Abstract:
The automated sample extraction device is a device for the automatic extraction of chemical samples. The device includes a housing defining an open interior region. A rotating carousel is disposed within the housing, and a plurality of sample holders are mounted thereon. A plurality of sample storage tanks each contain a unique chemical sample, and a desired volume of at least one chemical sample is drawn from a respective one of the sample storage tanks to a respective at least one of the plurality of sample holders. The carousel is rotated so that the desired volume of the at least one chemical sample may be dispensed into a receptacle positioned adjacent the carousel. The at least one chemical sample may then be mixed, heated, cooled, shaken and/or vibrated within the receptacle prior to dispensing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/662,779, filed on May 3, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/834,007, filed on Aug. 5, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a devices for the extraction of chemical samples, and particularly to a sample extraction device for automating extraction from one or more chemical samples. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Traditional laboratory chemical extraction and manipulation has several drawbacks. Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) is generally used as a pretreatment process to clean up or pre-concentrate a target species prior to chromatographic analysis of organic substances. Similar techniques are applied in a wide variety of analyses and experiments, such as the study of crude oil mixtures and the like. However, the methods that have traditionally been used in the laboratory for liquid chemical extraction require complicated operation processes, a great deal of time, high cost, particularly when it comes to lost or damaged equipment due to human error, health damage due to the use of organic solvents and the like, and high expense involved with the disposal of toxic organic solvents and the like. 
     Further, conventional sample extraction and manipulation devices typically only extract and process a single material at a time. Separate devices are often used for related processing steps, such as one device being used for heating and a separate device being used for mixing. In order to increase efficiency, and minimize the possibility of human error, it would be desirable to provide a single system capable of performing multiple processing functions in sample extraction and processing. 
     Thus, a sample extraction device solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The sample extraction device relates to a device for the automatic extraction of chemical samples. One or more chemical samples may be extracted under automatic control, including controlled mixing, heating, cooling, shaking and dispensing thereof. The device includes a housing defining an open interior region. A rotating carousel is disposed within the housing, the carousel having a plurality of sample holders mounted thereon. A plurality of sample storage tanks may each contain a unique chemical sample, and a desired volume of at least one chemical sample may be drawn from a respective one of the plurality of sample storage tanks to a respective at least one of the plurality of sample holders. 
     The carousel is controllably and selectively rotated so that the desired volume of the at least one chemical sample may be selectively dispensed into a receptacle positioned adjacent the carousel. The at least one chemical sample may then be mixed, heated, cooled, shaken and/or vibrated within the receptacle prior to selective dispensing thereof. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a flowchart illustrating a method of using a sample extraction device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the system components of a sample extraction device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the sample extraction device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of a sample extraction device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of a control panel for the sample extraction device of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a sample extraction device according to the present invention, the housing being broken away to show the arrangement of components therein. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating components of a controller of a sample extraction device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the sample extraction device of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the dispenser tube of the sample extraction device of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As will be described in detail below, the sample extraction device  1  allows a user to automatically extract chemical samples. Device  1  is preferably provided as an isolated or unitary integrated system, allowing the user to extract a required quantity of the sample automatically, thus reducing the possibility of human error, in a manner that is relatively quick and has added functionality, such as mixing multiple samples and applying heating, cooling, stirring, shaking and vibration, as will be described in detail below. 
     The device  1  is operated by a relatively simple user interface (to be described in greater detail below, particularly with regard to the embodiment of  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 ). In  FIG. 3 , the device  1  is shown as having a simple button  20 , which is pressed to actuate the device and begin the sample extraction. In  FIG. 4 , the desired sample is shown diagrammatically as  30 , contained within an accumulation tank  100 . As will be described in greater detail below, particularly with regard to the embodiment of  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , a controller  202  is provided. The user inputs the chemical properties of the desired sample into the controller  202  (via any suitable interface, as will be described below), along with the desired quantity of the sample, and then presses the operation button  20  to extract the sample, which is collected in the accumulation tank  100 . If more than one sample is desired (i.e., multiple samples are extracted to produce a mixed end result), the additional samples are extracted at the same time and also placed within the accumulation tank  100 . As will be described in greater detail below, the device  1 , under the control of the controller  202 , automatically mixes, heats, cools, stirs and/or shakes the sample contained within the tank  100 , depending upon the desired end product. 
