ROTOR WITH IMPROVED SPILL CONTROL

Abstract

A rotor assembly that includes a rotor body having a plurality of rotor wells. The rotor body includes an upstanding annular lip that defines an annular containment groove configured to capture and retain material leaked from a sample container received a rotor well during rotation of the rotor assembly. The rotor body also includes an annular containment lip that forms a continuous extension of the annular containment groove. The rotor assembly includes a lid selectively attachable to the open end of the rotor body that includes a first undercut channel configured to receive a portion of a first sealing gasket formed as an annular disk. The lid is supported above the upper surface of the rotor body by the annular containment lip such that the first sealing gasket is positioned between the lid and the annular containment lip to form a seal between the lid and the rotor body.

Description

Claims

1. A rotor assembly, comprising: a rotor body having a plurality of rotor wells spaced circumferentially about a rotational axis of the rotor body, each of the plurality of rotor wells having an open end formed in an upper surface of the rotor body and being configured to receive a sample container therein, an upstanding annular lip that extends in an axial direction above the upper surface of the rotor body to define an open end of the rotor body, the upstanding annular lip defining an annular containment groove configured to capture and retain material leaked from at least one sample container received within at least one of the plurality of rotor wells during rotation of the rotor assembly, and an annular containment lip that extends radially inward toward the rotational axis of the rotor body to form a continuous extension of the annular containment groove; anda lid selectively attachable to the open end of the rotor body to form a cavity between the upper surface of the rotor body and an underside of the lid, the lid having a first undercut channel that extends radially inward from a periphery of the lid and circumferentially about the lid that is configured to receive a portion of a first sealing gasket that comprises an annular disk having generally planar and parallel upper and lower surfaces;wherein the lid is supported above the upper surface of the rotor body by the annular containment lip such that the first sealing gasket is positioned between the lid and the annular containment lip to form a seal between the lid and the rotor body.

2. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises an upper peripheral portion, a middle peripheral portion, and a lower peripheral portion, the middle peripheral portion and the lower peripheral portion being separated from each other by the first undercut channel.

3. The rotor assembly of claim 2, wherein the upper peripheral portion defines a first outer diameter of the lid, the middle peripheral portion defines a second outer diameter of the lid that is less than the first outer diameter, and the lower peripheral portion defines a third outer diameter of the lid that is less than the second outer diameter.

4. The rotor assembly of claim 3, wherein the lower peripheral portion of the lid is positioned laterally opposite a radially inward terminal wall of the annular containment lip to define a first interface between the lid and the rotor body, the first sealing gasket being configured to extend across the first interface from the first undercut channel to overlie the annular containment lip.

5. The rotor assembly of claim 4, wherein the lid includes a second undercut channel that is configured to receive a portion of a second sealing gasket therein, the second undercut channel being formed between the upper peripheral portion of the lid and the middle peripheral portion of the lid.

6. The rotor assembly of claim 5, wherein the middle peripheral portion of the lid is positioned laterally opposite an inner wall of the upstanding annular lip to define a second interface between the lid and the rotor body.

7. The rotor assembly of claim 6, wherein the inner wall of the upstanding annular lip is stepped to define an annular ledge configured to align with the second undercut channel of the lid such that the second sealing gasket extends across the second interface from the second undercut channel to overlie the annular ledge.

8. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the annular containment lip includes a chamfered surface that extends between a radially inward terminal wall of the annular containment lip and the annular containment groove.

9. The rotor assembly of claim 8, wherein a radially inward end of the chamfered surface is flush with the underside of the lid to form a smooth transition between the underside of the lid and the annular containment groove.

10. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotor body is a fixed-angle rotor body.

11. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises an upper peripheral portion, a middle peripheral portion, and a lower peripheral portion, the upper peripheral portion and the middle peripheral portion being separated from each other by the second undercut channel.

12. The rotor assembly of claim 11, wherein the upper peripheral portion defines a first outer diameter of the lid, the middle peripheral portion defines a second outer diameter of the lid that is less than the first outer diameter, and the lower peripheral portion defines a third outer diameter of the lid that is less than the second outer diameter.

13. The rotor assembly of claim 12, wherein the lower peripheral portion is positioned laterally opposite a radially inward terminal wall of the annular containment lip to define a first interface between the lid and the rotor body, the first sealing gasket being configured to extend across the first interface from the first undercut channel to overlie the annular containment lip.

14. The rotor assembly of claim 13, wherein the underside of the lid is defined in part by a continuously curved surface and a chamfered surface that extends between the continuously curved surface and the lower peripheral portion of the lid that defines the third outer diameter.

15. The rotor assembly of claim 14, wherein the chamfered surface forms a continuous extension of the annular containment groove at the first interface.

16. In combination, a centrifuge and the rotor assembly of claim 1.

17. A rotor assembly, comprising: a rotor body having a plurality of rotor wells spaced circumferentially about a rotational axis of the rotor body, each of the plurality of rotor wells having an open end formed in an upper surface of the rotor body and being configured to receive a sample container therein, an upstanding annular lip that extends in an axial direction above the upper surface of the rotor body to define an open end of the rotor body, the upstanding annular lip defining an annular containment groove configured to capture and retain material leaked from at least one sample container received within at least one of the plurality of rotor wells during rotation of the rotor assembly, and an annular containment lip that extends radially inward toward the rotational axis of the rotor body to form a continuous extension of the annular containment groove and an inner wall that extends between the open end of the rotor body and the annular containment lip; anda lid selectively attachable to the open end of the rotor body to form a cavity between the upper surface of the rotor body and an underside of the lid, the lid comprising: a first undercut channel that extends radially inward from a periphery of the lid and circumferentially about the lid that is configured to receive a portion of a first sealing gasket therein; anda second undercut channel that extends radially inward from a periphery of the lid and circumferentially about the lid that is configured to receive a portion of a second sealing gasket therein.wherein the lid is supported above the upper surface of the rotor body by the annular containment lip such that the first sealing gasket is positioned between the lid and the annular containment lip to form a first seal between the lid and the rotor body and the second sealing gasket is positioned between the lid and the inner wall to form a second seal between the lid and the rotor body.

