Rotor plate and bucket assembly and method for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144015-B2
Application number	US-201414536489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A rotor assembly includes a rotor plate to rotate around a first axis; a bucket rotatably attached to the rotor plate and to rotate around a second axis; and a stop plate to rotate around the first axis relative to the rotor plate between an open position and a closed position, when in the closed position, the stop plate is to engage the bucket to fix an angular position of the bucket relative to a plane of rotation of the rotor assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotor assembly comprising:
a rotor plate configured to rotate around a first axis, the rotor plate comprising an opening positioned proximate a perimeter of the rotor plate and extending radially inward toward a center of the rotor plate;
a bucket configured to be received in the opening and rotatably attached to the rotor plate to rotate around a second axis; and
a stop plate configured to rotate relative to the rotor plate around the first axis between an open position and a closed position;
wherein, in a position of the bucket received in the opening and the stop plate in the closed position, the bucket is held in position to lie between a bottom surface of the rotor plate and a top surface of the rotor plate.

2. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein in the closed position, the stop plate prevents rotation of the bucket around the second axis.

3. The rotor assembly of claim 2 , wherein in an open position of the stop plate, the bucket is rotatable about the second axis.

4. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stop plate comprises an arm terminating in a ring configured to engage a pipette.

5. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bucket further comprises a surface feature configured to retain a sensor array.

6. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bucket further comprises channels configured to receive axles extending from the rotor plate, the second axis extending through the axles.

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Barbee Kristopher
• Zheng Rui
• Mccusker Sean

Classifications

• G01N2035/0449

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• G01N2035/00495

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• G01N2035/00158

  Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip" · CPC title

• B04B2011/046

  Loading, unloading, manipulating sample containers · CPC title

• B04B5/0421 Primary

  pivotably mounted · CPC title