Patent ID: 7008599

Claim:
A crystal form screening workstation comprising: (1) a plurality of racks removably mounted to a first rack holder, each rack adapted to hold a plurality of vessels; (2) sampling means movably mounted to a first automated arm assembly, the first automated arm assembly adapted to effect programmable manipulations of the sampling means along paths extending within the vessels and over the racks; (3) a fluid movement controller adapted to withdraw fluid from and deliver fluid to the vessels of the racks through the sampling means; (4) a first valve fluidly communicating with the fluid movement controller via a transfer line interposed therebetween; (5) a second valve fluidly communicating with the sampling means; (6) a filter line interposed between the first and second valves; (7) a filter medium disposed in or at an end of the filter line; and (8) a bypass line interposed between the first and second valves, wherein the first and second valves are adjustable alternately to define a first fluid conduit between the transfer line and the sampling means through the filter line and to define a second fluid conduit between the transfer line and the sampling means through the bypass line.