Rotors and rotor cores for continuous flow centrifuges

Claim 3

A continuous flow centrifuge rotor including an arcuate passageway for a gradient and a flowing sample, said passageway being approximately 360* in length and having trailing and leading ends that are closely spaced, said rotor including a barrier between said ends and having an inlet conduit for the sample opening into the trailing end of the passageway at the inner side thereof and an outlet conduit for the spent sample opening into the leading end thereof at the inner side of said passageway, said rotor also having at least one conduit for use in gradient removal and opening into said passageway, said rotor having an axial socket, and a distributor removably held in said socket with an end exposed, said distributor having a pair of vertical and horizontally spaced passages opening through said exposed end and having vertically spaced ports opening through the side of the distributor, all of said rotor conduits having ports opening in said socket and vertically spaced so that said sample conduit port and the port of one of said other two rotor conduits are in communication with appropriate distributor passage ports and the port of the other of said two rotor conduits is blocked by said distributor whereby said rotor may also be used by replacing said distributor with a distributor also having a pair of vertical and horizontally spaced passages having ports opening through the side thereof and vertically spaced so that the port of the rotor sample port and the port of the other of said two rotor conduits are in communication with appropriate distributor ports and the remaining rotor conduit port is blocked by said replacement distributor.

Claim 4

A continuous flow centrifuge rotor including an arcuate passageway for a gradient and a flowing sample, said passageway being approximately 360* in length and having trailing and leading ends that are closely spaced, said rotor including a barrier between said ends and having an inlet conduit for the sample opening into the trailing end of the passageway at the inner side thereof and an outlet conduit for the spent sample opening into the leading end thereof at the inner side of said passageway, said rotor also having at least one conduit for use in gradient removal and opening into said passageway, said rotor having an axial socket, and a distributor removably held in said socket with an end exposed, said distributor having a pair of vertical and horizontally spaced passages opening through said exposed end and having vertically spaced ports opening through the side of the distributor, all of said rotor conduits having ports opening in said socket and vertically spaced so that said sample conduit port and the port of one of said other two rotor conduits are in communication with appropriate distributor passage ports and the port of the other of said two rotor conduits is blocked by said distributor whereby said rotor may also be used by replacing said distributor with a distributor also having a pair of vertical and horizontally spaced passages having ports opening through the side thereof and vertically spaced so that the port of the rotor sample port and the port of the other of said two rotor conduits are in communication with appropriate distributor ports and the remaining rotor conduit port is blocked by said replacement distributor.

Claim 5

The continuous flow centrifuge rotor of claim 2 in which the outer wall of the passageway is inwardly inclined and the gradient conduit opens into the passageway close to the remote side thereof.

Claim 6

The continuous flow centrifuge rotor of claim 2 in which the sample inlet conduit is above the sample outlet conduit and the gradient conduit is below the sample outlet conduit and the upper distributor port is located to be in communication with the port of the sample inlet conduit and the lower distributor port is located to be in communication with the sample outlet port, and annular seals carried by the Distributor, one between said distributor ports, one above the upper distributor port and one below said lower distributor port but above the gradient conduit port.

Claim 7

The continuous flow centrifuge rotor of claim 2 in which the sample inlet conduit is above the sample outlet conduit and the gradient outlet port is below said outlet conduit and the upper distributor port is located to be in communication with the port of the sample inlet conduit and the lower distributor port is located to be in communication with the port of the gradient conduit, and annular seals carried by the distributor, one above the upper distributor port and two above said lower distributor port and spaced one above and one below the sample outlet port.

Claim 8

In combination and for use in a continuous flow centrifuge rotor having a circular chamber in which there is an arbor having laterally opening ports vertically spaced from one another, a removable core and an edge loading ring member dimensioned to fit within said chamber, said core including a cylindrical member and an underlying plate of greater diameter and dimensioned to seat on the bottom of the chamber within said ring, said core having an axial opening receiving said arbor, said cylindrical member so dimensioned that its periphery is spaced from the ring member with the inner surface of the ring member, the periphery of the cylindrical member and the portion of the plate between the two members establishing a passageway for a gradient and a flowing sample, one member including a barrier blocking said passageway and establishing leading and trailing passageway ends with the passageway otherwise unobstructed and being substantially 360* in extent, said core member having an inlet conduit for the sample in communication with the inner side of the passageway at said trailing end, an outlet passage for the spent sample in communication with the inner side of the passageway at said leading end and said plate having at least one conduit for use in gradient entry and removal opening into said passageway adjacent said ring member, said core member conduits and said plate conduit having ports opening into said axial opening and being vertically spaced for communication with respective ones of the arbor ports.

Claim 9

In combination and for use in a continuous flow centrifuge rotor having a circular chamber in which there is an arbor having laterally opening ports vertically spaced from one another, a removable core and an edge loading ring member dimensioned to fit within said chamber, said core including a cylindrical member and an underlying plate of greater diameter and dimensioned to seat on the bottom of the chamber within said ring, said core having an axial opening receiving said arbor, said cylindrical member so dimensioned that its periphery is spaced from the ring member with the inner surface of the ring member, the periphery of the cylindrical member and the portion of the plate between the two members establishing a passageway for a gradient and a flowing sample, one member including a barrier blocking said passageway and establishing leading and trailing passageway ends with the passageway otherwise unobstructed and being substantially 360* in extent, said core member having an inlet conduit for the sample in communication with the inner side of the passageway at said trailing end, an outlet passage for the spent sample in communication with the inner side of the passageway at said leading end and said plate having at least one conduit for use in gradient entry and removal opening into said passageway adjacent said ring member, said core member conduits and said plate conduit having ports opening into said axial opening and being vertically spaced for communication with respective ones of the arbor ports.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 6 in which the member having the barrier establishing the leading and trailing passageway ends is the core member.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 6 in which the ring member is inwardly inclined and the gradient port is close to the remote edge of the ring member.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 6 in which the outer portion of the sample inlet conduit of the core is substantially greater in cross sectional area than its inner portion.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 6 in which the gradient conduit of the core is a channel in the exposed surface of the underlying plate and closed when the core is within the chamber.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 6 and a second plate, the cylindrical member is between the plates and the sample inlet and outlet conduits are channels on opposite faces of the cylindrical member each closed by the appropriate one of the plates.