Automated high precision solution preparation apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automated solution preparation apparatus having containers for holding solid reagents, a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the reagents to a balance, a supply for providing liquid to rinse the reagents from the balance into a chamber where additional liquids can be added, and a manifold connected to the chamber for dispensing the solution into receptacles. The chamber can have probes for monitoring properties of the solution, and heating and cooling jackets for adjusting the solution temperature. The present invention also relates to a method for using the automated solution preparation apparatus to prepare solutions of different concentrations and properties by dispensing reagents from containers into a weighing zone, where each reagent is separately weighed and rinsed from the weighing zone into a chamber, diluting the reagents with additional liquid solvent to prepare the solution and discharging the solution from the chamber into receptacles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A solution preparation apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of containers for holding solid or liquid ingredients;   a dispensing mechanism in flow communication and operatively associated with each container that selectively and sequentially dispenses an amount of one or more ingredients;   a balance that sequentially receives the dispensed ingredients and weighs in a cumulative way each received ingredient;   a supply that provides liquid to the balance for removing the ingredients from the balance and forms a concentrated solution; and   a mixing chamber that receives the concentrated solution and additional liquid to adjust and prepare a liquid mixture of a predetermined concentration, wherein the mixing chamber has a chamber wall.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 a solution distributor in fluid communication with the chamber that conveys a discharged solution into receptacles.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , which further comprises:
 a processor for controlling a dispensing, weighing, mixing, adjusting and discharging process.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 one or more liquid ingredient dispensers that can provide one or more liquid ingredients to the chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 a volume detector in operative association with the chamber for determining a volume of the solution within the chamber.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the volume detector comprises:
 an infrared light source;   a floating disc; and   a detector in operative association with the light source and the floating disc that measures a liquid level in the chamber.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber wall is insulated for maintaining the chamber at a consistent temperature. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , which further comprises:
 heating and cooling jackets within the chamber wall that facilitates adjusting the temperature of the chamber and the solution.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the solution distributor further comprises:
 a sterilization tank for eliminating biological organisms and contaminants and a manifold, wherein the sterilization tank is located between and is in liquid communication with the chamber and the manifold.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , which further comprises:
 filters for removing particulates from the solution before dispensing the solution into receptacles, wherein the filters are located in and are in fluid communication with the solution distributor.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising probes associated with the mixing chamber for monitoring chemical and physical properties of the solution. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 a plurality of separate compartments, wherein each separate compartment houses a different section of the apparatus, and wherein the compartments can be sealed from an outside atmosphere by one or more airtight doors.   
     
     
         13 . A solution preparation apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of containers for holding ingredients;   a dispensing mechanism in flow communication and operatively associated with each container that selectively and sequentially in a cumulative way dispenses an amount of one or more ingredients;   a balance, wherein the balance has a balance plate suitably dimensioned for receiving and suitably dimensioned for weighing in a cumulative way a plurality of sequentially dispensed ingredients at the same time without loss of any ingredient from the balance plate;   a supply that provides liquid to the balance for removing the ingredients from the balance and forms a concentrated solution; and   a mixing chamber that receives the concentrated solution and additional liquid to adjust and prepare a liquid mixture of a predetermined concentration, wherein the mixing chamber has a chamber wall.   
     
     
         14 . A solution preparation apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of containers for holding ready to plug and use canisters;   a plurality of conduits, wherein a single conduit is connected to and in flow communication with an egress end of one of the plurality of containers;   one or more canisters containing solid ingredients placed within a respective container, and connected to the egress end of the container so as to form an airtight seal between the canister and the conduit;   a dispensing mechanism comprising:
 a plurality of valves connected to and in flow communication with the plurality of conduits; and 
 a dispenser block supporting the valves and conduits, such that the dispensing mechanism is operatively associated with each container that selectively and sequentially dispenses an amount of one or more ingredients; 
   a balance comprising:
 one or more balance plate(s) that sequentially receives the dispensed ingredient(s) from an egress end of each of the plurality of conduits, and weighs each received ingredient; 
 a supply that provides liquid to the balance for removing the ingredients from the balance and forms a concentrated solution; 
 a chamber that receives the solution of ingredients and liquid from the balance; 
 a volume setting system that determines a volume of the solution within the chamber; 
 a pump that delivers liquid to the chamber until the volume setting system indicates the solution has reached a predetermined amount; and 
 a valve that releases the solution from the solution into a manifold that dispenses the released solution into one or more receptacles. 
   
     
     
         15 . A method for preparing solutions which comprises:
 providing a plurality of ingredients;   selectively and sequentially dispensing the ingredients from ingredient containers into a weighing zone, wherein amounts of the one or more ingredients dispensed into the weighing zone are each individually controlled by a computer actuated valve;   receiving the ingredients selectively and sequentially in the weighing zone, wherein each dispensed ingredient is separately weighed;   providing a liquid solvent;   spraying the liquid solvent into the weighing zone for rinsing the dispensed ingredients from the weighing zone;   rinsing the one or more dispensed ingredients from the weighing zone into a chamber with a spray of the liquid solvent and forming a concentrated solution;   receiving the concentrated solution from the weighing zone in the chamber,   providing the liquid solvent to the chamber to dilute the concentrated solution;   diluting the concentrated solution from the weighing zone with additional liquid solvent to prepare a solution of a predetermined concentration; and   discharging the solution of predetermined concentration from the chamber to one or more solution receptacles.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 providing one or more liquid ingredients;   injecting one or more of the liquid ingredients into the concentrated solution received in the chamber, wherein the liquid ingredients adjust one or more properties of the concentrated solution; and   recording the chemical and physical properties of the solution.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the properties adjusted by injection of liquid ingredient includes pH. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the final solution comprises a food, chemical or pharmaceutical preparation. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the ingredients comprise a food, pharmaceutical or a chemical ingredient, acids, bases, buffers, detergents, solutions of acids, bases, buffers, solvents, organic liquids, natural liquids or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the ingredients are solid ingredients. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the final solution comprises preparation of buffers, culture media, mobile phases, dyes or electrophoresis gels. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the solid ingredients comprise a powder, crystal, pellet, grain, flake, filing, shaving or dust or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer-readable instructions for execution by a processing system, the computer readable instructions for preparing a concentrated solution comprising:
 instructions to activate a valve for selectively and sequentially dispensing ingredient(s) from ingredient containers into a weighing zone;   instructions to separately weigh each of the selectively and sequentially dispensed ingredient(s);   instructions to activate a pump for providing one or more liquid ingredients for rinsing the one or more dispensed ingredients from the weighing zone into a chamber;   instructions to activate a pump for providing a liquid solvent to the chamber to dilute the concentrated solution; and   instructions to open a valve for discharging the solution of predetermined concentration from the chamber to one or more solution receptacles.   
     
     
         24 . A solution preparation apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of containers for holding ingredients;   a dispensing mechanism in flow communication and operatively associated with each container that selectively and sequentially dispenses an amount of one or more ingredients, wherein the ingredients can be acids, bases, buffers or detergents or solutions of acids, bases, buffers or detergents or solid ingredients;   a balance, wherein the balance has a balance plate suitably dimensioned for receiving and suitably dimensioned for weighing in a cumulative way a plurality of sequentially dispensed ingredients at the same time without loss of any ingredient from the balance plate;   a supply that provides liquid to the balance for removing the ingredients from the balance and forms a concentrated solution;   a mixing chamber that receives the concentrated solution and additional liquid from the balance to adjust and prepare a liquid mixture of a predetermined concentration, wherein the mixing chamber has a chamber wall;   a probe associated with the mixing chamber for monitoring a chemical and physical property of the solution;   a pump that delivers liquid to the chamber until a volume setting system indicates the solution has reached a predetermined amount;   a valve that releases the solution into a manifold that dispenses the released solution into one or more receptacles; and   a plurality of filters for removing particulates from the solution before discharging the solution into one or more receptacles, wherein the filters are located in and are in fluid communication with a solution distributor.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , which further comprises:
 heating and cooling jackets within the chamber wall that facilitates adjusting the temperature of the chamber and the solution.