Rotor plate and bucket assembly and method for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940490-B2
Application number	US-201816207522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2018
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

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 method of loading a sensor array assembly, the method comprising: applying a solution to the sensor array assembly disposed in a bucket of a rotor assembly when a stop plate of the rotor assembly is in a closed position, wherein the bucket includes a chamfered surface to engage a chamfered surface of the stop plate when in the closed position; moving the stop plate to an open position, wherein moving the stop plate to an open position includes; engaging a ring of the stop plate of the rotor assembly with a pipetting robot, the pipetting robot preventing the stop plate from moving around a first axis; rotating a rotor plate of the rotor assembly around the first axis and relative to the stop plate; and disengaging the pipetting robot from the ring; spinning the rotor assembly, the bucket rotating to a positive angle relative to a plane of rotation of the rotor assembly; moving the stop plate to the closed position; and spinning the rotor assembly when the stop plate is in the closed position to remove a portion of the solution from the sensor array assembly, the bucket secured in a horizontal or negative angle relative to the plane of rotation of the rotor assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor assembly comprises: the rotor plate to rotate around the first axis; the bucket rotatably attached to the rotor plate and to rotate around a second axis; and the stop plate to rotate around the first axis relative to the rotor plate between the open position and the 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.

3. A method of configuring a rotor assembly; the method comprising: wherein moving a stop plate to a closed position, engaging a ring of the stop plate of the rotor assembly with a pipetting robot, the pipetting robot preventing the stop plate from moving around an axis; rotating a rotor plate of the rotor assembly around the axis and relative to the stop plate; and disengaging the pipetting robot from the ring.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stop plate includes a wing to engage the bucket rotatably coupled to the rotor plate when the rotor plate is rotated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stop plate includes a wing to disengage from the bucket rotatably coupled to the rotor plate when the rotor plate is rotated.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating the rotor assembly 180°;
engaging the ring with the pipetting robot; and
rotating the rotor plate 90° relative to the stop plate.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the stop plate includes an arm and the ring.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the rotor plate includes an opening through which the ring of the stop plate can be accessed.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the ring includes a chamfered slip.

10. The method of claim 2 , further including a coupler having a central shaft to engage the rotor plate and the stop plate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the coupler includes a stop surface to engage a stop surface of the stop plate when the stop plate is in the open or closed position.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the coupler includes a magnet to attract a magnet of the stop plate when the stop plate is in the open or closed position.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the rotor plate includes a recess with slots to receive the coupler, wings of the coupler to engage the slots of the rotor plate.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rotor plate includes a top stop surface to engage the bucket or the sensor array assembly when the stop plate is in the closed position.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rotor plate includes a rear stop surface to engage the bucket when the stop plate is in the closed position.

16. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bucket is weighted to provide the angular position relative to the plane of rotation of the rotor assembly when the rotor assembly is spinning.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein the wing includes a horizontal planar surface that engages the bucket.

18. The method of claim 4 , wherein the rotor plate includes a top stop surface to engage the bucket when the stop plate is in the closed position.

19. The method of claim 4 , wherein the rotor plate includes a rear stop surface to engage the bucket when the stop plate is in the closed position.

20. The method of claim 4 , wherein the bucket is weighted to provide the angular position relative to the plane of rotation of the rotor assembly when the rotor assembly is spinning.

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Barbee Kristopher
• Zheng Rui
• Mccusker Sean

Classifications

• B04B5/0421 Primary

  pivotably mounted · CPC title

• G01N2035/0449

  using centrifugal transport of liquid · CPC title

• G01N2035/00158

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

• B04B7/08 Primary

  Rotary bowls (centrifugal casting machines B22D) · CPC title

• G01N2035/00495

  Centrifuges · CPC title