18. The rotor assembly of claim 17, wherein the first sealing gasket comprises an annular disk having generally planar and parallel upper and lower surfaces.

19. The rotor assembly of claim 17, wherein the lid comprises an upper peripheral portion, a middle peripheral portion, and a lower peripheral portion, the upper peripheral portion and the middle peripheral portion being separated from each other by the second undercut channel and the middle peripheral portion and the lower peripheral portion being separated from each other by the first undercut channel.

20. The rotor assembly of claim 19, wherein the upper peripheral portion defines a first outer diameter of the lid, the middle peripheral portion defines a second outer diameter of the lid that is less than the first outer diameter, and the lower peripheral portion defines a third outer diameter of the lid that is less than the second outer diameter.

21. The rotor assembly of claim 20, wherein the lower peripheral portion of the lid is positioned laterally opposite a radially inward terminal wall of the annular containment lip to define a first interface between the lid and the rotor body, the first sealing gasket being configured to extend across the first interface from the first undercut channel to overlie the annular containment lip.

22. The rotor assembly of claim 21, wherein the middle peripheral portion of the lid is positioned laterally opposite the inner wall of the upstanding annular lip to define a second interface between the lid and the rotor body.

23. The rotor assembly of claim 22, wherein the inner wall of the upstanding annular lip is stepped to define an annular ledge configured to align with the second undercut channel of the lid such that the second sealing gasket extends across the second interface from the second undercut channel to overlie the annular ledge.

24. The rotor assembly of claim 17, wherein the annular containment lip includes a chamfered surface that extends between a radially inward terminal wall of the annular containment lip and the annular containment groove.

25. The rotor assembly of claim 24, wherein a radially inward end of the chamfered surface is flush with the underside of the lid to form a smooth transition between the underside of the lid and the annular containment groove.

26. The rotor assembly of claim 17, wherein the rotor body is a fixed-angle rotor body.

27. A rotor assembly, comprising: a rotor body having a plurality of rotor wells spaced circumferentially about a rotational axis of the rotor body, each of the plurality of rotor wells having an open end formed in an upper surface of the rotor body and being configured to receive a sample container therein, an upstanding annular lip that extends in an axial direction above the upper surface of the rotor body to define an open end of the rotor body, the upstanding annular lip defining an annular containment groove configured to capture and retain material leaked from at least one sample container received within at least one of the plurality of rotor wells during rotation of the rotor assembly, and an annular containment lip that extends radially inward toward the rotational axis of the rotor body to form a continuous extension of the annular containment groove; anda lid selectively attachable to the open end of the rotor body to form a cavity between the upper surface of the rotor body and an underside of the lid, the lid having a stepped profile that defines annular shoulder having an annular socket, the annular shoulder being configured to receive a first sealing gasket having an annular projection configured to be received within the annular socket to maintain engagement between the first sealing gasket and the annular shoulder;wherein the lid is supported above the upper surface of the rotor body by the annular containment lip such that the first sealing gasket is positioned between the annular shoulder and the annular containment lip to form a seal between the lid and the rotor body.

28. The rotor assembly of claim 27, wherein the lid includes an upper peripheral portion and a lower peripheral portion separated from each other by the annular shoulder, the upper peripheral portion defining a first outer diameter of the lid and the lower peripheral portion defining a second outer diameter of the lid that is less than the first outer diameter.

29. The rotor assembly of claim 28, wherein the lower peripheral portion of the lid is positioned laterally opposite a radially inward terminal wall of the annular containment lip to define a first interface between the lid and the rotor body and the upper peripheral portion of the lid is positioned laterally opposite an inner wall of the upstanding annular lip to define a second interface between the lid and the rotor body.

30. The rotor assembly of claim 29, wherein the lid includes an undercut channel formed in the upper peripheral portion that is configured to receive a portion of a second sealing gasket therein.

31. The rotor assembly of claim 30, wherein the upper peripheral portion defines the first outer diameter and a third outer diameter of the lid separated from each other by the first undercut channel, the third outer diameter being less than the first outer diameter but greater than the second outer diameter.

32. The rotor assembly of claim 31, wherein the inner wall of the upstanding annular lip defines an annular ledge configured to align with the undercut channel of the lid such that the second sealing gasket extends across the second interface from the first undercut channel to overlie the annular ledge.

33. The rotor assembly of claim 27, wherein the annular containment lip includes a chamfered surface that extends between a radially inward terminal wall of the annular containment lip and the annular containment groove.

34. The rotor assembly of claim 33, wherein a radially inward end of the chamfered surface is flush with the underside of the lid to form a smooth transition between the underside of the lid and the annular containment groove.

35. The rotor assembly of claim 27, wherein the rotor body is a fixed-angle rotor body.

36. In combination, a centrifuge and the rotor assembly of claim 27.