises and the shape memory metal undergoes a phase transformation and constricts, causing the gripping fingers to move from the closed position to the open position.