       FIG. 4  diagrammatically illustrates the device  1 , shown having a set of tanks  105 , including four tanks, namely tank A, tank B, tank C and tank D. It should be understood that any suitable number of tanks may be provided. In the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , as will be described in greater detail below, a far greater number of different sample materials may be used. The four tanks A, B, C and D of set  105  each contain a unique chemical sample. Each tank of set  105  is connected to a pump  60 , which may be any suitable type of pump under control of the controller  202 , via a respective conduit  170 . The desired samples, in desired volumes, are drawn by conduits  170  (under pressure generated by pumps  60 ) into a central mixing chamber  102 , and then dispensed into the accumulation tank  100  as the final product  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the user begins operation by pressing button  20  at step  400 . The user may then either manually choose one or more of tanks A, B, C and D of set  105 , or the controller  202  automatically determines which samples are required, and in which quantities, depending upon the user&#39;s initial input of the desired end product. This choice is made at step  402 . In the particular example of  FIG. 1 , only the samples in tanks A, B and C are required to produce the desired end product  30 . 
     The particular quantities of each are drawn off at  404 ,  406  and  408 , respectively, and delivered into the mixing chamber  102  (of  FIG. 4 ). Mixing occurs at step  410 , and any required subsequent heating, cooling, shaking or additional mixing (or stirring) occurs at steps  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440 ,  460 , respectively. The user may initiate heating, cooling, shaking or additional mixing (or stirring) manually, or the controller  202  may initiate these steps automatically, with particular instructions for the production of varying substances being stored within computer readable memory  302 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a control panel interface  110  and, after completion of the preparation of sample  30 , the user may press a completion button  43 , thus allowing the user to remove the completed sample and also beginning an automated internal cleaning process of the conduits, etc. of device  1  (step  470 ). The cleaning process of device  1  may be actuated at any time, not just after production of sample  30 , by depressing a cleaning button  44  of control panel  110 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the device  1  includes the set of tanks  105 , a heater  140 , the accumulating tank  100 , a liquid level sensor and controller  50 , a plurality of pumps  60 , a temperature controller  41  for the heater  140 , a stirrer controller  31 , a stirrer  130 , a cooler  150 , such as a compressor cooling system or the like, a temperature controller or thermostat  51  for the cooler  150 , and a set of selector switches  90 . Any suitable type of heater  140  may be used to heat the contents of the assembly tank  100 . Similarly, any suitable type of cooler  150  may be used to chill the contents of the assembly tank  100 , and any suitable type of stirrer, mixer or vibrator  130  may be used to stir, mix, vibrate or shake the contents of assembly tank  100 . The user may manually actuate each through respective controllers  41 ,  51 ,  31 , or the controllers  41 ,  51 ,  31  may be pre-programmed automatic controllers. Alternatively, as will be described in greater detail below, the controllers  41 ,  51 ,  31  may be in communication with the controller  202 , or may be integrated as components thereof. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the device  1  is shown as having a housing  200  to which the control panel  110  is mounted ( FIG. 5  illustrates a plan view of the control panel  110 ). Preferably, the housing  200  has a drain  120  to drain any liquids collected within the housing  200 . The assembly tank  100  sits in front of the housing  200 , the housing  200  extending around the sides of the assembly tank  100 . The assembly tank  100  sits on an assembly tank holder  130 , which contains the heater  140 , the cooler  150  and the stirrer  160 . Additionally, the conduits  170  leading from the set of tanks  105  are further shown in  FIG. 3 , positioned above an open end of the assembly tank  100 . 
