Patent Number: 050846256
Section: claims

1. A portable apparatus for selectively receiving, transporting, and releasing a sample, comprising: a portable storage member for storing and transporting the sample, said storage member including a top side and a bottom side,  an adjustable top door located on the top side of said storage member, said top door permitting the sample to enter said storage member through said top side when said top door is in an open position, and said top door isolating the sample within said storage member when said top door is in a closed position, and  an adjustable bottom door located on the bottom side of said storage member, said bottom door isolating the sample in said storage member when said bottom door is in the closed position, and said bottom door permitting the sample to leave said storage member through said bottom side when said bottom door is in the open position.  a base member including a channel permitting the sample to pass through said base member,  an adjustable bottom door supported by said base member, said bottom door including a channel capable of permitting the sample to pass through said bottom door when said bottom door is in an open position such that said bottom door channel is in registration with said base member channel, and said bottom door capable of retaining the sample when said bottom door is in a closed position,  a storage member supported by said base member and located above said bottom door, said storage member including a channel capable of permitting the sample to be received, to be stored when said bottom door is in the closed position, and to be released when the bottom door is in the open position, and  an adjustable top door supported by said storage member, said top door including a channel capable of permitting the sample to pass into said storage member channel when said top door is in the open position such that said top door channel is in registration with said storage chamber channel, and said top door capable of isolating the sample when said top door is in the closed position.  a portable storage member for storing and transporting the samples, said storage member including a top side and a bottom side, said storage member including a plurality of storage chambers arrayed circumferentially with respect to a central axis,  an adjustable top door located on the top side of said storage member, said top door including a channel capable of being selectively placed in registration with said respective storage chambers thereby permitting the samples to selectively enter said respective storage chambers through said top side when said top door is in an open position, and said top door isolating the respective samples within said storage chambers by placing said top door channel out of registration with said respective storage chambers when said top door is in a closed position, and  a plurality of adjustable bottom doors located respectively on the bottom sides of said respective storage chambers, said bottom doors isolating the samples in said respective storage chambers when said bottom doors are respectively in the closed position, and said bottom doors permitting the samples to leave said respective storage chambers from said bottom side when said respective bottom doors are in respective open positions.  means for transporting a plurality of sample containers from a loading area to the thermal analysis apparatus, said transport means including a plurality of sample chambers for housing the respective sample containers, said transport means including means for isolating the sample containers from the environment and for permitting loading and unloading the sample containers respectively to and from a sample receiving portion of the thermal analysis apparatus, and  means for supporting said transport means adjacent to the sample receiving portion of the thermal analysis apparatus, said support means permitting registration of said respective sample chambers with the sample receiving portion of the thermal analysis apparatus.  the thermal analysis apparatus is a differential thermal analysis (DTA) apparatus, and  said transport means includes a channel adapted to receive a sparge tube of the DTA apparatus.  means for transporting a plurality of sample containers from a loading area to the differential thermal analysis apparatus, said transport means including a plurality of sample chambers for housing the respective sample containers, said transport means including a channel adapted to receive a sparge tube of the differential thermal apparatus and said transport means including means for isolating the sample containers from the environment and for permitting loading and unloading the sample containers respectively to and from a sample receiving portion of the differential thermal analysis apparatus, and  means for supporting said transport means adjacent to the sample receiving portion of the differential thermal analysis apparatus, said support means including means for engaging with said transport means said support means permitting registration of said respective sample chambers with the sample receiving portion of the differential thermal analysis apparatus.  loading a plurality of sample containers into a plurality of storage chambers of a portable transporter in a containment area, the transporter serving to isolate the sample containers from the environment,  transporting the transporter containing the sample containers to an analytical apparatus,  placing the transporter in close proximity to a sample receiving portion of the analytical apparatus,  permitting a sample container to move directly from a storage chamber in the transporter to the receiving portion of the analytical apparatus,  moving the transporter away from the analytical apparatus,  after an analysis is performed, placing the transporter in close proximity to the sample receiving portion of the analytical apparatus,  moving the sample container from the analytical apparatus directly into a storage chamber in the transporter, and  in the transporter, isolating the sample container from the environment. 2. An apparatus for selectively receiving, retaining, and releasing a sample, comprising: 3. A portable apparatus for selectively receiving, transporting, and releasing a plurality of samples, comprising: 4. The apparatus described in claim 3 wherein said bottom doors are supported by a base member located below and supporting said storage member. 5. The apparatus described in claim 3 wherein said bottom doors include springs for biasing said doors in the closed position. 6. The apparatus described in claim 3 wherein said bottom doors include actuator means for engaging a hand-held implement for opening said doors. 7. The apparatus described in claim 3 wherein said bottom doors include stop means for preventing said doors moving more than a predetermined distance when closing and for compressing a door-biasing spring when opening. 8. The apparatus described in claim 3, further including a channel for receiving a sparge tube of a differential thermal analysis apparatus. 9. An apparatus for handling sample containers for a thermal analysis apparatus and for isolating the sample containers from an adjacent environment, comprising: 10. The apparatus described in claim 9 wherein: 11. The apparatus described in claim 9 wherein said support means includes means for engaging said transport means. 12. The apparatus described in claim 9 wherein said support means includes means for locking together with said transport means. 13. The apparatus described in claim 9 wherein said support means includes means for engaging with the thermal analysis apparatus. 14. An apparatus for handling sample containers for a differential thermal analysis apparatus and for isolating the sample containers from an adjacent environment, comprising: 15. The apparatus described in claim 14 wherein said support means includes means for engaging said transport means. 16. The apparatus described in claim 14 wherein said support means includes means for locking together with said transport means. 17. The apparatus described in claim 14 wherein said support means includes means for engaging with the differential thermal analysis apparatus. 18. A method of handling hazardous analytical samples, comprising the steps of: