Agitating – Having specified feed means – Adjustable mixing ratio control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-07
2004-09-21
Cooley, Charles E. (Department: 1723)
Agitating
Having specified feed means
Adjustable mixing ratio control
C222S094000, C222S106000, C222S135000, C222S144000, C141S104000, C141S231000, C366S182200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793387
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, the present invention relates to the preparation of mixtures including liquid reagents, cleaning and other special-purpose solutions, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, paints, mixed beverages, fluent foodstuff, as well as other fluent substances used in the laboratory, manufacturing plant floor, field crops, gardens, eating establishments, building structures, art lab, and so on. Common to the preparation of such a wide range of types of mixtures are the tasks of selecting, dosing, and mixing the necessary constituent fluent components into a receptacle. More particularly, the invention relates to the automation of such mixture preparation using a novel apparatus, whether the constituent components are uniformly distributed within the mixture. This apparatus and associated method utilizes a unique automated technique to, in accordance with input concerning a desired end-product, select at least one of a plurality of available fluent constituent components staged on a support structure, dose/measure a requisite amount of each selected constituent component, collect the dosed amount with mixing receptacle, and agitate/stir the collected contents in the receptacle to prepare the preselected end-product. A processor and storage device are readily adapted to collect and store data concerning the preparation, as desired. The footprint of the apparatus can be chosen for portability. And although a variety of vessels containing constituent components can be made of rigid or brittle materials, a support structure of the apparatus is adaptable for the arrangement of gravity fed, ‘bag-like’ flexible walled vessels.
There are many reagents/buffers, special-purpose solutions, solvents, paints, pesticides, herbicides, the list goes on, for commercial and personal use, used in research laboratories in small quantities. Very often, lab and QA (quality assurance) technicians, line employees, etc., need only a single batch that includes one or more ‘flasks-full’, for example, of a mixture tailored for a particular study/analysis/test or other use. Every time a new reagent, solvent, solution, or other mixture is needed, the laborious process of preparing begins, over again: The appropriate formula is pulled from laboratory files (or, if none, one must be calculated), bottles of the necessary ingredients are located and removed from storage, and ingredients are measured using equipment which has to, first, be cleaned and decontaminated from any prior use. Further, the process of mixing beverages such as is done at a wedding party, alumni gathering, or other function likewise requires small ‘flasks’ of different beverages requiring preparation in various batch-quantities. This is also true of the production process to prepare foodstuff in small amounts.
Traditionally, mixtures that are used in smaller quantities in production lines, commercial laboratories as well as private and government research laboratories, are prepared manually on an as-needed basis. First, a trained lab technician carefully measures out the requisite amount of each raw material-ingredient from the glass container(s) in which it was shipped to the lab and is currently being stored. Many reagents, solutions, and solvents are prepared using ingredients that are quite caustic and toxic. The quantities of ingredients measured for use, are mixed in an appropriately-sized beaker or flask. The highly labor intensive process of preparing solutions used in commercial manufacturing and research laboratories not only creates opportunity for human error and serious injury, but is also very costly.
Therefore, a versatile automatic, less labor-intensive and less error-prone process is needed. Preferably such a process is carried out using a computerized apparatus designed to be generally portable, with a footprint that can accommodate the limited available counter top space found in most laboratories, manufacturing environments, and eating establishments. The innovative apparatus and method described herein utilize a unique sophisticated technique to automatically; (a) access, dispense, and dose appropriate quantities of selected ingredients held in containment vessels in proximity to one another, this being done according to input entered through some type of user interface as well as a plurality of instructions/commands stored for automatic retrieval into computer memory, and (b) collect each such ingredient into a receptacle (such as a flask, beaker, etc.) for mixing and auttitraton (as desired). Although this new apparatus incorporates sophisticated automation techniques, its features allow for ready access to finished mixture-product. The unique automatic access to fluent ingredients, as well as dispensing and dosing techniques, can be employed by an apparatus with a footprint considered large (floor-model) or small (counter-top) to prepare a wide variety of mixtures.
Unlike the labor-intensive processes currently available, the new apparatus and associated method require much less intervention by a lab technician, line worker, etc. and provides sufficient production quality control over batch sizes of hundreds of flasks of prepared mixtures. As can be appreciated, within the spirit and scope of the design goals contemplated hereby, and as further described herein, many different types of suitable alternative structures for carrying out specified function(s) may be incorporated into the new apparatus and method of the invention. Further, the incorporation of flexible-walled vessels (‘bag-type’) having novel features invented by certain of the listed applicant-inventors hereof, and assigned to the assignee hereof, helps address problems associated with cumbersome transport and storage of heavy, breakable ceramic (e.g., glass) hard-walled containers. These unique flexible-walled vessels can be fabricated from many suitable materials into many different shapes and sizes, and filled with countless different types of fluent substance ingredients as needed for preparing desired mixtures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus and associated method of preparing a mixture using a computerized apparatus having a plurality of vessels, each of which is arranged on a support structure and oriented for dispensing a fluent substance through at least one exit port and a first flow channel. The first flow channel of each vessel is in further communication with a dedicated measurement assembly, for dosing fluent substance so dispensed, and a second flow channel. The apparatus also includes a receptacle support; and can further incorporate a user interface for receiving a first input concerning the mixture plus a storage device to hold instructions for locating a respective one of the second flow channels and the receptacle support in operative relation (for collecting the fluent substance in a mixture receptacle placed on the receptacle support). The apparatus can further comprise titration and mixing modules; and an alternative apparatus and method can utilize a support structure having a framework moveably coupled to a sustaining member, whereby many flexible-walled vessels can be accommodated.
Several advantages of providing the novel apparatus and associated method, follow:
(a) Versatility—The invention can be used for automatic preparation of single-flask batches of different mixtures, or repeated preparation of a large quantity (multiple flasks of one mixture).
(b) Structural design flexibility—An apparatus of the invention can stage a multitude of constituent fluent ingredients (including solvents, buffers/reagents, homogeneous and non-homogeneous solutions, titrants, including reactants, etc.) for access and dispensing depending on the instructions/commands and input received for the preparation of the preselected mire. The apparatus can be driven by its own power source (especially important for the field), or connected to an external source of power such as line voltage from an electrical wall outlet.
(c) Simplicity of use—Different batch-quantities
Neas Edwin D.
Templar Dennis L.
Tiffany, III Harry J.
Chata Biosystems, Inc.
Cooley Charles E.
Macheledt Bales LLP
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