     Additionally, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a liquid level sensor and liquid level control switch  50  is associated with each tank of the set of tanks  105 . Each liquid level sensor  50  is in communication with the controller  202  and with the pumps  60  for measuring the volume of liquid drawn out of each tank. Once a desired volume has been drawn off, the control switch deactivates the respective pump. Additionally, separate selector switches  90  may be applied to one or more of the tanks of set  105 , allowing for either manual or automatic (under control of controller  202 ) actuation of the pumps  60 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , three separate samples are provided in tanks A, B and C, and tank D is provided for containing water and/or a cooling solvent for the cleaning process described above. 
     In the control panel  110  of  FIG. 5 , the temperature controller  41  for heater  140  is shown as a manual switch. The temperature controller may be a manual on/off type switch, and may be a dial or the like allowing for input of a desired temperature, or may be controlled by the controller  202  or otherwise automatically, as described above. An indicator lamp  54  is provided to indicate to the user that the desired temperature has been reached. Similarly, the temperature controller  51  for the heater  150  is shown as a manual switch. The temperature controller  51  may be a manual on/off type switch, may be a dial or the like allowing for input of a desired temperature, or may be controlled by the controller  202  or otherwise automatically, as described above. The indicator lamp  54  indicates to the user that the desired temperature has been reached. The stirrer control switch  31  is similarly mounted on control panel  110 . 
     When the device  1  is actuated, the samples from the three primary tanks A, B and C of set  105  flow to the accumulating tank  100  and are heated or cooled to the pre-set desired temperature, along with any necessary stirring, set to a desired time. The accumulating tank  100  may be removed from housing  200  and the produced sample can be stored in the accumulating tank  100  or another vessel. 
     When the process is finished, the user presses the cleaning button  44 , at which point the water from tank D will flow through the path in which the samples passed, thus cleaning the unit. The user then disposes of the water from the accumulating tank  100 . 
     As an example, if a user is conducting an experiment to measure the salt in a crude oil sample, the user may require three samples to perform the experiment, namely crude oil, mixed alcohol and saline. Tanks A, B and C are filled with crude oil, mixed alcohol and saline solution, respectively. The user may then input a desired quantity of crude oil, such as 10 cubic centimeters to be extracted. Level sensor  50  controls operation of the pump  60  to fill the assembly tank  100 . The desired quantity may be manually input by the user, or the quantities, properties and instructions for preparation of particular experiments or end result substances may be stored in a database contained in memory  302  of the controller  202 . 
     Similarly, 40 cubic centimeters, for example, of the mixed alcohol may be drawn off, as well as a desired quantity of saline, to be mixed together in assembly tank  100 . The three separate substances, which were drawn simultaneously and dispensed into the assembly tank  100 , may then be mixed together, either by manual actuation of the mixer or under automatic control of the controller  202 , following the instructions stored in the database in the memory  302  for this particular experiment and substance. Similarly, heating and cooling may be manually controlled or automatically controlled by controller  202 . 
     In the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 6 , the system  201  allows for the controlled extraction and manipulation of a plurality of samples. As in the previous embodiment, pumps  60  feed the substances contained within storage tanks  105 , under the control of controller  202 , to a plurality of sample holders  228  contained within housing  250 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , any desired number of sample holders  228  may be utilized, allowing for the extraction of more than four different substances (such as those contained in tanks A, B, C and D of the previous embodiment). 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an alternative control panel  502  mounted on the side of the housing  250  of the system  201 . Initiation of the process begins through actuation of a button or switch  504 . An indicator light  506  indicates that processing has begun. A display  304  is provided for displaying data to the user and may further be a touchscreen or the like, further providing the user with input capability. Upon initiation of the system  201 , one or more vacuum pumps  508  are actuated for removal of ambient air from within the housing  250 . Preferably, the air from within housing  250  is drawn to standard laboratory ventilation, including appropriate filtering, before passage to the exterior environment. The actuation of the vacuum pumps  508  may be initiated manually by a key  510 , a switch, or the like on the control panel  502 . 
     The vacuum pump process preferably only begins after the closing and sealing of doors  512 , which are mounted in the side of the housing  250 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . Preferably, the doors  512  are monitored by sensors  514 , which may be any conventional type of sensors, microswitches or the like, which detect whether or not the doors  512  are closed and sealed. If the doors  512  are open and the user attempts to initiate the first processing step (i.e., actuation of the vacuum pumps  508 ), an alert message is delivered to the user on the display  304 . Further, the sensors  514  are in communication with the controller  202 , and if the doors  512  are opened during any part of sample extraction or chemical processing, the system  201  will be shut down to prevent accidental contamination of the laboratory or injury to a user. 
     The samples  228 , which may be blood samples, crude petroleum, or any other substance to examined and processed, are preferably placed manually into slots or holders of a carousel  226 , as shown, through the access doors  512 . Rotation of the carousel  226  for manual placement of samples  228  may be accomplished through user commands entered through the control panel  502  and monitored on the display  304 . The user may also enter logging information regarding each sample  228 . Angular positioning of the carousel  226  may be monitored by a sensor  516 , microswitch or the like. 
     Any suitable rotatable drive may be used to provide selective and controlled rotation of the carousel  226 , which is mounted within the housing  250 , as shown. In  FIG. 6 , a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder  224 , under the control of the controller  202 , drives rotation of the carousel  226 , although it should be understood that this is shown for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of drive system may be utilized. 
     A beaker  212  (replacing assembly tank  100 ) is mounted on a sliding platform  210 , as shown. Preferably, the beaker  212  is mounted on a temperature control unit  214 , which may be a Peltier heater/cooler or the like, which rests on platform  210 . The temperature control unit  214  is in communication with the controller  202  for controlled actuation for the selective heating or cooling of the contents of the beaker  212 . The sliding platform  210  may be translated by a pneumatic cylinder  216  or the like, in communication with a motor  218 , or by any other suitable type of linear actuator under the control of the controller  202 . Preferably, a sensor  518 , microswitch or the like is provided in unit  214  for monitoring proper placement of the beaker  212 . An alert may be sent to the user on the display  304  if the beaker is not in place or is off-balance. The displacement or breaking of the beaker  212  may be monitored by sensor  518  throughout the entire processing process, and the system  201  can be automatically shut down in such an event. The particular processing to be performed, as shown in the flowchart of  FIG. 1 , may be programmed by the user into the controller  202  through the touchscreen display  304  or the like. 
     Once the contents of the tanks  105  have been pumped into the respective sample holders  228 , the platform  210  is slid underneath the carousel  226 . The carousel  226  is then rotated so that a desired one of the sample holders  228  is positioned beneath plunger  232  of piston  230  (and over the open upper end of the beaker  212 ). The piston  230  may be hydraulic, pneumatic or any other type of linear actuator driven by motor or fluid source  236 , under the control of the controller  202 , to selectively drive the plunger  232  into the selected sample holder  228  to dispense a desired volume of the sample into the beaker  212 . 
     Desired volumes of one or more different substances from sample holders  228  may be dispensed into the beaker  212 . Following dispensing, the platform  210  is then slid back to the position illustrated in  FIG. 6 , beneath a cover  222 . A piston  234 , which may also be in communication with motor or fluid source  236 , lowers the cover  222  onto the beaker  212  to seal the upper end thereof. The piston  234  may be a hydraulic piston, a pneumatic piston, a linear actuator or the like, under the control of the controller  202 . As shown, a thermocouple  244 , in communication with the controller  202 , is mounted to the cover  222  to at least partially project into the contents of the beaker  212 . The thermocouple  244  is used to measure the temperature of the beaker  212 , and the temperature control unit  214  may be actuated to selectively heat or cool the beaker to a desired temperature. Preferably, the cover  222  has a sensor  520 , microswitch, or the like for monitoring the closure and sealing of the cover  222  on the beaker  212 . If the seal is broken during processing, or if the cover  222  fails to properly cover the beaker  212 , the system  201  can be shut down so that the sample within the beaker  212  does not accidentally spill and/or contaminate the system or environment. An alert can also be delivered to the user on the display  304 . The temperature and time of heating or cooling may be monitored and/or controlled by the user via the control panel  502 . 
