Patent ID: 7951597

Claim:
A device for loading a sample comprising: a. a sample container; b. a pressure vessel holding a pressurized fluid, said vessel having an opening for receiving an aspirating needle in sealing engagement and for delivering the pressurized fluid to the needle; c. the aspirating needle, which has a passage having a first end and a second end and contains said sample in said passage, said first end for placement in said sample container, to aspirate said sample from said sample container into said passage, and for placement in said pressure vessel to allow said pressurized fluid from the pressure vessel to enter said passage to displace said sample within said passage; d. a sample loop having a first loop end and a second loop end, said first loop end in fluid communication with said second end of said passage of said aspirating needle, said sample loop for receiving said sample from said passage of said aspirating needle and for containing said sample; e. a metering syringe in fluid communication with said second loop end of said sample loop for creating a pressure differential between said pressure vessel and said metering syringe to draw said sample from said passage of said needle and into said sample loop; and f. a pressure source for placing said pressure vessel under pressure, to cooperate with the metering syringe to create said pressure differential and to deliver the pressurized fluid to the needle to facilitate movement of said sample in said passage out of said second end of said aspirating needle and into said sample loop, wherein said pressure source comprises a pressure assist pump sealed to a fluid path communicating said pressure source to said pressure vessel and adapted to maintain pressure and minimize pressure variation of said pressurized fluid so that said sample aspirated from said sample container does not vaporize.