Patent ID: 6180060
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A device for heating and agitating sample vials having caps with a septum therein for withdrawing gaseous material from a headspace of said vials for analysis by gas chromatography, comprising:a platen mounted on a support and having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having a bottom wall for supporting one of said sample vials on the bottom wall, the bottom wall having an opening for providing access to retained sample vials from below;an electrically powered heater mounted to heat said platen;a vial transport mounted relative to the platen for transporting a vial from above a chamber to lower the vial into such chamber, and the reverse;a vial mixing device mounted relative to the platen and alienable with the chamber and comprising a rod at least partially extendible into said chamber through said opening from below to contact said vial and mix the contents by pulsating the vial to increase the rate of transport of gaseous components from liquid in said sample vial to said headspace; anda needle mounted relative to the platen for alignment with the chamber for extracting material from said headspace through said septum after said needle punctures said septum of said vial.