     Additionally, motor  220 , also under the control of the controller  202 , may be actuated to shake the platform  210 , thus shaking the contents of beaker  212 . Any suitable type of shaker or vibrator may be utilized. The amplitude and frequency of vibration is controlled by the controller  202 . In addition to the shaking, a mixer  242  is rotatably mounted to the cover  222 , as shown, the mixer  242  being powered by motor  236  to selectively and controllably mix the contents of the beaker  212  for a controlled duration and at a controlled rotational velocity. Shaking and mixing may be also be monitored and controlled (intensity and time) by the user via the control panel  502 . 
     Following shaking, mixing and temperature adjustment to desired pre-set parameters (via the controller  202 ), the platform  210  is slid to the right (in the orientation of  FIG. 6 ) so that ports  238 ,  240  formed through the cover  222  align with the lower ends  248 ,  246 , respectively, of dispenser tubes  204 . External pumps or the like may then be actuated to draw off the contents of the beaker  212  to an external dispenser. Valves  206  may be mounted within the dispenser  204 , as shown, for selective and controlled flow. Valves  206  may be controllable air valves or the like. Alternatively, the beaker  212  may simply be removed from within the housing  250 , as in the previous embodiment, allowing the end result to be stored and transported therein. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an alternative embodiment of a dispenser tube  528 , similar to the dispenser tube  204  of  FIG. 6 . The dispenser tube  528  includes an air cylinder  522 , pump or the like for drawing on a sliding portion  530 , which is slidably mounted on a shaft  526 . When a negative pressure is established, the sliding portion  530  is drawn upward until contact between an upper end  523  with a stop  524  is made. Stop  524  may be vertically adjusted to a desired height, thus controlling an amount of fluid to be drawn from the beaker  212 . 
     In operation, when the beaker  212  and the cover  222  are moved beneath the dispenser tubes  528 , the beaker  212  and the cover  222  are positioned directly beneath a lower container  532 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , preferably input and output one-way valved ports  530 ,  540  are formed on the lower end of container  532 , for drawing the fluid into container  532  and outputting the fluid to external storage. The sliding portion  530  is linked to a piston or the like within the container  532 , and upward motion of the sliding portion  530 , drawn by pump  522 , draws fluid from the beaker  212  into the container  532 , similar in action to a syringe. The vertical positioning of stop  524  controls how far the sliding portion  530  travels, thus controlling the volume of fluid drawn into the container  532 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the controller  202 , which includes a processor  300  in communication with the display  304 , computer readable memory  302  and an interface  306 . Data is entered into processor  300  via any suitable type of user interface  306 , and may be stored in memory  302 , which may be any suitable type of computer readable and programmable memory. Calculations are performed by the processor  300 , which may be any suitable type of computer processor and may be displayed to the user on the display  304 , which may be any suitable type of computer display. 
     The processor  300  may be associated with, or incorporated into, any suitable type of computing device, for example, a personal computer or a programmable logic controller. The display  304 , the processor  300 , the memory  302  and any associated non-transitory computer readable recording media are in communication with one another by any suitable type of data bus, as is well known in the art. 
     Examples of computer readable recording media include a magnetic recording apparatus, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and/or a semiconductor memory (for example, RAM, ROM, etc.). Examples of magnetic recording apparatus that may be used in addition to memory  302 , or in place of memory  302 , include a hard disk device (HDD), a flexible disk (FD), and a magnetic tape (MT). Examples of the optical disk include a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), and a CD-R (Recordable)/RW. 
     It should be understood that any type of processing steps and/or monitoring properties may be programmed into the controller, as desired by the user and as required by a particular sample process. Additional monitors, sensors, microswitches and the like may also be used, dependent upon the particular desires of the user. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.