Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Control element responsive to a sensed operating condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-28
2001-05-22
Reifsnyder, David A. (Department: 1723)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Control element responsive to a sensed operating condition
C366S200000, C366S213000, C366S219000, C494S016000, C494S031000, C494S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235245
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mixing, aeration, resuspending, and homogenizing of substances, cells and particles contained in test tubes are regularly used in biological, medical, chemical and similar types of research procedures including growing bacterial, yeast and tissue cultures, DNA mini-prep preparation, nuclear extract preparation, membrane blotting, etc.
Different types of devices - mixers, shakers, test tube rollers, etc.—are used for the above purposes. Different principles of treatment of substances are employed in these devices. For example, combination of vibrating and spinning of the tubes is usually used for vigorous mixing of substances. Shaking of substances is provided by seesaw motion or gentle rotation of the tubes. For aeration slow rotation of the tubes inside a tube bolder is used.
As the main drawbacks of the existing technology it is noted that the devices are complicated an expensive, applicable only for very specific processes, a lot of precious laboratory space is required for installation of a set of necessary devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is a multi-purpose device for mixing, aeration, rending, and homogenizing of substance, cells and particles contained in test tubes. The device is applicable for growing bacterial, yeast and tissue cue, nuclear extract preparation from tissue cues, membrane blotting, mini-prep preparation, etc. All these procedures are accomplished by rotation of test tubes at variable speed depending on required intensity of mixing/stirring of substances.
The device consists of three main parts: a tube holder, a tube driver rotating thetubes contained in the tube holder and a base supporting the holder and the tube driver.
The holder includes two tube holding elements forming a drum-like structure which has a number of registered holes the tubes are contained in. The holes are placed such that the tubes are equidistant to an axis of rotation of the tube driver. Diameters of the holes are larger than diameters of the tubes so that the tubes can be freely rotated about their longitudinal axes The tubes are supported by the tube holder or hung from the holder The tube holder can be tilted, or rotated about at least on of its axes, or installed stationary. There are means for fixing the tilted position of the holder. The tube driver includes an electric motor and a tube rotator which is a rigid element attached to and coaxial with a shaft of the electric motor The rotator has a replaceable rim(s) faced toward the tubes and in touching engagements with walls of the tubes. The rim(s) is made of a soft and resilient material so that when it contacts with the tubes the contacting surfaces of the rim(s) become impressed and like the tubes' shape. Due to the friction between the tube walls and the rim(s) must be greater than the friction between the tube walls and the tube holder couple of the rim's material and the tubes' material must be higher tan that of the tubes' material and the tube holder's material As a result, when the tube rotator is rotated, the rim(s) slide by the tubes. The induced friction forces between the rim and the tubes are higher than friction forces of opposite direction between the tubes and the tube holder. Due to this, rotation of the tube rotator induces rotation of the tubes. The tubes can be rotated in one direction (clockwise or counter clockwise) or in alternative directions (clockwise and counter clockwise).
A material of the outer surfaces of the rims is of high wearing resistance. The tube rotator or the rim(s) are replaceable.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5665047 (1997-09-01), Brimhall
Sherman Katerina
Sherman Michael
Sherman Yury
Croziez John Hungtington
Reifsnyder David A.
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