Condensed water collector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876783-B2
Application number	US-201816183212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Sep 24, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A compartment comprising at least one target area susceptible to condensed water formation includes at least one condensed water collector is presented. The condensed water collector comprises at least a first portion arranged to collect condensed water from the at least one target area and at least a second portion outside of the at least one target area. A porous material is arranged between the first portion and the second portion. The condensed water collector is configured to transport the collected condensed water. The compartment further including a condensed water remover configured to remove condensed water from the second portion thereby facilitating transportation of condensed water from the first portion to the second portion via the porous material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A compartment, the compartment comprising:
at least one opening, wherein the at least one opening is a target area susceptible to condensed water formation;
at least one condensed water collector, wherein the condensed water collector comprises at least a first portion arranged on the at least one opening to collect condensed water from the at least one target area and at least a second portion outside of the at least one target area, wherein the first portion is located inside the compartment, wherein the condensed water collector extends through a wall of the compartment to place the second portion of the condensed water collector outside of the compartment, and wherein the condensed water collector comprises a porous material arranged between the first portion and the second portion and configured to collect condensed water in the first portion and configured to transport the collected condensed water from the first portion to the second portion and to set free condensed water from the second portion;
a condensed water remover configured to remove condensed water from the second portion thereby facilitating transportation of condensed water from the first portion to the second portion via the porous material, wherein the condensed water remover comprises a fan configured to generate a stream of gas over the second portion for facilitating evaporation of condensed water collected by the porous material from the at least one condensed water collector and a condenser arranged inside the compartment configured to remove vaporized condensed water from a stream of gas circulating in the compartment;
wherein the condensed water remover comprises a warm surface of a Peltier element configured to heat the second portion for facilitating evaporation of condensed water collected by the porous material from the condensed water collector; wherein the condensed water collector is arranged in an inside wall of thermal insulation of the compartment to provide an internal passage for a tool into the compartment; and
wherein the internal passage is conical shaped.

2. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the compartment is one or more of a sample storage compartment, a reagent storage compartment, a reagent manipulator compartment, a sample manipulator compartment and/or a quality control compartment.

3. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening is configured to insert a tool into the compartment.

4. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the condenser comprises a heat exchanger arranged adjacent to a cool surface of the Peltier element.

5. The compartment according to claim 1 , further comprising, a funnel configured to suck in air from outside the compartment.

6. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the fan is configured to move between 10 m 3 per hour and 500 m 3 per hour of air.

7. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the condensed water collector has an elongated shape and extends through a wall of the compartment.

8. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the tool is a pipette or a needle.

9. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the condensed water remover is arranged outside the compartment.

10. The compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the condensed water collector forms part of an outside wall of the compartment.

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Marty Christian
• Widmer Beat
• Jeziorski Markus

Classifications

• G01D11/00

  Component parts of measuring arrangements not specially adapted for a specific variable (G01D13/00, G01D15/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01D1/14 Primary

  with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid · CPC title

• G01N37/00 Primary

  Details not covered by any other group of this subclass · CPC title

• B01L2200/141

  Preventing contamination, tampering · CPC title

• B01L2300/1822

  using Peltier elements · CPC title