Apparatus, and process, for automatically sampling solids and semi-solids materials for analysis

Claim 1

In a process for the extraction and separation for analysis of an organic fluid or solids specimen from a semi-solids or solids sample carried within a vial the combination of steps which comprise locating a septum sealed vial having a single compartment within which is contained said semi-solids or solids sample adjacent a probe assembly, projecting said probe assembly through said septum into the compartment of the vial, said probe assembly including a pair of concentrically mounted needles, an inner needle having a bore therethrough formed by an enclosing wall, an outlet at the lower terminal end of the needle opening into the bore through which a gas or liquid can be passed, and an upper inlet communicated with the bore of said inner needle for use in introducing a gas or liquid into the bore, and an outer needle having a bore therethrough formed by an enclosing wall of diameter sufficiently large to provide an annular passageway between the outside wall face of said inner needle and inside wall face of said outer needle, a gas inlet at the lower terminal end of the outer needle terminating above the outlet at the lower terminal end of said inner needle, and gas outlet at the upper terminal end of the outer needle communicated with the annular passageway, a first line from a supply source of both gas and liquid connected to the inlet of said inner needle through which gas can be passed to exit via the outlet at the lower terminal end of the inner needle to pressurize the contents of the vial, or liquid introduced as a solvent to disperse the semi-solids or solids sample, a second line connected to the gas outlet at the upper end of said outer needle through which a specimen-containing gas can be transported, whereby, when the probe assembly is inserted into the septum sealed vial, the gas inlet at the lower terminal end of the outer needle remains above said semi-solids or solids sample, injecting a liquid solvent via said first line of said probe assembly into the bore of said inner needle, the liquid solvent exiting at the opening at the lower terminal end of the inner needle to fill the vial compartment to a predetermined liquid level, and disperse the semi-solids or solids sample within the liquid solvent to form a slurry, injecting a gas via said first line into the bore of said inner needle, the gas exiting from the lower terminal end of said inner needle, thereby pressurizing the contents of the vial and mixing with the liquid slurry, and passing gas into the annular passageway of the outer needle, the gas exiting from the second line to a specimen collector for concentration therein, and transfer therefrom for analysis in an analytical instrument.